Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, my motion would instruct the conferees working on the Defense authorization bill to recede to the Senate bill on section 606 and 619. Specifically, Section 606 would make permanent the increase of military separation pay from $100 per month to $250 a month. Section 619 would make permanent the increase to hostile fire and imminent danger special pay from $150 a month to $225 a month. Mr. Speaker, what we are really talking about here is that in the past year, Congress voted to show respect to our service men and women making tremendous sacrifices fighting the global war on terrorism, service men and women, who are in all parts of the globe from South America to Europe to Asia to the Middle East, to virtually every section of the globe. What we are saying is that when they leave their family for 6 months or 12 months and when they are put into a hostile situation, a country ought to thank them as a serviceman or woman and we ought to thank their family not just with our words of rhetoric, but with our deeds here in the House, and this is why we gave in effect a $225 increase to those service men and women under the threat of hostile action, serving also away from their families.”