Political Quotes

“it is hard to comprehend why we have to file cloture on a motion to proceed to a bill dealing with veterans, but that is what is happening. It has been heard on this floor on many occasions in recent weeks, but it is hard to comprehend what the Republicans are trying to do with the country, other than maintain the status quo. We invoked cloture twice on a technical corrections bill, and now, on a veterans' benefits act, we have to invoke cloture on even being able to debate it. That is really too bad. There have been 4,039 Americans killed in Iraq; I read that in the newspaper this morning. The occupant of the chair indicated to me that he presented a flag to some Ohio people who lost a loved one. Tens of thousands of troops have been wounded. The morning papers report that 20 percent--one out of every five--of the Iraq veterans, our soldiers, coming home from Iraq have traumatic stress disorder. Mr. President, we have talked about those who have been killed in Iraq, those who have been wounded, but there are also, as a result of this huge military presence there--earlier this year, about 175,000-- people who are in the military who get hurt when trucks back over them by mistake or they may have falls--a lot of things happen to disable these veterans. We have been trying to bring this legislation to the floor since last August.”