Political Quotes

“Madam President, now, on a very important topic that affects New York and America, there is the renaming of a ship. The men and women who wear this Nation's uniform are some of the most inspiring people you will ever meet. There is no shortage of stories of their valor, of their courage under fire, or of their sacrifices made voluntarily on behalf of a grateful nation. Yet I have the responsibility and the honor this morning of sharing the story of a particularly exceptional servicemember from my State of New York, SCPO Shannon Kent. Shannon Kent was from Upstate New York. She was born in Oswego and was raised in Pine Plains. She graduated from Stissing Mountain High School and left college to join the Navy, following in the footsteps of her father and her uncle--a police commander and a firefighter--both of whom were first responders on September 11. Duty ran in the veins of the Kent family. Shannon was a pioneer in the special operations community. She was one of the first, if not the first woman to pass the course required to join Navy SEALs on missions. That is amazing in itself. Shannon was an outstanding linguist and a seasoned cryptologist, whose work ``contributed directly to the capture of hundreds of enemy insurgents and severely degraded enemy combat capability,'' which earned her a slew of accolades, including multiple commendation medals--the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. What an amazing woman--brave, strong, brilliant, and with a large body of knowledge.…”