Nine days ago, Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill wrote the Republican and Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives and asked them to add one more bill to an already hectic schedule.
The measure added another layer of oversight to Arlington National Cemetery, which McCaskill began to push for after officials at the cemetery revealed in a hearing McCaskill chaired that as many as 6,600 graves could be mislabeled or unmarked.
McCaskill got her wish; the House on Thursday approved the new oversight structure 407 to 3. Among other things, the Secretary of the Army and Comptroller General will have to make reports to Congress on how well the Army is improving oversight of the Cemetery.
"Most importantly," McCaskill's office says in a press release, the Secretary of the Army has to report on the cemetery's ability to fix the problems with the graves.
"I know the Army and the new leadership at Arlington are taking these issues seriously, but this legislation will provide the Congressional oversight we need to ensure we fix any errors as quickly as possible," the statement says.
McCaskill's office expects to get a presidential signature soon.
