Ted Poe: “The United States has our military all over the world, and we have for a good number of years. In fact, the United…”

“The United States has our military all over the world, and we have for a good number of years. In fact, the United States has been at war for a long, long time. This year, as we approach Christmas, families across America will gather around to enjoy homemade apple pie and turkey and each other's company, but our men and women in uniform, those volunteers, are still all over the world, protecting and representing the United States. These are America's best. It is the best we have in our country. In 2005, I had the opportunity to go over to Iraq and see our military during the Christmas season. But before I left, I decided I would ask local schoolchildren and their teachers to help make some homemade Christmas cards and holiday cards to give to our troops when I arrived in Iraq. So that year, after I landed, I took about 5,000 handmade Christmas cards--made primarily by schoolchildren--to our servicemen and -women in Iraq and also in Kosovo. Since that time, children in southeast Texas have been making handmade Christmas cards and holiday cards for our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and other parts of the world every year, and these cards are either taken overseas by me or they are shipped. This year, the community in southeast Texas and the schools rallied, and the result is quite outstanding.…”