Political Quotes

“I looked at the cost to the American taxpayers for TRICARE for Life, and that is $3.9 billion a year. The concurrent receipts were $22 billion in the 2004 cycle. Through this administration, in veterans funding, there has been a 34-percent increase in funding for health care since 2001. Overall spending for health care has doubled since 1993. So I am not going to take second place to anyone with regard to the achievements we have had in this body by way of trying to care for our veterans. I feel very strongly about that. My military career is very modest: service in World War II and service in Korea in the Marines. I have served with the courageous ones, the ones who lost life and limb. I am not going to take second place to anybody in my trying to work hard to support proper recognition for them and what they have achieved. I am just one of the lucky ones who had the opportunity to serve alongside these veterans and work with their families. For 5 years as Secretary of the Navy, I worked with families in that stressful period of time in Vietnam. I feel so strongly to be a supporter of the veterans' causes, not for political reasons. Some vote for me; some don't. That is all right.…”