John Mica: “first I wish to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chair of the committee, and also the gentleman from…”

“first I wish to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chair of the committee, and also the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), the subcommittee chair, and also the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gerlach) for their leadership and the bipartisan support on both sides of the aisle for this much-needed legislation. I think that it is very appropriate that we follow the legislation that was just handled to take care of the medical concerns and need of our veterans by also taking care of their last wishes. Florida is so privileged to have two of the six new cemeteries that will be dedicated as national veterans cemeteries under this legislation, and what I was told by staff is that the basis of the designations is not done just by political power, but by actual need. And certainly Florida, whether it is south, central or northeast, is the recipient of so many of those men and women who served our Nation and have chosen to retire, to work and to live out their final days in our great State. So this is the very least that we can do. We have over 1,000 veterans dying across the land every day, World War II veterans and others, and again, many of them coming to Florida. As we adjust our medical needs and health care services to our veterans, it is also appropriate that we make this final adjustment that they have a decent burial place in our State where they have chosen to live, work and also to retire.”