releases: https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/content/senate-approves-cornyn-measure-making-2009-fort-hood-victims-eligible-purple-hearts
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/content/senate-approves-cornyn-measure-making-2009-fort-hood-victims-eligible-purple-hearts | Senate Approves Cornyn Measure Making 2009 Fort Hood Victims Eligible for Purple Hearts | 2014-12-12 | 2014 | 2014-12 | Republican | House | TX | John Cornyn | C001056 | www.cornyn.senate.gov | legacy | U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) issued the following statement after the Senate passed the FY2015 Defense Authorization bill, including a provision based on legislation he authored making victims of the November 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood eligible to receive the Purple Heart:Fort Hood has long been a source of pride for all Texans, and though long overdue this is welcome news for the wounded, the families of the fallen, and the entire community who all continue to heal from this unspeakable tragedy.The men and women who put themselves in harm's way on that fateful day deserve nothing less than this high honor for their sacrifices, and I urge the President to sign this bill into law as soon as possible so we can grant these heroes the recognition they've earned.Existing criteria for the Purple Heart provide for the medal to be awarded to service members killed or wounded as the result of an international terrorist attack against the United States. The provision in the FY2015 Defense Authorization bill would update the definition of international terrorist attack to include a terrorist attack that was inspired or motivated by al Qaeda or another U.S. State Department-designated foreign terrorist organization, and one prior to which the attacker was in communication with the terrorist group. The provision would be retroactively effective as of September 11, 2001, and would require fresh reviews of the 2009 Ft. Hood attack and other attacks since 9/11. For the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heartthe Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedomthe measure would require a determination of whether it should be awarded to any civilians who were killed or wounded in the 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood. Sen. Cornyn and Reps. Carter and Williams previously introduced similar legislation,the Fort Hood Victims and Families Benefits Protection Act, in both 2009 and 2011, andthe Honoring the Fort Hood Heroes Act, in 2013. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |