Gwen Graham: “I rise to observe the significance of Memorial Day--and to pay tribute to the Americans we honor on this day. Three days…”

“I rise to observe the significance of Memorial Day--and to pay tribute to the Americans we honor on this day. Three days from now, we will, as a nation, remember those who lost their lives in service to our country. They secured our freedom with the most precious gifts they could offer--their love for this country and their lives. America has honored its fallen soldiers with a Memorial Day, sometimes called Decoration Day, since the Civil War. Though we are grateful to these heroes every day of the year, we recognized that we ought to set aside one day in particular, the last Monday in May, to be especially mindful of the brave men and women who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. At a time when our Nation mourns more sons and daughters than it did just a year ago, many of whom came from my State of Florida, this Memorial Day takes on additional poignancy. My heart is full of solemn gratitude to each new generation willing to risk their lives for the security of strangers. We cannot merely make promises on this earnest occasion. We must reaffirm our commitment to the veteran soldiers still with us. We must provide full funding for veterans health care. At this moment in our Nation's history, how can we possibly justify anything but a significant increase in VA's health care budget? Not only have we been engaged in a war overseas, but, just this year, VA cut off enrollment to an entire category of veterans.”