Political Quotes

“The Presiding Officer knows better than most what it means for someone to enter our military, to raise their hand and take an oath in service to the United States. It is the giving of their time and their lives. Equally important, they are risking their lives. They know they can be called upon in that capacity to defend this country. They can be injured. They can lose their lives in the defense of this Nation, and many have. But they still do it on a voluntary and selfless basis. We realize that for most of them they have viewed their threats as the enemies who are going to attack the United States or their units. But we have come to learn that there are other enemies within the military who are equally troublesome and worrisome. It is one thing to have a son or a daughter--someone you love very much--take an oath to serve in the military and run the risk of a dangerous encounter with an enemy. But it is absolutely unacceptable to think that these men and women in the military would run the risk of a dangerous attack by someone else in the military. Speaking to the issue of sexual assault, it is one which is topical because we have finally, finally started to come to grips with the reality of what it means. Our responsibility is to ensure that the men and women of the military have everything they need. Sexual assault threatens it. It erodes the basic trust, respect, and professionalism that our troops uphold and rely on to perform their duties.…”