María Elvira Salazar: “this week is a very important week for the United States of America and for the Senate because we will begin our dialog…”

“this week is a very important week for the United States of America and for the Senate because we will begin our dialog about where we are in Iraq today and where we are going in Iraq in the future; where we are in Afghanistan today and where we are going in Afghanistan in the future. As part of this dialog we will engage in here in the Senate over the next few days, we will also engage in a major discussion about how it is that our Nation should treat those veterans from both Iraq and Afghanistan, those veterans who have served our country since our country was attacked on 9/11. It is important at the outset, as we begin this discussion, to first of all pause to remember that there has been a great deal of sacrifice on the part of Americans in terms of life and blood in both Iraq and Afghanistan. We must remember these warriors, these fighters who have been fighting for the cause of their country. We must do that every day so their contribution is never forgotten. As of today, in Iraq there have been 4,078 Americans who have given their lives carrying out the orders of their Commander in Chief. In Iraq, as of today, since the beginning of that war, there have been 30,004 members of our armed services who have been wounded in Iraq.”