Mark Takano: “I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia for sharing the very moving story of Stephanie Merlo, for expressing her humanity…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia for sharing the very moving story of Stephanie Merlo, for expressing her humanity on the floor today. The Representative exemplifies, to me, the best of my Caucus, the Democratic Caucus, and the values we stand up for, which is to include more people in ``we the people.'' Madam Speaker, this concludes our Special Order hour. I thank my colleagues for their participation and each of the veterans who shared their stories and, in particular, every veteran and servicemember who gave their service to our country in the face of overwhelming prejudice. We recognize today as the 10th anniversary of an important first step toward making the Armed Forces more inclusive and accepting, a commitment that I and all my colleagues here today will continue to carry forward. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.”