Sheila Jackson Lee: “I believe it is a starting point, for those of us who have consistently raised questions about where we are and making…”

“I believe it is a starting point, for those of us who have consistently raised questions about where we are and making sure we follow and adhere to long-standing commitments to our troops and to their families that have served boldly and ably both in Iraq and now in Afghanistan, how we can orderly bring them home. I believe our troops are owed a debt of gratitude, respect and honor. Those who are fighting now deserve that respect and honor. This legislation in no way diminishes or dismisses their service or the blood that they have shed. But what it says is that we are now in the midst of a major budget crisis. And as we have seen over the last 24 hours, we are willing to cut children and substance abuse and mental health and teachers and environmental protection, if you will, oversight, literally gut the running of the government. These soldiers want to come home to jobs.”