Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of House Resolution 1740 introduced by our colleague from Ohio (Mr. Latta) which recognizes the 374th birthday of the Nation's military first responder, our National Guard. I looked at that, too, and I said, ``374? How could that be?'' Well, on December 13, 2010, we will celebrate the enormous contributions that our Nation's citizen soldiers and airmen have contributed to our national defense for over 300 years. Our forefathers relied on its citizen soldiers to protect this young Nation. Today we continue to rely on our citizen soldiers to protect the values and inalienable rights that Americans enjoy today. Our men and women in the National Guard not only volunteer to serve overseas in our national defense, they are also an integral part of our local communities, providing assistance, support, and protection to their neighbors and loved ones in cases of natural and manmade disasters within the United States. The history of the National Guard began back during the very earliest days of our Nation. The colonists adopted the English militia system which required all males between the ages of 16 and 60 to bear arms and contribute to the defense of their communities. In those early days, the militia provided the first line of defense in our Nation and it continues to do so to this very day. Throughout our Nation's conflicts, the National Guard has been an integral part of our country's national defense.…”