Political Quotes

“Today, Mr. Speaker, this body considers legislation to facilitate citizenship opportunities for Hmong refugees who were recruited by the United States to assist our combat effort in Indochina. Twenty-five years after the end of the Vietnam War, we honor the heroism and sacrifices of the Hmong. At great personal peril and loss of life, they fought with us and performed critical roles in dangerous missions on our behalf. As a former CIA officer pointed out in a statement submitted to the Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims in the last Congress, and I quote, ``Throughout the war, CIA's paramilitary forces collected intelligence, used it in combat operations to tie down some 50,000 North Vietnamese forces in Laos, rescued downed American pilots and protected sensitive American installations at remote mountain tops.'' Those Hmong veterans who survive the war face severe persecution for their association with us. H.R. 371 acknowledges that many Hmong veterans face unique language problems that present insurmountable obstacles to U.S. citizenship.”