Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for the opportunity to speak tonight in this Special Order, and the gentleman from Illinois, for showing great leadership in what is a wholesome and honorable responsibility to lead these Special Order hours. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our fallen African-American veterans in the week before Memorial Day and discuss what the Honoring our PACT Act will do to help all surviving veterans. Almost 200,000 Black Americans died while fighting to protect U.S. freedoms. They fought in every major U.S. conflict, from the Revolutionary War to the Iraq war. In fact, the first person to die in the Revolutionary War, our war for freedom, was Crispus Attucks, an African American. The names of the regiments are emblazoned in American history, names like the Buffalo Soldiers, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the Harlem Hellfighters. In my district, they continue to make a difference in local industry and local politics. Black soldiers are America's forgotten heroes. They fought in foreign wars to protect our Nation, then they fought oppression, racism, and hatred when they returned home--not welcomed in the restaurants, not welcomed in the hotels, not welcomed to drink from certain fountains, but fought far and wide away from this Nation. They deserve more than the usual ``thanks for your service'' they receive across the country, and I am proud to support a law that helps them get more support.…”