A pair of Republican Pennsylvania lawmakers, Sen. Pat Toomey and Rep. Bill Shuster, introduced legislation this week that will help offer dignity and closure for families of veterans who have died but whose remains are unclaimed.
The Dignified Interment of our Veterans Act of 2015, which is currently being presented in both chambers of Congress, would mandate that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs conduct a study on the burial of unclaimed remains of veterans.
“When our veterans pass, they should be honored in a way that reflects the bravery and sacrifice they showed in defending our country,” Toomey said. “Tragically, too often, the remains of our veterans are going unclaimed. It is Congress and the VA’s job to fix this and develop an action plan which helps resolve this issue that is so important for our veterans’ community. Congressman Shuster and I are going to keep up the fight on behalf of our veterans until both the House and Senate act on this important bill.”
The Missing in America Project conducted research that suggests there are remains of about 47,000 veterans stored throughout the United States that have yet to be identified and/or claimed. With legal barriers in place that often discourage cooperation between federal agencies, it can be difficult for the next of kin to be identified or located. The Dignified Interment of our Veterans Act would attempt to clean up this process, by first reviewing how the VA handles remains, including how they are identified, claimed and interred.
“The services and sacrifices of our veterans should never be forgotten,” Shuster said. “Each one of them should be treated with the proper respect they deserve, and Congress needs to act to address this clear problem. I am happy to continue working with Sen. Toomey, veterans in the 9th Congressional District, and veteran service organizations across the country to raise awareness of this issue and move legislation through Congress to thoroughly examine the barriers preventing timely burial of our nation’s heroes.”
The bill has been endorsed by the MIAP, Rolling Thunder, the VFW Department of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania American Legion.