Roger Marshall: “I rise today as a veteran myself to thank the men and women who are serving us today overseas. But more so, I rise today…”

“I rise today as a veteran myself to thank the men and women who are serving us today overseas. But more so, I rise today for their families. This is a very difficult time for those serving in our Armed Forces, the men and women who are in harm's way, and it is, in another sense, an even more difficult time for their families. Not only is there separation, not only is there an additional workload for the family, but there is also the worry that a loved one in harm's way will be harmed, might not come home, or, if they come home, might be injured in some way. Mr. Speaker, all of us here in the House would ask that Americans reach out, as we did after 9-11, to the families of those who lost loved ones in that horrible tragedy. Reach out to these families whose loved ones are serving us overseas. They need just a phone call, maybe an invitation to dinner. The employers could provide maybe some flex-time, some time off for a woman to shoulder the additional load that is being placed on her by the absence of her husband.”