[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4639]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HOUSE RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR MEMBERS OF THE UNIFORMED 
                                SERVICES

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. C.A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 14, 2005

  Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join my colleagues--
Congressman Tom Davis of Virginia, Congressman Walter Jones of North 
Carolina, and Congressman Steny Hoyer of Maryland--to introduce a truly 
bipartisan resolution expressing support for the members of our Armed 
Forces and their families. In particular, this resolution offers 
support for those service members wounded or severely injured in 
service to the Nation, as well as support for the newly established 
Military Severely Injured Joint Support Operations Center. With the 2-
year anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom arriving on March 19, I can 
think of no better way to salute our disabled and severely disabled 
troops who have returned home than the quick and bipartisan support of 
this resolution.
  This resolution recognizes many efforts made by our brave men and 
women in uniform. It reaffirms our support for all members of the Armed 
Forces and their families. It acknowledges that all returning troops--
whether an active, National Guard or Reserve component--should be 
treated with the same degree of dignity and respect. It pledges our 
desire to help all injured, wounded, and severely disabled service 
members returning home by providing the assistance they require to 
navigate the complicated medical and bureaucratic processes to 
transition back to active duty or civilian life. Most important, this 
resolution specifically acknowledges the number of National Guard and 
Reserve components called for prolonged duty in today's military and 
pledges Congressional support to the Department of Defense Joint 
Support Center to ensure we take care of our own once we bring them 
home.
  I applaud the action of the Department of Defense for establishing 
the Joint Support Center on February 1, 2005. I, along with Mr. Jones 
and Mr. Hoyer, proposed the same concept in H.R. 5057 in the 108th 
Congress. That bill was eventually introduced in the Senate by Senator 
Bond and Senator Kennedy. It received full endorsements from every 
major veterans' and military service organization. We are proud to see 
that effort taken up by the Pentagon and welcome the Joint Support 
Center. This resolution supports the Pentagon's initiative by 
expressing Congress's strong commitment to the center and our 
assistance in ensuring that the center receives the resources it needs 
to succeed in its mission.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join 
me in passing this resolution quickly to send a clear message to our 
service men and women that the Members of the U.S. House of 
Representatives in the 109th Congress are firmly behind them.

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