{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399934", "<span class=\"kicker\">Family members of vets who made the ultimate sacrifice now allowed to participate in LoC project</span>The Gold Star Families Voice Act Signed into Law", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) announced today that the Gold Star Families Voices Act (HR 4511)\u2014which expands the Library of Congress\u2019 Veterans History Project (VHP) to include family members of veterans who died as a result of their service or who are missing in action\u2014has been signed into law.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Smith\u2019s legislation was approved by a unanimous voice vote in the House on September 6, 2016 and by a unanimous 97-0 vote in the Senate on November 15th.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe new law honors the men and women who gave \u2018the last full measure of devotion\u2019 in the service of our nation by allowing family members to tell their stories on their behalf,\u201d said Smith, who served as chairman of the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee and authored more than a dozen laws to expand the benefits and services provided to our nation\u2019s veterans and surviving family members. \u201cThe Veterans History Project is designed to help preserve and catalog the memories of our nation\u2019s veterans so that current and future generations may hear and better appreciate the realities of war and the sacrifices borne by those who served in uniform.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWith enactment of this legislation, we are adding new voices to this rich history project\u2014and recording the sacrifices of all who have served. Family members will now have the opportunity to create a lasting record of their fallen loved ones.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Congress created the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress in 2000 to collect and catalog the stories of American war veterans. The project has been a great success. Earlier this year, the Library announced that it reached a milestone: it has collected more than 100,000 testimonies of veterans who have served in military engagements since World War I in a permanent record.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Until today, the project accepted only first-hand accounts of living veterans, unintentionally leaving out the men and women who did not return from the battlefield. Under Smith\u2019s law, immediate family members can now participate on a veteran\u2019s behalf including parents, spouses, siblings and/or children.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe Gold Star Families Voices Act would not be law today without the tireless advocacy of the Gold Star Mothers organization. They are an inspiration; having lost their children in service to our nation, they continue to successfully work to better meet the needs of veterans and their families. They have turned their grief into advocacy: working for veterans, for military families, and especially, for the memories of their children,\u201d Smith continued. \u201cAllowing them to share these memories ensures all Americans can hear, appreciate, remember, and honor these patriots.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Smith\u2019s bill is endorsed by the New Jersey Gold Star Mothers organization, whose President, Judi Tapper\u2014the proud mother of Petty Officer First Class David Tapper, a Navy Seal who was killed in Afghanistan on August 20, 2003\u2014stated: \u201cNever in history has there been a forum to replace our heroes\u2019 silenced voices. This legislation provides it. In their names, may their stories be told.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Second Vice President of the National American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., Becky Christmas, said: \u201cRep. Smith\u2019s legislation gives our children a voice that they no longer have. The Gold Star Families Voices Act will ensure that the experiences and lives of all veterans, including our sons and daughters who fought and died for our country, are remembered, honored and preserved. As Gold Star Parents, we are encouraged to know that the bill is closer to becoming a reality. Our hearts are touched, that our children who gave so much, continue to be heard.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 TJ Fearon, former Vietnam-era Seabee, Gold Star Family Liaison, who brought the issue to Rep. Smith\u2019s attention earlier this year said: \u201cI am honored to have assisted in returning the Voices of my Brothers and Sisters in Arms that never returned. They now shall be properly remembered for their sacrifice.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Senator Roy Blunt, who led the effort to pass this bill in the Senate, said: \u201cWe would not be the nation we are today if not for the profound acts of courage and selflessness of our fallen heroes. We, as Americans, owe it to these men and women to know their names, to honor their deeds, and to preserve their memories. The Gold Star Families Voices Act makes an invaluable project even better by giving the family members of our missing and fallen service members the opportunity to share their stories and ensure they become a part of our nation\u2019s historical record. I thank American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. and Representative Chris Smith for championing this bill, and my Senate colleagues for getting it to the president\u2019s desk.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399934"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.824750866740942, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}