Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We all know the record of problems at Arlington National Cemetery, and we know the current leadership there has made significant progress in fixing that system. But my concern with Arlington is not with the professionals and leaders who have turned Arlington around and worked tirelessly to ensure the fallen members of our all-volunteer force, our veterans, and their families are treated with the respect, reverence, and honor they deserve. My concern is that the scandals and embarrassment that rocked Arlington National Cemetery went largely unprosecuted for one reason: no one from the former civilian directors in the former chain of command at Arlington was held accountable for their actions and their gross negligence and gross mismanagement because none of them were subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Additionally, Arlington is managed by the Army and rests adjacent to a joint military base. Tenants of that command work on that base daily. With that, I believe strongly that we need to have a military leader now in charge of Arlington National Cemetery. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.”