Political Quotes

“This is the final amendment to the bill. It will not delay the bill, kill the bill, or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will proceed immediately to final passage, as amended. As Members of Congress, we must always honor our promises to the men and women who serve in our military. Unfortunately, I know firsthand what happens when Washington fails our troops on the battlefield and when we come home. I fought the Iraq war on the ground. I was shot at and experienced IED attacks, but because Congress didn't follow through on its promises, our vehicles didn't have the proper armor they needed. This failure cost my friends their lives. Later, when I got home, my friends and I suffered needlessly. When my friends and I got home, we suffered needlessly because of a veterans healthcare system that was shortchanged and mismanaged. These failures of leadership are what encouraged me to run for office, to ensure that my generation of leaders takes better care of our troops than we were taken care of. That is why I am offering this amendment. It is to make good on Congress' promise to give our military men and women a raise. The amendment will lock in a 2.3 percent increase for all of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. Last year, one in four members of our military had to rely on food pantries and other charities just to make ends meet. That is a disgrace. Mr. Speaker, our troops deserve a raise.…”