Political Quotes

“when U.S. military personnel enter into dangerous situations, they do so with the full awareness that their lives are on the line. Our brave men and women give literally their all for us--and they should expect no less from us. Army Specialist Jeffery Colbert--a constituent of our district--was on one of the two Blackhawks shot down over Iraq last week by our own military personnel. It is a tragedy beyond words for our Nation--but mostly for the families left to cope with the tragedy. We cannot undo what happened last Thursday, but I believe there are steps we can take to prevent future needless deaths. It is becoming frighteningly clear that something is going wrong with the leadership our soldiers are receiving. Last year, when our servicemen were killed in Somalia, I stood in this well and asked for open hearings so the mistakes that lead to the death of those men would not be repeated. Today, I rise again to ask that public hearings be held on the Somalia tragedy and also on the tragedy of last week. These brave military personnel gave literally their all for us. When young men and women die needlessly we cannot respond to those deaths with silence. Once again, I ask that the House Armed Services Committee hold public hearings on the Somalia incident and the incident last week.”