[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 193 (Thursday, November 12, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





      TRIBUTE TO VETERANS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 12, 2020

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today 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 
and took and lived the oath to ``support and defend the Constitution of 
the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic'' and bore 
true faith and allegiance to the same, an obligation they took freely, 
without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.
  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.
  Veterans Day is a reminder to all of us who live in freedom that, as 
President Kennedy said, `The price of freedom is high, but Americans 
have always paid it.''
  This Veterans Day is a welcome opportunity to remember that the 
fallen who gave the last full measure of devotion to their country on 
battlefields around the world--in places whose names may be 
unforgettable--or locations that have slipped into the pages of 
history.
  We will never forget: Revolutionary War--Valley Forge, YorkTown; 
Civil War--The Battle of Antietam, The Battle of Gettysburg; World War 
I--The Battle of Argonne, Flanders Field, Verdun; World War II--Pearl 
Harbor, Battle of Bataan, The Battle of Midway, D-Day, Battle of the 
Bulge, Battle of Anzio, Battle of Corregidor; Korean War--Inchon, Heart 
Break Ridge, Pork Chop Hill; Vietnam--Tet Offensive, Battle of Hue; 
Desert Storm--September 11, 2001, Pentagon Attack (125 killed); 
Operation Enduring Freedom--Battle of Kandahar; Operation Iraqi 
Freedom--Second Battle of Fallujah.
  The memory of the fallen are never forgotten.
  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 and Coast Guardsmen and women 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.
  This includes more than 2 million women, 2.7 million African-American 
men and women, 1.5 million Hispanic men and women, 342,000 Asian-
American Pacific Islanders, and 178,000 American Indians.
  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 
everyday.
  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+ hours a 
week providing care for our military families.
  As a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland 
Security, I care deeply about our veterans.
  In Congress, I have sponsored many legislative proposals and 
cosponsored more than 50 pieces of legislation that will positively 
benefit our veterans and their families.''
  This year, I introduced H.R. 2898, the Buddy Check Week, which has 
been endorsed by the American Legion.
  The American Legion send email urging all congressional offices to 
support veterans by cosponsoring H.R. 2898, a bill to direct the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate a week as ``Buddy Check 
Week'' for the purpose of outreach and education concerning peer 
wellness checks for veterans, and for other purposes.
  The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 
1919, and today it is the nation's largest wartime veterans service 
organization.
  As we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic on all fronts, we 
cannot forget about our duty to care for our veterans who have already 
sacrificed so much for this country.
  Throughout this epidemic, the feeling of isolation among veterans has 
only been amplified, causing an increased risk of suicide within the 
community.
  CBS News has reported a 20 percent increase in military suicides when 
compared to the same period in 2019.
  A report conducted by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute 
found that for every 5 percent increase in the unemployment rate, we 
could lose an additional 550 veterans to suicide annually and up to 
20,000 more veterans may be susceptible to substance abuse as a result 
of the crisis.
  Now more than ever, we need the Buddy Check Week Act.
  This bill would provide vital support and training to organize 
outreach events and educate veterans on how to conduct peer wellness 
checks and recognize signs of problems in fellow veterans that indicate 
suicide risks.
  This legislation is modeled after the American Legion's ``Buddy Check 
National Week of Calling,'' held March 11 to 16, 2019, and will augment 
the organization's efforts to conduct outreach to veterans across the 
nation.
  The Buddy Check Week Act directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in 
consultation with veterans, non-profits that serve veterans, mental 
health experts, and members of the Armed Forces, to develop and 
implement collaborative education opportunities for veterans to learn 
how to conduct wellness checks.
  The VA will provide online or in-person training to individuals, as 
well as provide opportunities for Veterans Service Organizations (VS0s) 
to learn how to: train individuals to conduct peer wellness checks, 
transfer phone calls to the Veterans Crisis Line, and be resilient when 
handling a veteran in crisis.
  The Buddy Check Week Act is a fitting way to honor our veterans and I 
look forward to working with my colleagues to see that it becomes law.
  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.

                          ____________________