Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the McGovern/Emmer Amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2019. Throughout my time in Congress, I have been privileged to meet with many of our nation's veterans. The men and women in our armed forces are heroes and embody the best our nation has to offer. Yet, far too often they do not receive the recognition and credit they deserve. This is especially true when it comes to our nation's Atomic Veterans. From 1945 to 1962, nearly a quarter of a million servicemen played a role in the testing of nuclear weapons, earning them the title of ``Atomic Veterans''. They risked their lives and were forced to suffer in silence without proper recognition for their service and bravery. Since 1990, the federal government has taken different steps to recognize and thank these Atomic Vets, but all have fallen short of official recognition through an award or medal. Today, that can change with the support from the men and women in this Congress. With this amendment, we have an opportunity to finally acknowledge the incredible sacrifice these courageous individuals made more than a half century ago. Our amendment builds upon the authorizing language which has been unanimously adopted by the House of Representatives in every National Defense Authorization Act for the past three years.…”