119-hr4689

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4689 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4689

 To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient 
clinic in Bloomington, Illinois, as the ``Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of 
 Honor Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic''.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 23, 2025

 Mr. LaHood (for himself, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Kelly of 
 Illinois, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr. Quigley, Mr. 
Casten, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. 
 Schneider, Mr. Foster, Mr. Bost, Ms. Budzinski, Ms. Underwood, Mrs. 
 Miller of Illinois, and Mr. Sorensen) introduced the following bill; 
 which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient 
clinic in Bloomington, Illinois, as the ``Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of 
 Honor Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic''.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

 Congress makes the following findings:

    (1) Color Sergeant Andrew Jackson Smith of the 55th 
 Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, formerly of the 41st Illinois 
 Infantry Regiment, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor 
 for his heroic actions in the Civil War.

    (2) His Medal of Honor citation reads ``Corporal Andrew 
 Jackson Smith, of Clinton, Illinois, a member of the 55th 
 Massachusetts Voluntary Infantry, distinguished himself on 30 
 November 1864 by saving his regimental colors, after the color 
 bearer was killed during a bloody charge at the Battle of Honey 
 Hill, South Carolina. In the late afternoon, as the 55th 
 Regiment pursued enemy skirmishers and conducted a running 
 fight, they ran into a swampy area backed by a rise where the 
 Confederate Army awaited. The surrounding woods and thick 
 underbrush impeded infantry movement and artillery support. The 
 55th and 54th regiments formed columns to advance to the enemy 
 position in a flanking movement. As the Confederates repelled 
 other units, the 55th and 54th regiments continued to move into 
 flanking positions. Forced into a narrow gorge crossing a swamp 
 in the face of the enemy positions, the 55th's Color-Sergeant 
 was killed by an exploding shell, and Corporal Smith took the 
 Regimental Colors from his hand and carried them through heavy 
 grape and canister fire. Although half of the officers and a 
 third of the enlisted men engaged in the fight were killed or 
 wounded, Corporal Smith continued to expose himself to the 
 enemy fire by carrying the colors throughout the battle. 
 Through his actions, the Regimental Colors of the 55th Infantry 
 Regiment were not lost to the enemy. Corporal Andrew Jackson 
 Smith's extraordinary valor in the face of deadly enemy fire is 
 in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and 
 reflect great credit upon him, the 55th Regiment, and the 
 United States Army.''.

SEC. 2. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMUNITY-BASED 
 OUTPATIENT CLINIC, BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

 The Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient 
clinic located at 207 Hamilton Road, Bloomington, Illinois, shall after 
the date of enactment of this Act be known and designated as the 
``Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of Honor Department of Veterans Affairs 
Clinic''. Any reference to such clinic in any law, regulation, map, 
document, record, or other paper of the United States shall be 
considered to be a reference to the Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of Honor 
Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.
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