Political Quotes

“Mr. President, there was a recent survey of how many families in America have an immediate member of the family who is serving in the military. The number is one of the lowest in history. It turns out the families who actually know someone or have someone serving in the military are a small percentage of this great Nation. My family has a nephew serving in Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division. Not long ago, as a college student, he worked as a doorman here in the Senate. But Michael is now serving overseas in Afghanistan. I think about him all the time. I send him boxes of things. I do not know if he will have any use for them or enjoy them, but it is my way of reminding him we do not forget him. We have a big family, and I am sure he gets plenty of stuff. I know some of that must be a joy for him to receive. But more important than any material sent to him, I hope it is an expression of how we feel about him, about the sacrifice he is making, as so many others are making, thousands around the world, as we meet in the safety of this Senate Chamber. We ask an awful lot of our men and women in uniform. We ask them to risk their lives for America. Many come back injured. Some do not return, having given that promise and that pledge. They make a sacrifice which many of us have never been asked to make. I think about that in terms of the debate we enter into this week in the Senate. We are trying to turn this economy around because so many people are out of work.…”