Political Quotes

“I am honored to serve as an original co-sponsor of the Soldiers', Sailors', Airmen's, and Marines' Bill of Rights Act of 1999 in the name of the hundreds of thousands of men and women trained to deter, fight, and win our wars. I also thank Senators Warner, Allard, Levin, and Cleland for their bipartisan support of the legislation's universal 4.8 percent pay raise and thrift savings proposals as well as the constructive amendments on G.I. bill reform incorporated in the committee-reported version of the bill. The Bill of Rights Act legalizes the concept that military personnel should receive the same retirement benefits based not on the arbitrary factor of when they joined, but on the timeless standard of willingness to sacrifice. It is notable, therefore, that the Senate's opening legislation of the year increases soldier pay for the first time in a generation and strips away the layers of unfairness in a military retirement system based solely on the date of entry rather than the length of service. Today, we also commit ourselves to a comprehensive pay raise of 4.8 percent--the largest since 1982--that narrows the gap between military and civilian salaries.”