Janice Hahn: “Thank you, Ranking Member Visclosky. I have been working to provide our World War II merchant mariners the thanks they…”

“Thank you, Ranking Member Visclosky. I have been working to provide our World War II merchant mariners the thanks they deserve. I would prefer to offer an amendment to the Defense bill which would have provided a token thank you, but it would have been the subject of a point of order. These brave men suffered the highest losses of any military branch in World War II and did not receive veterans benefits under the GI Bill. Moving forward, I look forward to working with the ranking member to give our brave merchant mariners the recognition they rightly deserve. It is unfathomable that these merchant mariners who served this Nation so valiantly have never had full veterans benefits. They were not eligible for tuition subsidies, home loan guarantees, or other provisions of the GI Bill that helps millions of veterans transition seamlessly into civilian life. Time is running out. These merchant mariners are now in their eighties and nineties, and there are only 5,000 left. Let's act now to right this wrong.”