Political Quotes

“I have come to the floor today to reintroduce a piece of legislation that I feel is long overdue. The Hmong Veterans' Service Recognition Act is a bill to authorize the interment in national cemeteries of Hmong veterans who served in support of U.S. forces during the Vietnam War. Thousands of members of the Hmong community fought for America during Vietnam yet they enjoy no rights as veterans. The Hmong veterans are requesting to be buried in national cemeteries and I, along with a bipartisan group of colleagues, Senators Franken, Klobuchar, Feinstein, Begich, Whitehouse, and Pryor, believe this is an appropriate honor. To preserve Laos's neutrality during the Vietnam War, the U.S., Soviet Union, North Vietnam, and ten other countries signed the 1962 Geneva Declaration prohibiting all foreign military personnel from Laos. While the U.S. and other countries withdrew all military personnel, the North Vietnamese Army blatantly violated the Geneva Declaration by keeping thousands of troops in Laos. Using Laotian territory to circumvent borders, these NVA forces posed a direct threat to America's military position in South Vietnam. Unable to be present in Laos, but needing to counteract the NVA, America required a covert military force. The Hmong were ideal candidates for America's secret war--they were renowned as being brave fighters who knew the rocky mountain terrain of Northern Laos well. All told, the U.S.…”