[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 156 (Thursday, September 10, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5540-S5541]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              S. Res. 685

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for my 
colleague Senator Duckworth's resolution honoring the service and 
sacrifices of members of the U.S. Armed Forces and our veterans. The 
resolution rightly criticizes President Trump for a series of 
statements and actions which

[[Page S5541]]

have denigrated our men and women in uniform, our veterans, and our 
institutions.
  Service and sacrifice run deep among my constituents in the 
Commonwealth of Virginia. With 130,000 Active-Duty members living in 
Virginia, the Commonwealth has one of the highest populations of 
military personnel in the Nation. Virginia is home to more than 700,000 
veterans, men and women who have displayed the highest level of 
selfless service while defending this country and who have endured 
hardship and have put country above self.
  I am proud to call these American heroes my constituents, as well as 
my neighbors, and I am humbled to represent and serve them in Congress. 
I am thankful to them for protecting this great country.
  President Trump, though, again and again, has made disrespectful 
remarks about servicemembers, veterans, and military leaders despite 
being Commander in Chief. His name-calling and disdain for the value of 
service is divisive and dangerous.
  Remember how President Trump ridiculed the Gold Star parents of Army 
CPT Humayun Khan, who died in June 2004 from an IED in Iraq. Mr. and 
Mrs. Khan are residents of Virginia.
  Remember his comments questioning whether Senator John McCain should 
be called a hero and remember his recent comments, even after the 
reports of his comments in The Atlantic article came out--his recent 
comments that our top officials at DOD want to continue fighting wars 
to make defense contractors happy.
  Whether it is pardoning and excusing those in uniform who commit 
crimes or not standing up to President Putin in defense of our troops 
when reports emerged that bounties have been offered for killing 
members of our Armed forces, whether it is deploying our military in 
response to peaceful protests, threatening to politicalize and divide 
our military from civilian society, the President, on each of these 
occasions, is on the wrong side of honoring our servicemembers. These 
actions and statements are an affront to everyone who serves or has 
served. They are unacceptable and un-Presidential.
  Instead, let's stay focused on what matters in this country. Let's 
stay united. We need to ensure that we are expressing each and every 
day how thankful we are to those who serve for protecting the freedoms 
we hold dear.
  I want to thank Senator Duckworth for the introduction of this 
resolution and, more so, I thank her for her dedicated and exemplary 
military service to our country.
  It is my hope that all my colleagues in the Senate will recognize the 
mistakes made by our Commander in Chief when addressing the heroes of 
our military and our Nation's veterans.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.