Political Quotes

“I will tell a personal story about a trip to one of our military cemeteries abroad. We were in the country of Belgium. I was there for a Memorial Day service. Much to my amazement, there were probably 4,000 to 5,000 individuals. We got through with the formalities of a very well-constructed Memorial Day celebration. As I wandered through the graves, I found a Belgium couple with their two young children at the headstone of an American soldier from World War II. I asked them one simple question: Why are you here? The Belgium father, younger than I, looked at me and he said: Sir, I inherited this grave from my father. My father took the responsibility for this grave to always make sure it was just like it was the day he got it. I have now inherited that from my father, and my children will inherit that responsibility from me. I know there are a lot of veterans organizations who hope Senator Sanders' bill becomes law, but I think there are a lot of veterans who are hoping it doesn't: the veterans who need the VA system and count on it for their mental health treatment, for their substance abuse treatment, for their primary care. They count on it for diabetes maintenance, they count on it to stay alive, and we promised it to them. I am sure future generations will look at the decisions we make this week and will belly up to the bar for whatever it costs, but I think it is important for us to remember our obligations stretch long past our service here.…”