Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, his response was that I am nothing special. I am just one of the guys that had to do what we had to do, and that is how we did it. We just took one day at a time. Mr. Speaker, he may think that he is nothing special, but what he did in captivity as the second longest-serving POW in our Nation's history and what he has done for our country is not just special; it is unfathomable, and it is absolutely amazing. His service to our Nation, his sacrifice as a POW, his strength, and his symbol as an American for Americans deserves the highest honor that Congress can bestow, a Congressional Gold Medal. I am honored to be the author of this bill, and I am also proud that 300 Members of this Chamber cosponsored this legislation, demonstrating how deserving Commander Alvarez is of this recognition. I am also honored that Senator Padilla is the sponsor of this legislation in the Senate, and I look forward to working with him and his Senate colleagues in order to obtain the appropriate amount of support so that this bill passes out of the U.S. Senate and makes it to the President's desk for signature into law. For now, I urge all of my congressional colleagues to support the Everett Alvarez, Jr. Congressional Gold Medal Act to honor Everett Alvarez, an American and an example of what we stand for as Americans. {time} 1645”