Joe Crowley: “This motion is an easy one and one that should be accepted by everyone in this Chamber, if they are serious about…”

“This motion is an easy one and one that should be accepted by everyone in this Chamber, if they are serious about supporting our troops and supporting our Nation. This is where I say rhetoric meets reality. My motion would instruct the conferees working on the bill authorizing actions by the Defense Department to allow our Nation's reservists and National Guard members and their families to be eligible to receive medical coverage from TRICARE on a cost-share basis. TRICARE, as my colleagues know, is the U.S. military's comprehensive health care plan. Reservists have taken on a new and more active role since the 1991 Gulf War. Today, we see these brave young men and women risking their lives on a daily basis in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in this world. After September 11, the President signed an Executive Order authorizing the activation of reservists for up to 2 years of Active Duty, and up to 1 million reservists may be on Active Duty at any one time. Reservists have left their families, their friends and their jobs behind to serve our country, and they deserve health care for themselves and for their families.”