Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert into the Record the story of Nathan, a veteran from Rapid City, South Dakota, a face of hunger in America. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from North Carolina? There was no objection. ``I joined the Army because it allowed us to pay our bills above and beyond. There was comfort knowing that we had a savings account and if something came up we could fix it. That's no longer the case. I did a one-year tour in Iraq. I trained as a medic and dreamed of becoming a doctor. But when I got injured, my dreams were slammed into the ground. I always liked cooking, so the Veterans' Administration sent me to the New England Culinary School in Vermont to become a classically trained chef. I figured that by going to a pretty prestigious school, people would fly out the doors to hire me. But in this horrible economy, the only jobs I've been offered pay the same as McDonald's. But I can't support my family on that. So when my wife was offered part-time work, we decided that she should take it so I could continue looking for a position as a fine dining chef. Now I'm Mr. Mom. It's taxing on my pride, but even more taxing on my pocketbook. My wife only makes about 75% of what we need to make ends meet. To help us make up the difference, my mother-in-law has gone back to work. And instead of using her retirement funds on herself, she's putting them into our family.…”