Political Quotes

“I have spoken repeatedly on this floor about the cost of war. In doing so, I have tried to remind the American people and my colleagues that the cost of war does not end when the last shots are fired and the last missiles launched. The cost of war is very, very expensive not just in dollars and cents but in terms of human life and human suffering. The cost of war in Iraq and Afghanistan is almost 7,000 dead. Nearly 52,000 servicemembers have returned with physical wounds; however, more than 200,000 service men and women are seeking treatment for post- traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. The cost of war is nearly 1,600 servicemembers who face amputations, to include a number of with multiple amputations. The cost of war is veterans returning home unable to find jobs and get their feet back on the ground financially. The cost of war is high divorce rates and the impact that family stress has on children. The cost of war is mothers losing their children to suicide. Late last session the Veterans' Affairs Committee heard from two mothers--Valerie Pallotta from Vermont and Susan Selke from Texas-- whose lives have been forever changed because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The experience these two mothers shared with the committee goes well beyond anything I can put into words. They shared powerful stories about their own cost of war--the tragic suicides of their sons following their return from combat.…”