Political Quotes

“Each month across our great country, our brave men and women in the National Guard and the Armed Forces Reserves leave their homes and report for duty. Each month they train on the ground and in the air and on the sea so that they are ready at a moment's notice to fight for our freedom. Our guardsmen and reservists often travel long distances to their training sites, and their travel costs often exceed their monthly training pay, which forces them to buy gas, meals, and sometimes hotel rooms out of pocket. Right now, today, under existing law, if you work for the IRS or the EPA or some other Federal Government agency, you are granted a tax deduction for out-of-pocket travel expenses if you travel beyond 50 miles of your home; but if you are a guardsman or a woman or if you are in the Reserves, you need to travel more than 100 miles to receive the same benefits. Mr. Chair, this is not fair, and this is not right. I urge everybody to endorse and support my amendment No. 300. The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. O'Rourke) will control the time of the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith). There was no objection.”