releases: https://butterfield.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/butterfield-celebrates-his-world-war-ii-merchant-mariner-bill-becoming
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://butterfield.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/butterfield-celebrates-his-world-war-ii-merchant-mariner-bill-becoming | Butterfield Celebrates His World War II Merchant Mariner Bill Becoming Law | 2016-09-29 | 2016 | 2016-09 | Democrat | House | NC | G. Butterfield | B001251 | butterfield.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, DC Today, President Obama signed a government funding bill into law that contains provisions authored by Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) that expand the list of documents accepted by the U.S. Department of Defense to prove service and grant veterans status to a forgotten segment of the World War II Merchant Marine, Coastwise Merchant Seamen. After President Obama signed the bill into law, Butterfield said, After many years of fighting for these mariners in Congress, we have finally done the right thing by making it possible for these great Americans to receive their due recognition as veterans. I am overjoyed that some of these mariners who are still with us will now have the chance to know their sacrifices were not made in vain and that their nation and government are appreciative of their service. Over the past four Congresses, Butterfield has championed the effort to gain veteran recognition for these forgotten mariners who nobly served their country during World War II. He was successful in passing his bill out of the House of Representatives several times over that period, but until this year, was unable to secure a vote on the legislation in the Senate in order to deliver it to the President's desk. This Congress, Congressman Butterfield found a partner in the Senate and worked with Senator Chris Murphy to introduce a Senate companion bill and to have Butterfield's bill offered as an amendment to the appropriation bill President Obama signed today. For too many years, Congress failed to act and many of these mariners went to their graves having never been recognized by their country for their sacrifices," said Butterfield. "Now that my bill has become law, I am elated to know that surviving mariners and the family members of mariners who have passed will finally have the means to obtain the recognition they rightly earned so many years ago. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |