Susan Davis: “Mr. Speaker, while the holiday season is a time of joy for most Americans, it can be a very difficult period for our…”

“Mr. Speaker, while the holiday season is a time of joy for most Americans, it can be a very difficult period for our servicemembers and their families. When I sit down with members of our all-volunteer force, whether it's in my district or in the mess halls in Iraq, I'm very aware of the stress military service can have on our servicemembers and, of course quite specifically, on all of their family members as well. The stress of being deployed over the holidays can only be more difficult. Mr. Speaker, a vital component of our strong national defense is the ability to care for members of our force, as well as recruit and retain men and women to serve in the military. To quote the first Commander in Chief, "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their Nation." With this bill, current and future generations of servicemembers will know that their Nation cares for their sacrifice. Mr. Speaker, why is this bill important to men and women in uniform? It provides a 3 percent across-the-board pay raise for our troops.”