[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 8, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H2024-H2025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE TREMENDOUS SERVICE THAT MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES HAVE
GIVEN TO THE NATION
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1020) recognizing the tremendous service that
members of the Armed Forces have given to the Nation, especially those
who have been wounded in combat, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1020
Whereas United States soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines,
and their families have made extraordinary sacrifices to
serve our country in Afghanistan and Iraq;
Whereas more than 1,600,000 members of the Armed Forces of
the United States have been deployed in Operation Enduring
Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom since September 2001;
Whereas more than 30,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and
Marines have been wounded in battle;
Whereas advances in battlefield medicine have resulted in
hundreds of lives being saved; and
Whereas both physical and mental injuries sustained during
combat have a life-altering impact on our servicemen and
women as well as their families: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the tremendous service that our soldiers,
sailors, airmen, and Marines have given to the Nation,
especially those who have sustained injury in combat;
(2) is committed to providing wounded warriors with the
highest quality medical care available, and to supporting
wounded members of all Armed Forces and their families during
their recovery;
(3) commends the actions of private citizens and
organizations who volunteer their continued support to
America's wounded warriors; and
(4) encourages Members and all citizens to take steps to
show support and appreciation for returning troops,
especially those who have been wounded.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.
General Leave
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on the resolution now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Guam?
There was no objection.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today in support of House Resolution 1020, recognizing the
tremendous service that members of our Armed Forces have provided to
the country, especially those who have been wounded in combat. I thank
our colleague from Vermont (Mr. Welch) for introducing this resolution.
Soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and their families are making
extraordinary sacrifices in service to our country. Over 4,500
servicemembers have made the ultimate sacrifice in Operations Enduring
Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Nearly 32,000 servicemembers have been
wounded, of which a little over 17,000 have returned to duty.
Today, servicemembers have an unprecedented chance of survival,
unlike those who had similar wounds in Vietnam and the Second World
War. The medical advances that have taken place on the current
battlefield have made these significant achievements possible.
However, while members are surviving their injuries and wounds at an
unprecedented rate, they are coming home with more complex
psychological injuries. These individuals who have honorably served our
Nation may need medical care and assistance for the rest of their
lives.
House Resolution 1020 commits this Congress to ensuring that these
brave, wounded warriors receive the best medical care available, and
commends all Americans who volunteer to support these wounded warriors
and their families.
So, Madam Speaker, I again commend our colleague from Vermont (Mr.
Welch) for his introduction of this resolution, and I urge my
colleagues to support its passage.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WITTMAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
might consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 1020, as
amended, which recognizes the tremendous service that members of the
Armed Forces have given to the Nation, especially those who have been
wounded in combat.
Madam Speaker, throughout our history, America's sons and daughters
have been called upon to fight our Nation's wars to preserve our
freedom and our way of life. Each time we have gone to war, these brave
men and women who answered the call, unfortunately, have been wounded
and injured; 204,002 in World War I, 671,846 in World War II, 103,284
in Korea, 153,303 in Vietnam, and 467 in Desert Storm.
Today, Madam Speaker, as we continue to fight terrorism throughout
the world, 30,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have been
wounded and injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. As with
[[Page H2025]]
previous generations, these men and women are our Nation's finest, and
we owe them more than just our gratitude.
Madam Speaker, since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, Congress and the American people have made it clear that
our combat wounded deserve the best our Nation has to offer. To that
end, Congress has worked hard to ensure that the needs of the wounded
troops and their families are met. From the best health care to jobs,
to education benefits, the Members of this House have and will continue
to insist that the support to the wounded and injured is unsurpassed.
Madam Speaker, there is no question that serving in combat is a
profoundly life-altering experience. Men and women who survive the
horrors of combat return home forever changed. Our Nation is eternally
indebted to the brave men and women of the Armed Forces who fight to
preserve our freedoms.
It is right and fitting, Madam Speaker, that today we recognize the
service and the sacrifice of the members of the Armed Forces who have
been wounded while serving this great Nation.
I'd like to thank my friend and colleague from Vermont (Mr. Welch)
for introducing this resolution, and I strongly urge all Members to
support this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend and
colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Higgins).
Mr. HIGGINS. I want to thank the sponsor of this bill, Mr. Welch,
from Vermont.
