Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his support. For far too long, our country has failed to give women servicemembers and veterans the recognition they have rightfully earned and deserve for their service and commitment to protecting this Nation. For my friends and colleagues who may not know, women have served in the U.S. military since the Revolutionary War. And long before women could formally serve, hundreds of women disguised themselves as men for the opportunity to serve in the Armed Forces. Hundreds of thousands of women answered the call to serve in World War I and World War II in any way they could. Following these invaluable contributions, women finally became permanent members of the Armed Forces in 1948. Now there are 2 million women veterans living in the United States, and women comprise the fastest growing subpopulation of both the military and veteran populations. Women servicemembers now make up 20 percent of military personnel. Because of this, the women veteran population is projected to grow to 18 percent of the total veteran population by 2040. Yet, they still fail to receive the recognition they deserve for their service to our Nation. While millions of women have served in the U.S. military, only two of VA's 1,293 healthcare facilities have been named after these brave and courageous Americans. That is simply unacceptable.…”