,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #higc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #ba1 #bjbf,mr4  
,issa 7for himself and ,mr4 ,vargas7    
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,armed   
,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to authorize the 
,president to award the ,medal of ,honor
 to ,sergeant ,rafael ,peralta for acts 
of valor during ,operation ,iraqi       
,freedom1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,sergeant ,rafael ,peralta ,medal of
 ,honor ,authorization ,act4  #b4       
,findings2 ,sense of ,congress  7a7     
,findings ,congress finds the following3
 7#a7 ,on ,november #ae1 #bjjd1 during  
combat operations in ,fallujah1 ,iraq1  
,sergeant ,rafael ,peralta1 ,united     
,states ,marine ,corps1 served as a     
squad leader with ,company ,a1 #ast     
,battalion1 #crd ,marines1 during       
,operation ,iraqi ,freedom4  7#b7       
,during a house-clearing operation in   
the ,second ,battle of ,fallujah1       

,sergeant ,peralta was mortally wounded 
by enemy gunfire while leading ,marines 
engaged in close-quarters combat against
 insurgent forces4  7#c7 ,moments after 
being mortally wounded1 an enemy grenade
 landed in the room occupied by         
,sergeant ,peralta and fellow ,marines4 
7#d7 ,multiple eyewitness ,marines      
reported that ,sergeant ,peralta        
consciously and intentionally pulled the
 grenade beneath his body1 absorbing the
 blast and shielding nearby ,marines    
from death or serious bodily harm4  7#e7
 ,the actions of ,sergeant ,peralta     
reflected conspicuous gallantry and     
intrepidity at the risk of his life     
above and beyond the call of duty1 in   
keeping with the highest traditions of  
the ,united ,states ,marine ,corps and  
the ,armed ,forces of the ,united       
,states4  7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is
 the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7     
,sergeant ,rafael ,peralta's actions on 
,november #ae1 #bjjd1 exemplify the     
highest ideals of duty1 courage1 and    

sacrifice2  7#b7 ,marines whose lives   
were saved by the actions of ,sergeant  
,peralta continue to bear witness to his
 valor and selflessness2 and  7#c7 the  
,united ,states owes a solemn obligation
 to ensure that acts of extraordinary   
heroism receive full and fair           
consideration for the ,medal of ,honor  
regardless of administrative delay or   
statutory limitation4  #c4              
,authorization for award of ,medal of   
,honor to ,sergeant ,rafael ,peralta    
7a7 ,authorization ,notwithstanding the 
time limitations specified in sections  
#hbih7;a7 and #hcjj of title #aj1       
,united ,states ,code1 or any other time
 limitation with respect to the awarding
 of certain medals to persons who served
 in the ,armed ,forces1 the ,president  
is authorized to award the ,medal of    
,honor1 under section #hbia of such     
title1 to ,rafael ,peralta for the acts 
of valor described in subsection 7b74   
7b7 ,acts of valor described ,the acts  
of valor described in this subsection   

are the actions of ,rafael ,peralta as a
 member of the ,marine ,corps in        
,fallujah1 ,iraq1 on ,november #ae1     
#bjjd4