Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 586, as amended, offered by Representative LaLota from New York, my friend and fellow veteran. Representative LaLota's bill would require VA to conduct a study and produce a report on the frequency of bile duct cancer for veterans who served in and around the Vietnam war. Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that many Vietnam veterans suffered greatly in service to their country. Thousands of Vietnam veterans still live with invisible and visible wounds of war today. My own uncle is one of them. He served in Vietnam and, like so many others, suffered debilitating injuries from his service. Sadly, many never received the treatment or recognition they deserved when they came home. Today, we are still learning about the full extent of the health risks these veterans faced, some of which weren't understood at the time. One risk may have come from something as simple and routine as eating local food during their deployment. Certain uncooked fish consumed in Southeast Asia are known to carry a parasite called a liver fluke. The parasite can cause infection and long-term scarring that may lead to bile duct cancer. This is a rare but serious illness here in the U.S. and one more commonly found in the region where our veterans served.…”