Dana Rohrabacher: “Mr. Speaker, it was 100 years ago this year that Teddy Roosevelt led his Rough Riders in the Battle of San Juan Hill…”

“Mr. Speaker, it was 100 years ago this year that Teddy Roosevelt led his Rough Riders in the Battle of San Juan Hill, which was a decisive battle of the Spanish-American War. History has long overlooked the significance of that battle and the significance of that war, as well as the heroism of Colonel Teddy Roosevelt. Had the battle of San Juan Hill been lost, America's expeditionary force would likely have been stuck into a no-win conflict, mired down with thinning ranks, troops being thinned, yes, from disease and from lack of competence on the part of our own country in terms of the art of fighting a war. In fact, at that time we did not know how to transport our troops. We did not know how to supply our troops. And many more of those people who volunteered, those young heroes who volunteered during the Spanish-American War died of eating tainted meat than they did from enemy bullets, because our country did not have the expertise.”