Supporting and encouraging greater support for Veterans Day each year.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 89) supporting and encouraging greater support for Veterans Day each year.

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

Mr. Speaker, each year on Veterans Day, Americans come together to honor our Nation's heroes, over 23 million veterans that have served our country. Again this year, our country is engaged in conflicts that require the dedication of our uniformed troops. Our Nation has a proud legacy of appreciation and commitment to the men and women who have worn the uniform in defense of this great land. We must be united in seeing that every soldier, sailor, airman and marine is welcomed back with all the care and compassion that this grateful Nation can bestow.

House Resolution 89 encourages Americans to demonstrate their support for veterans. No other group of Americans has stood stronger and braver for our democracy than our troops and veterans.

As a member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, it is my honor to serve the veterans of this Nation, and I encourage my fellow Americans to do the same. I firmly believe that Veterans Day should not be observed just once a year, but our Nation's heroes must be celebrated, honored and remembered every single day of the year.

I encourage all Americans to reach out to veterans, thank them and their families for the amazing sacrifices they make, learn more about their contributions to our country, and gain the wisdom of their personal stories.

On this 90th official Veterans Day, it is important to let these heroes know that this grateful Nation honors their service. Pause to remember that service and the sacrifices of each and every one who has worn this Nation's uniform. On Veterans Day and throughout the year, join me and every Member of this House to take the time and show your gratitude to those who have answered the call of duty.

Mr. Speaker, I know as a veteran myself, as a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and having the honor to serve there, and as a teacher of our high school students, how incredibly important it is to remember the foundations this country was founded on and those who are willing to give and, as we speak, are still willing to give the ultimate sacrifice.

Veterans Day is not a day for sales, and Veterans Day is not a day to take the day off. Veterans Day is a day to understand that all the blessings of liberty and freedom this country has emanate from each and every one of those. So I think it is incredibly important. I urge support for this piece of legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on House Resolution 89.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Arkansas, my good friend, a tireless supporter of veterans, a true gentleman in this House, and someone who embodies what we are here for. There is far more that unites us than divides us, and nothing makes that clearer than Veterans Day. I think all of us know that when we come together in support of our veterans, it is all that is right in this country. We have our differences, we disagree on things, but nothing will ever shake that.

I want to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for their outstanding commitment to this. Maybe some people are wondering why this is H. Res. 89 after all the big numbers. Mr. Baca puts this in first every year in every Congress to make sure that it is ready to go for Veterans Day. For that I thank him.

Andre Carson was down here earlier. As I explained to Mr. Stearns why we did this, one of the things was, it is never hard to get anyone to come and support pieces of veterans legislation. Mr. Carson from Indiana came back early and did that.

I also want to thank the staff for this package of initiatives going forward before Veterans Day, both the majority and the minority staff, for their tireless work on this. The one thing I have found working in the Veterans' Affairs Committee, the staff are there for our veterans. That is their main purpose, that is what they are there for every day, and they continue to work tirelessly to ensure that we are doing good things.

So it is with that that I ask all Americans to stand proud with our veterans, stand tall, know that those freedoms that they enjoy so much come at an incredible cost to many of our fellow Americans, but to let them know that we are with them every step of the way, and these pieces of legislation will go further to do that.

I urge the unanimous support of H. Res. 89.

I have no further requests for time. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 89, ``supporting and encouraging greater support for Veterans Day each year.'' The roots of Veterans Day can be traced back to the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, in 1919, yet the reigning effects of the efforts of our Veterans reach back much further. From our inception as a Nation, freedom has never been free; it has been fought for both on battle fields around the world and on the floors of the Congress.

In November 1919, President Wilson remembered our fallen soldiers of WWI with the following words: ``To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations . . .'' The Veterans Day that we know today was signed into law on May 26, 1954 by President Dwight Eisenhower. Congress amended the act on November 8, 1954, replacing ``Armistice'' with Veterans, and it has been known as Veterans Day since.

In its history, America has endured great tests of faith and each of the roughly 42 million men and women who have served this Nation at some point in time is a testament to the fact that this country truly is the land of the free and the home of the brave. For nowhere else in the world can you live a life of liberty in the pursuit of happiness as you can on American soil, this is the American Dream. A dream had by the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., Barbara Jordan and every other American. A dream recently achieved by President Obama, who came from obscurity to the forefront of a truly just nation. Veterans have all done a great service to this Nation and it is our duty to honor them. The Texas Veterans Commission recognizes over 1.7 million veterans in my home state of Texas and within my home district, the 18th District of Texas, we hold our 34,000 veterans in the upmost respect.

Every morning when you wake up, you should thank a Veteran. Every night you make it to bed, you should thank a Veteran. Every breath in freedom you take, you should thank a Veteran. After serving our Nation with honor, our Veterans deserve to be honored.

For these reasons I stand with many of my colleagues in strong support of H. Res. 89, authored by Congressman Joe Baca (CA 43rd District) for the greater recognition of Veterans Day by:

1. Encouraging Americans to demonstrate their support for veterans each year by treating that day as a special day of reflection;

2. Encouraging schools and teachers to educate our children about the many contributions that veterans have made to our society--both during and after their service in the military;

3. Requesting that the President issue a proclamation each year in connection with the observance of Veterans Day calling on the people of the United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

As stated in the resolution, the observance of Veterans Day is an expression of faith in democracy, faith in American values, and faith that those who fight for freedom will defeat those whose cause is unjust. As our Veterans take an oath to take on a just cause, so must we. We must vow to never forget the indisputable fact that our Veterans are the back bone of this Nation, they are the reason we can stand against forces of oppression. We too must stand and fight for our Veterans, to give them the care they both need and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 89, a resolution encouraging greater support for Veterans Day each year.

