Cliff Stearns: “I enthusiastically rise in support of H.R. 1516, and I am especially pleased we are going to have a national cemetery…”

“I enthusiastically rise in support of H.R. 1516, and I am especially pleased we are going to have a national cemetery finally in Jacksonville, Florida. This is in the northeast central Florida corridor where we have a high military presence. We had this area represented by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crenshaw) and, of course, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown) and recently by Representative John Mica. All four of us serve Jacksonville and north central Florida. All of us are very pleased that this cemetery is coming. I am proud that the Jacksonville cemetery has been the intent of my bill, H.R. 197, and others that I have offered during the last 6 years of Congress. I thought I would just briefly in the time I have also talk about Jacksonville, as why it is such a strategic place for a national VA cemetery. Even before the United States was even a country, there have been veterans fighting in Jacksonville, so it is altogether fitting to establish a national VA cemetery here.”