Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Farmington's commitment to our veterans and the community's 5-year anniversary of being named Minnesota's first Yellow Ribbon City. When I first championed legislation to make the Minnesota National Guard's invaluable Yellow Ribbon reintegration program available nationwide, one of the pillars of this initiative was to increase awareness among communities and local organizations to improve relationships between veterans and their communities. Mr. Speaker, the people of Farmington understand the important role a community plays in the successful reintegration of our troops returning home. Farmington built a model Yellow Ribbon organization centered around relationships with neighbors, veterans organizations, and local, State, and Federal leaders. Farmington rallied around the needs of area veterans and their families by hosting monthly dinners for veterans and holiday cookie walks. You can't beat that. As their Yellow Ribbon organization grew and their efforts expanded, they recognized success and shared those best practices with other inspired communities, leaving their Yellow Ribbon fingerprint across the great State of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today not simply to recognize Farmington on this 5-year anniversary, but to thank the entire community for being a Yellow Ribbon trailblazer and for demonstrating their continued commitment to our servicemembers, veterans, and their families.…”