Today, I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep sense of gratitude to the millions of veterans living throughout the United States. Since before the founding of this nation, our veterans have been on the front lines defending our safety and our liberty. Their commitment to duty, honor, integrity, and self-sacrifice has not gone unnoticed, and I commend them for a lifetime of exemplary leadership on and off the battlefield.

Veterans' organizations are one great example of the commitment to service all of our men and women in uniform possess. These organizations help create volunteer opportunities for our nation's troops when they retire from the armed services. Some of these include donating millions of man hours to the medical facilities of the Veterans Administration, sponsoring Boy Scouts of America troops all around the country, and awarding millions of dollars for college scholarships. These incredible volunteers give back to the very communities that they have already sacrificed so much for throughout their careers.

Mr. Speaker, the veterans who have passed away before this Veterans Day must also be

recognized and graciously thanked for their service. Our Nation has experienced many wars in a short history, but we have remained safe at home and abroad because of the valiant effort of the members of our armed services. The freedoms and liberty we espouse as a democracy have and will continue to be under threat. However, our veterans and active duty men and women are a testament to the preservation of justice and our form of government.

The families of those who serve our country on the front lines also 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.

Let us also make certain that we remember those individuals who are in harm's way today in Iraq and Afghanistan. Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom are successful because of the members of our armed services who are day in and day out giving their best to keep America safe at home and abroad. They have also sacrificed to secure liberty and democracy for other nations and peoples who desire to be freed from political oppression. Furthermore, let us not forgot those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and let us say a gracious thank you to them for their willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for liberty.

I believe that the brave men and women who sacrifice for our present freedoms deserve our fullest support. Our Nation's service men and women represent the best our country has to offer, and they must be treated with the respect and honor they deserve. As we ask these courageous soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines--and their families-- to do more and more, it's only right we continue doing all we can for them. Recognizing Veterans Day in 2009 is just one small reminder of the superior job our troops perform for America at home and abroad, and it is my hope that we will continue to do all we can and more for the members of our Armed Forces.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of freedom, but specifically, I rise in support of the soldiers who have made the dream of freedom a reality for us all. As a cosponsor of H. Res. 89, which recognizes the sacrifices that are made every day by the men and women who serve in the United States Armed Forces, I am pleased the House voted this week on the final passage of this legislation.

I would also like to acknowledge Congressman Joe Baca for introducing this legislation, which commemorates the public holiday of Veteran's Day and its significance in carrying on the legacy of our living and fallen soldiers.

As a bipartisan bill, this legislation represents the unanimous recognition of the impact that the men and women of the United States Armed Forces make on our daily lives. The legislation notes the solemn cost of death that we pay for the defense of our freedom, and the importance of acknowledging the value of that cost. Every fallen soldier is an integral part of our collective American community, and a tremendous loss is sustained when a brother, a mother, a sister, a father, a child or a friend is removed from that community.

As we remember those who have given so much to our country, whose patriotism exceeds the requirement and defies the norm, we must also remember that it is our duty to provide for the needs of those heroes through programs, funding and medical services. Many of the trials that our veterans face as they return home cannot be resolved, from broken bones to the memories of the tragedy of war. However, ensuring that our veterans have a home to come home to is the least we can do for these patriotic heroes. My colleagues and I were able to accomplish that through the Homes for Heroes Act, which was passed in June of this year. This bill will establish funding for low-income veterans, and will address the issues of homelessness and mental health for our veterans who need it most.

Next week, on Veteran's Day, let us also recognize the significant contribution that military families play in the lives of our soldiers. Through their sacrifices, all of our families are afforded the opportunity of living the American Dream. I thank my colleagues for approving H. Res. 89 this week and look forward to joining with my constituents in Houston next week. As a community, we will honor the sacrifices made by our Nation's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 89, the Veterans Day resolution.

I thank Chairman Bob Filner and Ranking Member Steve Buyer for their commitment to this resolution and tremendous support for America's veterans.

As one of many veterans who are now Members of Congress, I am proud to introduce and now seek the passage of this important resolution.

To all my colleagues and fellow veterans, I commend you for your service.

This resolution reminds us that Veterans Day is not just a day off from school or work. This is a special day of reflection to honor those that have defended our freedom.

America would not be the great country that she is, if it were not for our veterans.

When our troops commit to serve our country, they make a promise to serve and protect.

We also have a moral responsibility to protect returning veterans and their families.

Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan must receive the best treatment. Sadly, for the last few years, I don't believe our Government has held its end of the bargain.

But Congress is working diligently to correct this, most recently by implementing an outstanding GI bill and for adding more support services to veterans and their families.

We all must do our part to recognize America's greatest heroes.

This is why my resolution also encourages schools to educate our young people about the contributions of our veterans to this country.

Last Congress, as Chair of the CHC, I worked closely with Hispanic veterans and Medal of Honor winners from WWII to today.

The stories of courage and sacrifice I heard from them were nothing short of amazing. They deserve to be recognized and thanked.

A special thanks is due to our military families who are often left behind and face the daily rigors of war within their homes in America and overseas.

These families sacrifice so much for their loved ones and for America. I thank you as well; you are the support system and backbone for all these veterans.

On November 11th, on Veterans Day do not forget who the true heroes of this country are. Reflect on the true meaning of Veterans Day, and remember the sacrifices made by so many proud American sons and daughters.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H. Res. 89.