Supporting the goals and ideals of Military Family Month.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 861) supporting the goals and ideals of National Military Family Month, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I request unanimous consent for Members to have 5 legislative days in which to extend and modify their remarks.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I would first like to recognize Congressman Rooney from Florida for bringing this resolution to the floor. It is a very timely resolution and one that, while we recognize the importance of our military families all the time, we certainly want to have the opportunity to make it official, so to speak, for this Congress, this House of Representatives, to join in that recognition. So I thank Representative Rooney for his efforts.

I also want to commend and thank President Obama for declaring November to be National Military Family Month as we support this resolution that will join in the goals and ideals that are set forth in this proclamation.

Madam Speaker, we know that our military families are dedicated but also face great challenges and difficulties. As our troops have faced repeated deployments and have gone back into the field more often than perhaps we would wish as they serve our country as we need for them to do, so much of the burden of this service falls back to the military family.

But the military families have responded in incredible ways. They unite around each other. They support each other. They help their single-parent families. They come together in a way not only to support themselves but to also support their family members that are deployed. It is not a surprise that this happens, because they are an extension of these men and women that serve our Nation so heroically.

So with this resolution, H. Res. 861, we simply want to recognize once again the work, the dedication, the sacrifice in how our military families come together and acknowledge this in a positive way from the U.S. House of Representatives.

I reserve my time.

Madam Speaker, I once again thank Representative Rooney for bringing this resolution to the floor. And all of the ideals that he expressed, I thank him so much for.

I've had the opportunity to speak with many of our soldiers; and to a person, they tell me that if they just know their families are being taken care of, what a relief that is for them to concentrate on the duty that we're asking for them to perform in wherever the mission might be.

So once again, I ask for support for the resolution for a National Military Family Month, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I join with my colleague from Virginia in recognizing that the service and dedication of our military families is not just a 1 month deal; it is something that occurs every day, and we should recognize that every day. I ask my colleagues to support the resolution, H. Res. 861.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 861, which supports the goals and ideals of National Military Family Month. The fact that our star-spangled banner yet wave is a testament to the courage and honor of our military which is reason enough to thank the men and women of our military for the safety we have here in America; equally important are the loved ones they leave behind each tour, who support them and help keep them going day in and out.

In 1996, the Armed Services YMCA expanded Military Family Week, which usually occurred around Thanksgiving, into Military Family Month. Just like the week grew into a month long celebration in appreciation, so to have military families grown in number. ``When I came in the service back in the Dark Ages, most of the troops were single. Everybody was single,'' said retired Navy Rear Adm. Frank Gallo, director of the Armed Services YMCA. Now, he added, 65 percent to 70 percent of service members are married, many with children. Families are a big part of the military, and the health of those families is also a big part of the readiness of the military, he said.

Military Family Month puts a little extra focus on supporting the families who support the men and women of our military. This has especially been true since the beginning of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq as more of our soldiers are deployed.

The men and women of our military, through trial and tribulation, carry on; which they do in the name of many things, namely freedom, justice, democracy as well as in the name of their family and loved ones. The support necessary to keep a person going in such an atrocious environment is unfathomable, yet their families too, carry on. In my home district, the 18th District of Texas, we currently have, according to the Department of Defense, approximately 400 men and women in the military. With President Obama's planned deployment of 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, there is bound to be more families left without sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers here at home. National Military Family Month will help provide encouragement to military families who in turn support our military men and women.

Military families, through their sacrifices and their dedication to the United States and its values, represent the bedrock upon which the United States was founded and upon which the country continues to rely in these perilous and challenging times. The month of November, which includes the Veterans Day holiday, is an appropriate month to observe National Military Family Month, which recognizes the sacrifices and dedication of military families and their contributions to the United States. H. Res 861 will also encourage the people of the United States to observe National Military Family Month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of H. Res. 861, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Military Family Month.

The families of those who serve our country on the front lines deserve the admiration and appreciation of each and every citizen. These family members often watch their loved ones travel to faraway lands in support of a cause and an ideal so much greater than any one individual. The support given to our service men and women by their loved ones is irreplaceable, as it is the foundation for the bravery inherent in those who labor steadfastly in the defense of liberty.

The men and women of the United States armed services rely on the support and encouragement of their families as they strive to protect the liberties and freedoms we enjoy every day at home. From the service organizations that provide holiday gifts to the letter that a parent or sibling writes to a loved one deployed or stationed abroad, the love and support of our military families is paramount. The sacrifices performed by these families should never be forgotten or diminished because they represent the very foundation of the American spirit.

Let us also make certain that we remember those individuals who are in harm's way today in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice--we are forever grateful for your heroic acts and for your service to our nation.

The brave men, women, and families who have and continue to sacrifice for our present freedoms deserve our fullest support. These individuals represent our nation's finest qualities, and they must be treated with the utmost respect and honor. Recognizing the month of November as National Military Family Month is just one small token of our appreciation for the families and their sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters who labor steadfastly for the United States and its undying values of freedom and liberty for all. It is my hope that we will continue to do all we can and more for the members of our Armed Forces and their families.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, due to the death of a family member, I was absent from the House for the week of November 30 and thus not recorded for any votes that week. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following way on bills considered by the House:

On rollcall vote No. 911, on H.R. 3029, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 912, on H.R. 727, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 913, on H.R. 3667, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 914, on H. Res. 494, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 915, on H. Con. Res. 129, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 916, on H. Res. 861, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 917, on H. Res. 897, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 918, on H.R. 3634, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 919, on H.R. 515, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 920, on H. Con. Res. 197, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 921, on H.R. 1242, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 922, on H.R. 3980, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 923, on the Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 4154, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 924, on H. Res. 941, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 925, on approving the Journal, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 926, on H. Res. 28, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 927, on the Motion to Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 928, on the Motion to Recommit H.R. 4154, I would have voted ``nay'';

On rollcall vote No. 929, on H.R. 4154, I would have voted ``yea'';

On rollcall vote No. 930, on H.R. 3570, I would have voted ``yea''.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rooney) for as much time as he may consume.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 861, which recognizes the goals and ideals of National Military Family Month. And I want to commend Representative Tom Rooney of Florida for sponsoring this legislation.

Twenty years ago, the week of Thanksgiving was deemed Military Family Week as part of the Great American Family Project. And in 1996, with the support of the Armed Services YMCA, Military Family Week was expanded into Military Family Month. And Military Family Month seeks to recognize the sacrifices of our military families and the things they do for our Nation each and every day.

As we celebrate Veterans Day and Thanksgiving during the month of November, it is important that we celebrate the critical role of the military family.

During a time of extended conflict, it is imperative not only that we stop and take time to acknowledge the dedications and sacrifices made by our military families every day, but also that we pause to recognize the strength, commitment, and courage of the military spouse and children of our men and women serving today.

Whether deployed overseas or training at home, the families of our servicemen and -women are the foundation of our military and proudly represent a keystone in a strong national defense. Even though this resolution commemorates 1 month of recognition for our military families, I believe our military families should be praised every day for their selfless service to America. I urge Members to vote in favor of this resolution and American military families.

I yield back the balance of my time.