Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 2102, the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas Supporting Expanded Review for Veterans in Combat Environments Act, or SERVICE Act, introduced by Senator Boozman. I applaud Dr. Miller-Meeks and Chairwoman Brownley for their initiative on this urgent issue and for introducing the House companion. The purpose of this bill is to ensure that any veteran who was deployed in support of a contingency operation in specified locations during defined periods is eligible for a mammography screening by a VA healthcare provider. The specified locations are theaters of operations where burn pits are currently--or were previously--being used. This bill also requires inclusion of other locations and time periods as determined by the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. Additionally, the SERVICE Act requires a report that compares breast cancer rates for veterans deployed to the specified locations, comparing data to other members of the Armed Forces who were not deployed during that period, and to the civilian population. Many of us here today were lucky enough to have had the honor of meeting Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas; a fierce advocate, loving wife and mother, and an exemplary Marine Corps veteran, who served near a burn pit in Fallujah. Kate passed away last month after battling stage IV breast cancer.…”