Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as has been said, this bill makes a small but important change to the Federal charter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. As has been mentioned, it would amend the charter to become gender neutral by replacing ``men'' with ``veterans'' and ``widows'' with ``surviving spouses.'' I think doing this aligns the charter with the actual makeup of the organization today, and I totally support the change. The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States has been serving veterans of our Armed Forces for over 100 years and traces its roots to the Spanish-American War. Only men were permitted to serve in the military when the organization was chartered in 1936, and of course, we know, since that time, things have changed a great deal. The role of women in the military has greatly expanded. In fact, two of our colleagues--Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth of Illinois--both served with both distinction and honor in our military services and now serve with us as colleagues in the House. Women serve in varied roles throughout the Armed Forces, and they have made many important sacrifices for the country. Women in fact now make up almost 10 percent of the total veterans population, and the Department of Veterans Affairs predicts they will represent nearly 18 percent of veterans by the year 2040.…”