| May 3, 2006 |
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) met Wednesday with descendents of World War I and II “Code Talkers” who thanked her for sponsoring H.R. 4597, the Code Talker Recognition Act. The bill awards the Comanche, Choctaw and Sioux Code Talkers, who used their native language to radio coded messages to American soldiers during World War I and II, the Congressional Gold Medal. The bill also includes a provision (Section 401) authorizing the President to award Congressional Gold Medals to any other Code Talkers identified by the Secretary of Defense.
Granger first introduced the Code Talkers Bill in 2001 during the 107th Congress, which honored Comanche Code Talkers. The bill was combined with then-Rep. Wes Watkins’ bill honoring the Choctaw Code Talkers and Rep. John Thune’s bill honoring the Sioux Code Talkers. The bill passed the House but stalled in the Senate. Granger reintroduced a bill, honoring Code Talkers from all three above-mentioned tribes in the 108th Congress.
On July 26, 2001, President Bush honored the Navajo Code Talkers for their contribution to the United States Armed Forces as radio operators in World War II. Like the Navajo Code Talkers, the Choctaw, Comanche and Sioux Code Talkers, served in both the Pacific and European fronts during World War II.
Granger originally learned about the critical efforts of the Code Talkers through a friend and constituent of hers, Ben Tahmahkera. He wanted to make sure the sacrifices of the Comanche code talkers, and other code talkers, were not forgotten.
Co-sponsors of the bill include: Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Howard Berman (D-CA), Heather Wilson (R-NM), Leonard Boswell (D-IA), Ed Case (D-HI), Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), Stephanie Herseth (D-SD), Jay Inslee (D-WA), William Jefferson (D-LA), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Dale Kildee (D-MI), Ron Kind (D-WI), Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Frank Wolf (R-VA), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Phil English (R-PA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Ralph Hall (R-TX), Robert Ney (R-OH), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), Donald Manzullo (R-IL), Robert Wexler (D-FL), Barbara Cubin (R-WY), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Madeline Bordallo (D-GU), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Tom Cole (R-OK), Mike Conaway (R-TX), Michael Honda (D-CA), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Mark Kennedy (R-MN), James McGovern (D-MA), George Miller (D-CA), Dennis Moore (D-KS), Ed Pastor (D-AZ), Nick Rahall (D-WV), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Rob Simmons (R-CT), John Sullivan (R-OK), Lee Terry (R-NE), Jim Moran (D-VA), Fred Upton (R-MI), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Ed Pastor (D-AZ).
Granger serves on the Appropriations Committee and the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. She also serves as a Deputy Majority Whip. Granger is the first and only female Republican to serve in the Texas House delegation. Granger represents the 12th District of Texas and is currently serving her fifth term in Congress.