HR 4288: To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in San Jose, California, as the "Corporal Patrick D. Tillman VA Clinic".

HR 4288 in plain English: This bill would officially rename the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in San Jose, California, after Corporal Patrick D. Tillman, also known as Pat Tillman.

Stated purpose

The bill's declared goal is to officially name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in San Jose, California, after Corporal Patrick D. Tillman, an Army Ranger and former NFL player who was killed in Afghanistan in 2004.

Key points

• Renames the VA outpatient clinic in San Jose, California, after Corporal Patrick D. Tillman.
• The clinic may be referred to as either the 'Corporal Patrick D. Tillman Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic' or the 'Pat Tillman VA Clinic'.

Arguments supporters make

• Pat Tillman gave up a highly paid NFL career to serve his country after 9/11, and naming a VA clinic after him honors that exceptional sacrifice.
• Tillman was born and raised in San Jose, making a local VA facility a fitting and meaningful tribute to a hometown hero.
• Recognizing veterans like Tillman at VA facilities can inspire current and future service members and remind patients of the sacrifices others have made.

Arguments opponents make

• Congress regularly passes facility naming bills that consume legislative time and resources without directing any funding or services to veterans who need them.
• Some may feel that the full circumstances of Tillman's death — including the military's initial misrepresentation of how he died — raise unresolved questions about how the government honors his legacy.
• With many veterans facing long waits and limited care, critics might argue symbolic gestures like renaming buildings should take a back seat to bills that improve VA services directly.

Tradeoffs

Naming the clinic after Tillman costs little and provides a lasting public honor, but it addresses only recognition rather than the quality or availability of care veterans at that clinic receive.

Current status in Congress: Passed House.

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