In response to the Houston Cemetery controversy, Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX) has introduced The Veterans' Religious Freedom Act. From Rep. Poe's press release:
This legislation will prohibit the Veterans Administration from limiting the free speech of any member of a veteran service organization or any person who else who has been invited to speak at a funeral service of a veteran. It will also require that within 90 days of the passage of the bill, all VA cemetery directors must be veterans. Finally, it will mandate that the VA inform families of veterans all options available to loved ones when they are planning funeral services.
Of course, the First Amendment already prohibits governmental limitation on free speech. The idea of requiring the VA to inform families of all service options sounds like a good one. Don't you figure they already do that? What will this bill accomplish apart from firing non-veteran cemetery directors?
HR 2848 has been referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
