[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 14143]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        CARING FOR OUR VETERANS

  (Ms. HERSETH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. HERSETH. Mr. Speaker, Americans know that we have asked a great 
deal of our uniformed men and women over the life of this Republic in 
preserving liberty at home and fostering liberty abroad. We continue to 
ask for and receive tremendous sacrifices from the members of our Armed 
Forces today.
  As we do this, however, we must not forget that we are now creating a 
new generation of veterans. We must acknowledge our obligation to this 
generation of heroes who deserve what has been promised them, 
particularly in the areas of health care, disability compensation and 
educational opportunities.
  Supporting our troops means, among other things, providing them with 
the resources to get the job done in the dangerous situations in which 
we have put them; but it also means ensuring that we know and 
understand our troops' needs when they return home and how to best meet 
those needs.
  Over the next week, as we celebrate the anniversary of our 
independence, I will be traveling across South Dakota, meeting with the 
family members of troops whose National Guard and Reserve units have 
been deployed. I will listen to their stories and concerns, and I will 
share my commitment to them to respect and honor the sacrifices their 
loved ones are making. It is in this spirit that I commit to working 
with my colleagues to adequately acknowledge what is owed to our 
veterans and to provide it to them both today and in the decades to 
come.

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