Kendrick Meek: “Our priorities right now should be making sure that our men and women return back to the States safely, making sure that…”

“Our priorities right now should be making sure that our men and women return back to the States safely, making sure that the Iraqi people receive the kind of freedom that they yearn, and also making sure that we treat our veterans, even when they return back, back here to the United States, treat them with dignity, the dignity that I know this Congress wants to treat them with. I urge my colleagues here in the Congress, and I am sure the Congressional Black Caucus would like to urge them, let us treat our veterans and let us give the dollars toward the veterans that we should give toward their health care and making sure that they do not have waiting lists as we have right now existing here in the United States. I came tonight, in closing, to be able to pay respect to those that not only are in the theater of war right now but on behalf of those patriots of the past. I think it is very, very important that we remember, Mr. Speaker, those individuals in such a time as this. On behalf of this Member of Congress from the 17th Congressional District of Florida, I think it is very, very important, all Americans, that we pray for the safe return and we respect and pray for those that have provided us with the very freedom that we enjoy this evening.”