[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 183 (Thursday, November 9, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H8685]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      TRIBUTE TO VETERANS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise to salute our veterans and 
to indicate to all of them that they are truly heroes walking amongst 
us.
  I want to thank all of the armed servicemen and -women for their 
selfless dedication to the protection of this Nation every day, putting 
on the uniform unselfishly and standing in the gap.
  I think it is also important to note the many families who are also a 
part of this freedom.
  And let me acknowledge the 21.6 million brave men and women who are 
veterans of our Nation's military service: 30,000 of them in the 18th 
Congressional District.
  But I want to take a moment--and I will be speaking about this 
tomorrow and on Saturday, Veterans Day, about POWs and MIAs. I want to 
salute Congressman Sam Johnson from Texas and Senator John McCain from 
Arizona, both of whom suffered injuries, whom you can even see now in 
the United States Congress, during their time as a POW. I honor them, 
and I hold them in high esteem.
  And to the families of the MIAs from all of the wars, I want to say 
to them that we continue to pray for your loved ones.
  As a sponsor of eight pieces of legislation and 35 pieces of 
legislation that I cosponsored to make lives of veterans better, today 
I salute you and say happy Veterans Day. God bless all of you, and God 
bless this free Nation, the United States of America.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to all the men and women who have 
served in the Armed Forces of the United States and risked their lives 
to defend our freedoms and way of life.
  Veterans are truly heroes walking among us.
  I want to thank all of our armed serviceman and women for their 
selfless dedication to our protection every day.
  Each Veterans Day, Americans come together to remember those who have 
served our country around the world in the name of freedom and 
democracy.
  The debt that we owe to them is immeasurable.
  Their sacrifices, and those of their families, are freedom's 
foundation.
  Without the brave efforts of all the soldiers, sailors, airmen, 
marines, Coast Guardsmen and women, and the National Guard and their 
families, our country would not live so freely.
  I offer my deepest gratitude to our nation's troops and reservists, 
their families, and the 21.6 million veterans, including 29,126 here in 
the 18th Congressional District.
  21.6 million brave men and women are veterans of our nation's 
military service.
  Nine in ten military families believe the public does not understand 
or appreciate their sacrifices.
  We use Veterans Day to show our veterans and military families how 
important they are to us and how grateful we are for them each and 
every day.
  November is National Caregivers Month to show our caregivers how 
grateful we are for them.
  It is only fitting that we thank those caregivers who serve our 
military today.
  5.5 million spouses, parents, children, and other loved ones care for 
our wounded warriors and 15 percent of caregivers spend 40 plus hours a 
week providing care for our military families.
  As a Senior Member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland 
Security, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, 
Homeland Security, and Investigations, I care deeply about our 
veterans.
  In this Congress alone, I have sponsored 8 pieces of legislation and 
cosponsored 35 pieces of legislation that will positively benefit our 
veterans and their families.
  On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind.
  As a nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we 
leave no veteran behind.
  This day and every day, let us honor their service with actions that 
fulfill our commitment to our troops, their families, and our 
veterans--and that are worthy of our grateful nation.

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