6 Bills Named In Honor of Lawmakers' Retiring or Deceased Colleagues

One way that lawmakers recognize the contributions of one of their colleagues who is retiring or passed away is by naming a piece of legislation after them. Here’s a look at 6 bills in the 115th Congress that were named after retiring or deceased lawmakers:

John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (H.R. 5515)

Named after the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a veteran who chaired the Senate Armed Services Committee, this bill authorized $708 billion in defense spending for fiscal year 2019. Its enactment marked the 58th straight year that Congress approved a bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act.

Louise Slaughter Weekend Voting Act (H.R. 5989)

Named after the late Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), a weekend voting advocate during her more than 31 years in the U.S. House, this bill would move federal elections to the Saturday & Sunday after the first Friday in November.

John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and Samuel R. Johnson VA MISSION Act of 2018 (S. 2372)

Named after three veteran lawmakers, this bipartisan bill became law in June 2018 and aims to improve veterans’ access to care through non-VA community providers when VA healthcare would be deficient in quality, timeliness, or cause veterans a hardship.

It’s named after the late Sen. McCain, Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) who retired in 2013 and passed away in 2018, and Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) who is retiring after 27 years in the U.S. House and was McCain’s cellmate as a POW in the “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam War.

Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act (H.R. 1551)

This bill became law in October 2018 and is named after reitiring 13-term Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) ― who will retire as the longest serving Republican senator in history (in addition to being a musician). The bipartisan bill modernized several provisions of U.S. copyright law related to music licensing so as to reflect how digital music services operate while ensuring that creative professionals collect royalties.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen United States-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act (S. 2497)

Named after Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), an outspoken advocate for the U.S.-Israel relationship who is retiring after 29 years in the House, this bill would codify into law the 2016 memorandum of understanding that committed the U.S.  to providing Israel with $38 billion in defense assistance over 10 years.

Different versions of it have passed each chamber on voice votes, but a final version hasn’t been sent to President Trump’s desk.

Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act (S. 140)

Named after Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), who is retiring after serving 12 terms in the U.S. House, this bill became law in December 2018. It reauthorizes the Coast Guard for two years and establishes a national standard for ship ballast discharges. LoBiondo is a member of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: U.S. Navy - Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Mortensen / Public Domain)