Bill Clinton: “Thank you so much, Mr. Shropshire, for that introduction and for your service to your country and for making the most of…”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Shropshire, for that introduction and for your service to your country and for making the most of the GI bill. And thank you, Mr. Mendoza, for your service to your country and for reminding us of the future of the GI bill. Thank you, Secretary Brown, leaders of veteran service organizations, and staff of the department of veterans administration who are here; to all the Members of Congress, Senator Robb, Senator Thurmond, Senator Jeffords, Congressman Price, Congresswoman Byrne, Congressman Sangmeister, Congresswoman Brown, Congressman Bishop; and thank you especially, Congressman Sonny Montgomery, for a lifetime of devotion to this cause. I'd like to also acknowledge three of Congressman Montgomery's colleagues in the Senate and House on the relevant committee who could not be with us today: Senator Rockefeller, Senator Murkowski, and Congressman Stump. Before I begin, if I might, I'd like to say a brief word about a development in Brussels this morning that is in so many ways a tribute to the men and women who have worn the uniform of this country over the last 50 years. Today Russia took an important step to help shape a safer and more peaceful post-cold-war world. As all of you know, it wasn't very many days ago that we and the Russians were able to announce that, for the first time since both of us had nuclear weapons, our nuclear weapons were no longer pointed at each other.…”