Madam Speaker, I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of House
Resolution 1020. Thanks to advances in modern technology, many American
soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have lived through events that
would have previously cost them their lives. Of the 1.6 million
servicemembers that have been deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom,
in Operation Iraqi Freedom since September, 2001, more than 30,000 have
been wounded in battle.
The numbers are staggering, but we are here today to acknowledge that
these wounded warriors are not just statistics; they are men and women
from across the country who have faced unique situations and struggles,
and they have individual stories to tell.
Last summer I had the honor to meet a young man from my district who
was injured in a roadside bomb explosion in Iraq that killed three
other soldiers riding in the same HUMVEE. He suffered extensive
injuries, including a broken back and elbow, and underwent two
surgeries at a hospital in Germany before being transferred to Walter
Reed Army Medical Center.
Quick reaction by the medics meant that instead of being paralyzed,
he can now walk again, but only after extensive surgeries and painful
rehabilitation. This young man is actually a lucky one. He was able to
recover with the help of a caring family and a supportive wife. There
are many others that are not as fortunate, and it is our responsibility
to provide them with the best physical and emotional support possible.
Over the last year, Congress has taken many steps to enhance the
quality of care of our veterans, including passing the largest increase
in veterans' health funding in history, but there is still more to be
done.
With this legislation, we do a simple but necessary thing; we take a
moment to thank the men and women of the Armed Services who have been
wounded in the line of duty and for their service and their sacrifice.
I urge my colleagues to support passage of House Resolution 1020.
{time} 1500
Mr. WITTMAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend and
colleague, the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch), the original sponsor
of this very important resolution.
Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from
Guam, my cosponsor and traveling companion, the new Member, the
distinguished Member already from Virginia, my cosponsors.
You know, they have said it pretty well. There's nothing that we can
say or do that will acknowledge our appreciation for the sacrifice that
the men and women of the uniformed services have given to this country.
What we are acknowledging here is that we have a common commitment to
meeting the needs of those soldiers and sailors and airmen who return
from active duty. What we are also acknowledging is that in this war,
very much unlike past conflicts, our soldiers, benefiting from this
extraordinary battlefield medicine, are returning with extraordinary
injuries. That is what they will have to live with for the rest of
their lives.
Many of us have had the opportunity to visit some of these soldiers
out at Bethesda, out at Walter Reed. We are trying, in this small
gesture, to acknowledge the sense that all of us have in Congress of
our debt and our obligation and our appreciation to them.
Madam Speaker, next week, we are going to have a group of these
servicemen and -women visiting us in the Capitol. I'm going to be
joining with my colleagues here today to welcome those men and women of
the uniformed services to this Capitol, and I will encourage all of us
to join in welcoming them personally to thank them for their sacrifice.
Mr. WITTMAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Walberg) as much time as he may consume.
Mr. WALBERG. Madam Speaker, I rise with my colleague from Vermont to
voice strong support for H. Res. 1020, which expresses the commitment
of this Congress to our injured heroes, ensures they're receiving the
highest quality of health care available and encourages all Americans
to show support and appreciation for our veterans.
Today, I want to take time to thank all of the servicemen and -women
and their families for their sacrifices. I know the pride of having a
son serve in the United States military, and my wife, Sue, and I pray
every day for the safety of our fighting men and women abroad and here
at home.
When our soldiers go into battle, we can all agree that they deserve
the best training, equipment, and necessary resources to accomplish
their mission. Congress has an obligation to care for America's wounded
heroes when they return home from the battlefield. I believe the least
we can do is to provide the highest quality medical care to the brave
men and women of our Armed Forces when they're injured defending the
freedoms that we enjoy.
Right now, we have more wounded warriors returning home than ever
before because of improved medical technology and advanced equipment to
transport our sick and wounded. The thousands of men and women serving
in the military who have been wounded serving in Iraq and Afghanistan
and other wars deserve the best treatment and care available.
I look forward to working with my colleagues in a nonpartisan manner
to make sure Congress delivers on our responsibility. I urge my
colleagues to support H. Res. 1020 and support our wounded warriors.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, at this time I have no further requests
for time. I am prepared to close after my colleague has yielded back
his time. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WITTMAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of
my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, at this time I have no further speakers,
and I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to my colleague on the
House Committee on Armed Services and Natural Resources, Mr. Wittman.
I've enjoyed working with him on the floor this afternoon.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1020, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________