Political Quotes

“in the next hour this House will have a clear choice. It is a choice between America's veterans versus tobacco companies. It is a choice between veterans versus partisanship. As someone who represents over 40,000 Army soldiers and 60,000 veterans in my district, I am disappointed and outraged that a Republican leader in the other body would add language to the foreign aid bill that actually gives tobacco companies precedence over Desert Storm veterans regarding claims against frozen Iraqi assets. What a slap in the face to every Desert Storm veteran and all veterans everywhere. Desert Storm veterans were first in combat. They should not be last in line regarding legitimate claims against the Iraqis. Mr. Speaker, I did not see tobacco companies fighting in Desert Storm. But I did see American service men and women fighting there, and I did have constituents who died on the sands of Kuwait in service to their Nation. Those people, not tobacco companies, should be put first in line. They stood up for us; today we should stand up for them, and I hope my Republican colleagues will join the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Doggett] and the Democrats, and will work together to defeat the Helms amendment to the foreign aid bill.”