Senate Approves Cornyn Measure
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. 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 continue to heal from this unspeakable tragedy"
said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2015 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.
The men and women who put themselves in harms 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 theyve 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 Heart the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom the 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 and
the Honoring the Fort Hood Heroes Act in 2013.
Senator Cornyn serves on the Finance and Judiciary Committees. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committees Immigration Refugees and Border Security subcommittee. He served previously as Texas Attorney General Texas Supreme Court Justice and Bexar County District Judge.
