Chuck Hagel: “I rise this afternoon to reflect on the business at hand today; that is, our Department of Defense authorization bill.…”

“I rise this afternoon to reflect on the business at hand today; that is, our Department of Defense authorization bill. Three hours ago, I had the privilege of joining a couple of my colleagues at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during a very somber, serious ceremony to exhume the remains of the unknown Vietnam veteran from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. If you have followed this, as all of our colleagues in this body and most of America have, you are aware that through sophisticated, primarily DNA testing--and you, Mr. President, of all people understand this very well--we now are going to be able to identify almost all remains from the Vietnam war. I begin my remarks this afternoon with that reflection because what we are about here today is serious business. It is about the business of national defense--defending America's interests in the world. It is costly, it is serious, and at some times it is devastating. It is devastating for the families who lose loved ones in crisis, in war, in conflict.”