[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 161 (Monday, November 2, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H12181]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 VETERANS' SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE AND SERVICEMEMBERS PROTECTION ACT 
                                OF 2009

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 3949, 
which was on the floor of the House today. I was delayed in coming to 
Washington because I was meeting with my union members to talk about 
jobs. Yet I am excited about this legislation that Chairman Filner has 
brought to the floor, and I thank him for his leadership, which 
involves protecting and providing for servicemembers. There are 
currently 25 million veterans--1,630,000 in Texas with 34,000 veterans 
living in my community.
  I am very proud that he put into the bill my vision impairment bill, 
which will provide for scholarships to help train those who can work 
with the visually impaired service veterans, many of whom have suffered 
from the IED explosions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
  It would also protect parents who can be buried with their children. 
It will keep servicemembers from being evicted or from being foreclosed 
on when they're serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then of course it will 
provide for small businesses of veterans preferred to be on the list so 
that they can obtain businesses or business opportunities in the United 
States Government.
  This is very important for the upcoming Veterans Day. We must 
celebrate our veterans, and I am very grateful that my vision impaired 
bill is in this bill, H.R. 3949.

                          ____________________