Jim Saxton: “Mr. Speaker, I rise with some reservation to support this bill, reservations which have been adequately expressed by…”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise with some reservation to support this bill, reservations which have been adequately expressed by previous speakers. Mr. Speaker, it shouldn't have had to come to this. We shouldn't have to be revisiting the same issue over and over again. And yet, here we are 6 weeks after spending United States troops to Bosnia voting again on whether we should properly support American service men and women-- men and women who are repeatedly sent to the far corners of the world to settle other people's conflicts. In my home district, I have the honor of representing the fine men and women who serve at Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base and Lakehurst Naval War Center. In the tradition of those who served before them, these dedicated individuals responded within hours to the President's decision to deploy troops to Bosnia. Guard and Reserve soldiers were readied at Fort Dix; supplies were flown out of and through McGuire; air crews were sent to Europe and the Balkans to ensure our forces were well equipped and supported. While many of these service members have personal misgivings about the mission, they put aside those doubts, saluted smartly, and got on with the business at hand. With little or no notice, these men and women left their homes and families to an extremely uncertain situation.”