Political Quotes

“It is with great pleasure that I rise today to congratulate the U.S. Coast Guard Academy for its 100 years of operation in New London, Connecticut. The Academy is one of our Nation's premier institutions of higher learning that attracts the best and brightest students who go on to serve our country with honor and distinction. The Academy's excellent curriculum and small class sizes provide cadets with the training and character development skills that are necessary for our Nation's leaders of tomorrow. Academy graduates are members of an elite group who have pursued diverse civilian career paths in engineering, government, education and even space exploration. With over 85 percent of graduates choosing to serve beyond their five-year commitment, the Academy's graduates play an important part in fulfilling the Coast Guard's mission responsibilities related to homeland security. In the current threat environment, it is essential that the Academy continues to offer a rigorous academic program that produces diverse leaders who are highly trained to keep America safe and secure. One way to achieve greater diversity--especially geographical diversity--in the next hundred years is by adopting the congressional nomination processes that have served other U.S. military academies so well over the years. Again, I congratulate the leadership within the Coast Guard and the Academy for all of their accomplishments as they celebrate this important milestone.”