James M. Jeffords: “the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps is Semper Fidelis. Translated, it means, ``Always Faithful,'' but among members of…”

“the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps is Semper Fidelis. Translated, it means, ``Always Faithful,'' but among members of the Marine Corps the motto holds a deeper meaning. Semper Fidelis represents our Nation's shared commitment to those who dedicate their lives to protect us. As a Navy veteran, I know we must always honor the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families for the sacrifices they make for our Nation everyday. Lately, I am afraid Congress has not fulfilled its commitment to our men and women in the military, and this is especially evident in the lack of support for our military veterans and their families. Our lack of assistance for those exposed to the highly contaminated drinking water at U.S. Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina is one of the best examples of this body's shortcomings. Camp Lejeune is the site of one of the largest drinking water catastrophes in our Nation's history. Between 1980 and 1985, Camp Lejeune drinking water samples conducted by the Marine Corps found high levels of volatile organic compounds used by the Marines in solvents for industrial degreasing. The contaminated wells were closed in 1985; however, the contamination itself may date back until the late 1950s. To put the contamination in perspective, the current EPA health standard for these chemicals is 5 parts per billon.…”