Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank my colleague from New Mexico for his hard work on this amendment and for yielding.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit two forward- operating bases in the eastern part of Afghanistan, and it's true our troops today can keep in touch with home more easily than ever before. But the reality of patrolling the border along Pakistan means that sometimes payment dates will be missed.

Quite frankly, our troops deployed overseas have more important things to do than worry about a credit score. Their only concern should be to complete their missions and come home safely.

The same is true for injured veterans. As service-disabled veterans work to readjust to civilian life, they often face serious challenges finding a job, going through therapy, and working to recover from their injuries. We should do everything in our power to help them recover and rebuild. That's what this amendment will do.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment and supporting our troops overseas and our injured veterans back home.

I thank my colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the actions of all the brave Americans who brought about the safe rescue of the captain and crew of the Maersk Alabama.

I have the distinct honor to represent Naval Station Norfolk, the home port of the USS Bainbridge, the first ship to respond after the Alabama was attacked and her captain taken hostage by pirates.

In particular, I would like to applaud the quick, decisive, and effective action taken by the men and women of the Bainbridge and her commanding officer, Commander Frank Castellano. Throughout his 23 years in the Navy, Commander Castellano has served with distinction and honor and has received numerous awards and commendations. As captain of the USS Bainbridge, he skillfully managed the rescue of the Maersk Alabama, ensured the safety of her crew, and led the hostage negotiations with the pirates. And on April 12, when Captain Phillips' life was in danger, Commander Castellano did not hesitate; he gave the green light for our SEALs to take action.

Over the 4 days of the rescue operation, as the world watched, Commander Castellano and the men and women of the Bainbridge made us all proud and reminded us why the U.S. Navy is second to none. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, the men and women who sign up to serve our country in uniform do so knowing they may not return home, and with the expectation that, if the unthinkable should happen, their loved ones will be cared for.

However, because of the so-called ``widow's tax,'' survivor benefits paid for by the VA are subtracted from benefits paid by the Department of Defense, meaning that families receive less than they should. For families of servicemembers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, this sudden loss of income adds an unnecessary burden to the tragedy of losing a loved one.

The widow's tax also strikes the families of older veterans. Often the spouses of seriously disabled veterans give up their own careers in order to act as caregivers. And when these veterans pass away, the reduced benefit is not enough for their widows to make ends meet.

With this bill we will take a strong step toward righting this wrong by increasing the payments to survivors. This is the least we can do for our servicemembers, our veterans and their families, and it's the right thing to do as a country.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the 543,000 troops who fought valiantly against communist forces in Vietnam. During that conflict, more than 58,000 brave Americans lost their lives, and over 300,000 were physically wounded. Yet, when our veterans returned home, our Nation too often failed to appreciate the sacrifices they had made on behalf of our freedom.

Thirty years earlier, we opened our arms to the soldiers returning from World War II, but for those coming home from Vietnam we failed to do the same. Instead of respecting their service, our Nation largely shunned these young servicemembers for doing the job that they had, in most cases, been drafted to perform. We did not comprehend nor did we respect the difficulties that many of them faced in transitioning back to civilian life after the horrors they had witnessed in combat.

The legacy of our failure to welcome our veterans home is still with us today. Every night, roughly 154,000 veterans are homeless, and 45 percent of these are from the Vietnam era. To allow those that fought for our safety to live on the streets is a black mark on the history of our Nation, and it is a warning to present and future generations of what must never happen again.

I believe the designation of March 30 as the Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day is the least we can do to begin righting these wrongs. And as we do, let us also pledge to honor our commitment to the men and women who served in Vietnam, to give them the full care and benefits that they have earned, and to make sure that no veteran, past, present, or future, is ever forgotten again.

I want to thank my colleague very much for yielding to me.

I am rising today to express my strong support for a resolution this House passed yesterday by unanimous vote, Mr. Speaker, the resolution urging the President to designate 2009 as the ``Year of the Military Family.'' And while no words or gestures can fully match the service or sacrifice of our soldiers and sailors, our airmen and Marines, we must also remember those Americans that do not wear a uniform: our military families.

In my home district of Hampton Roads, we know all too well that the challenges faced by our military families are not just financial. They are emotional and physical too. Men and women in my district wake up every day not knowing if their loved ones are safe, not knowing when they will return, or what scars they might bear when they do.

Dealing with that and explaining it to your children with a smile on your

face is not easy, and it must never be overlooked. These hardships are not limited to our active duty military families. The families of Guard and Reserve members also confront regular absences for training, and in the years since 2001, more and more families have seen their loved ones deployed overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working closely with Chairman Skelton, who introduced the resolution, and with all the members of this House to support our military families.

I again thank my colleague for yielding.

I thank the chairman for his leadership and for giving me the opportunity to work with him to make sure that our veterans and our small businesses are included in this economic recovery package.

Mr. Chairman, helping businesses hire veterans makes good economic sense. That is why I strongly support the provision of this bill that would give substantial tax credits to businesses that hire unemployed veterans.

This proposal will reduce taxes for small businesses. It will bring more highly-trained workers into the workforce. And perhaps most importantly, it will help us keep faith with the men and women who have served our country in uniform.

In my home district, the Second District of Virginia, we're home to the largest population of military personnel and veterans in the country. And as the people of Hampton Roads can tell you, an investment in our veterans and small businesses is a responsible investment in our economy and a wise investment for our future.

I thank Chairman Rangel for his leadership. I know he shares my commitment to standing up for all of our veterans, and I look forward to working with him on this issue as we continue to rebuild our economy.

Mr. Speaker, for most of the past 12 years, I have traveled all over the world with the Foreign Service. In places like Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, I had the honor to serve alongside the brave men and women of our Armed Forces.

It is now my honor to be here as the Representative of Virginia's Second Congressional District--to represent the people of Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore--and to represent our military personnel and their families.

We have very important work ahead of us--strengthening the economy, restoring fiscal responsibility and standing up for the families who are working

every day to make a better life for the next generation.

While we're doing that, we must always remember that we still have people over there--we're fighting two wars--and as we face new threats, we must maintain a strong military, and we must fully support our troops in harm's way.

Mr. Speaker, our military personnel and their families ask nothing more, and they deserve nothing less than the same level of care and devotion that they have shown our country. This is not a partisan issue. It is a basic American value, and it is a value I will champion every day as a Member of Congress.