Political Quotes

“during times of war, the United States Congress has an obligation to act. With this bill, we do just that. I want to commend Chairman Jerry Lewis and the Appropriations Committee for their hard work on this legislation. This is the first appropriations bill completed under the leadership of the gentleman from California. He and our conferees did a tremendous job of crafting this war supplemental promptly and responsibly. H.R. 1268 provides the funds needed to pay, equip and protect our military during a time of overseas conflict. It supports the war on terrorism at home and abroad. It also is important to note that tomorrow is Military Spouses Appreciation Day, and this bill provides for spouses and families who might tragically lose a loved one at war. The bill increases the maximum Servicemember Group Life Insurance benefit from $250,000 to $400,000. The onetime death gratuity for combat families will rise from $12,000 to $100,000. There are also new insurance benefits for soldiers who suffer traumatic injuries, such as loss of a limb or sight. Funds are included to assist our coalition partners, support international peacekeeping efforts and continue reconstruction programs in Afghanistan. As you know, opium production is undermining Afghanistan's efforts to rebuild and in too many cases, funding terrorists. Money included in this bill will train Afghan police and help farmers produce alternative crops.…”