Political Quotes

“My amendment expresses a sense of Congress regarding the recognition of civilian employees within the Department of Defense who are killed or wounded as a result of hostile action. For those in the uniformed services who have died or were injured in the recent terrorist attacks, the services have a variety of decorations that may be awarded in recognition of their service, including the Purple Heart. However, appropriate medals or decorations have not been available to recognize the sacrifices of civilian employees of the Department of Defense who befall fates similar to those of their military counterparts. In the 105th Congress, we realized the need to give proper recognition to U.S. civilians who were killed or wounded while serving in an official capacity with our Armed Forces. Public Law 105-261 required the Secretary of Defense to study the need for such awards. Subsequently, former Secretary of Defense William Cohen signed a letter to the Speaker of the House dated January 28, 2000, which stated that in situations that are, 'analogous to the circumstances wherein military members receive the Purple Heart, we will move forward to create an appropriate recognition for civilian nationals of the United States within the near future.' Unfortunately, nothing came to fruition during this 18 months, and DOD did not have an appropriate civilian award in place.”