[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 18710-18713]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING MILITARY SUPPORT GROUPS

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1200) honoring the dedication and outstanding 
work of military support groups across the country for their steadfast 
support of the members of our Armed Forces and their families, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1200

       Whereas more than 1,700,000 members of the Armed Forces 
     have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since September 
     2001, and nearly 611,000 have been deployed more than once;
       Whereas more than 782,000 members of our Armed Forces 
     deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are parents with 1 or more 
     children, and nearly 35,000 troops have been separated from 
     their children for 4 or more deployments;
       Whereas as of May 3, 2008, 4,059 members of our Armed 
     Forces have died and 30,004 have been wounded in action in 
     Iraq, while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom;
       Whereas as of May 3, 2008, 491 members of our Armed Forces 
     have died and 1,944 have been wounded in action in 
     Afghanistan, while deployed in support of Operation Enduring 
     Freedom;
       Whereas members of our Armed Forces and their families 
     deserve all the medical, financial, education, and moral 
     support that our Nation can provide;
       Whereas the spouses, children, family, friends, coworkers, 
     and neighbors of members of our Armed Forces play a key role 
     in the success of our Nation's troops;
       Whereas Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has recognized 
     the families and community members who support America's 
     troops as ``the power behind the power'' and the Department 
     of Defense has created the America Supports You program to 
     recognize the efforts of those citizens and organizations;
       Whereas military support groups play a crucial role in 
     supporting every family member and loved one of members of 
     our Armed Forces;
       Whereas military support groups provide a variety of 
     crucial services to members of our Armed Forces and their 
     families, including financial assistance, employment 
     assistance, tax return preparation, counseling, prayer 
     groups, and sending care packages; and
       Whereas military support groups provide a compassionate 
     community and incalculable moral support to the hundreds of 
     thousands of military families with loved ones at home and 
     deployed overseas: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the 
     dedication and outstanding work of military support groups 
     across the country for their steadfast support of the members 
     of our Armed Forces and their families.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole) each 
will control 20 minutes.

[[Page 18711]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might 
consume.
  I rise today in support of House Resolution 1200, honoring the 
dedication and the outstanding work of military support groups for 
their steadfast work on behalf of the members of the Armed Forces and 
their families.
  Over 1.7 million military men and women have deployed to Iraq and 
Afghanistan since September of 2001, many of whom have been deployed 
more than once. These military men and women have left behind beloved 
parents, siblings and spouses. More than 782,000 children have had 
parents leave the confines of their home to serve the Nation nobly. 
These soldiers and their families face a daily struggle with constant 
and sustained deployments. Children are left to cope with the 
difficulties of a sustained deployment with one parent supporting the 
family, and some are even left with other family members.
  Military men and women and their families make tremendous sacrifices 
every single day to serve and protect our country. These heroes deserve 
all the medical, the financial, the educational and moral support that 
our Nation can provide them. Military support groups, with that mission 
in mind, work diligently to provide essential support and services to 
the members of the Armed Forces and their families. They provide a 
compassionate community of supporters to military families, whether 
their loved ones are at home or abroad. Whether it's finding a job, 
replacing a broken oven in a home, or offering moral support by sending 
care packages to soldiers abroad, our American military support groups 
and their volunteers work tirelessly to serve the men and women who 
serve to protect our way of life.
  The positive impact that military support groups have on our soldiers 
and their families is invaluable. As Secretary of Defense Robert Gates 
recognized, the families and community members who support America's 
troops are ``the power behind the power.'' You can go to the America 
Supports You Web site which lists the hundreds of military support 
groups across our country. The Web site also has many stories of 
dedication, hope, kindness and generosity.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1200 is our way, in Congress, of 
honoring the commitment and the outstanding work of military support 
groups and their volunteers across the country for their unwavering 
support of America's troops and their families. We honor their selfless 
service to American troops and their loved ones. As a cosponsor of 
House Resolution 1200, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of 
this very important resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COLE of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Let me begin on a personal note. I just want to say what a great 
pleasure it is for me, Mr. Speaker, to manage this bill and the series 
of bills with my good friend from Guam whom I sit on the House Armed 
Services Committee with and the Natural Resources Committee with and 
whom I've been to Iraq three times with. I know of nobody that cares 
more about our military and men and women in uniform than my good 
friend from Guam, so it's wonderful to be with her in this particular 
venue today.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1200, a 
resolution authored by Congresswoman Betty Sutton of Ohio. This 
resolution commends a large group of selfless and dedicated people, 
many of whom are volunteers, in organizations that provide support to 
the families and children of the deployed members of the Armed Forces, 
as well as to servicemembers themselves.
  Our military families face extraordinary demands and stresses, Mr. 
Speaker, and challenges related to the service of their loved ones. To 
ease these burdens, military support groups provide a variety of 
crucial services ranging from financial and employment assistance to 
counseling and community support.
  These military support groups take on various forms, whether they be 
Federal, State and local government efforts, or whether they are the 
many nonprofit, charitable and private efforts that have continuously 
and unselfishly supported the members of our Armed Forces and their 
families ever since September 11, 2001.
  Among the approximately 1.8 million family members of the 1.3 million 
active duty personnel, the needs are many and supporting those needs is 
a matter of military readiness.
  The support challenge is made more complex because virtually all the 
families of the National Guard troops and reservists reside in civilian 
communities spread across this Nation. Yet numerous agencies, Mr. 
Speaker, and groups have taken on the challenge to provide help and 
support, particularly during extended periods of mobilization and 
deployment.
  Our military forces could not have sustained the stress of repeated 
deployments and combat without the outstanding assistance, dedication 
and outstanding work over the years of these military support groups.
  Let me add on a personal note, if I may, Mr. Speaker, my grandfather 
and father were both career military personnel. And like many people in 
this Chamber, I have many members of my family, uncles, cousins, my own 
brother, who served at various points in the military. All of them 
would tell you that they have received valuable support for both 
themselves and their families repeatedly from private and charitable 
groups that are designed to support the men and women that wear the 
uniform of the United States. Our citizens do that, not simply because 
it's the expedient thing to do, but because it's the right thing to do, 
and it's an expression of the appreciation of the American people for 
the men and women who sacrifice to defend them that these sorts of 
contributions take place. Today's resolution is a fitting way to 
celebrate and thank such organizations.
  I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1200.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to my 
friend and colleague, the original sponsor of this important 
resolution, the gentlelady from Ohio (Ms. Sutton).
  Ms. SUTTON. I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership on this issue, 
and I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for his eloquence in speaking 
to it as well.
  I rise today, Mr. Speaker, in support of House Resolution 1200, a 
resolution I introduced to honor some of the unsung heroes of our 
Nation. They are our military support groups.
  All across our great Nation and throughout the world, our troops and 
their families are making incredible sacrifices for our country. Since 
2001, more than 1.7 million members of the Armed Forces have been 
deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. And many of these brave men and women 
are being sent back for numerous tours of duty, and each time they 
represent our country with honor and a proud sense of duty. And we must 
never forget the incredible service they provide for our great Nation.
  We, as Members of Congress, must do everything in our power to ease 
the burden their service places on them and their families.
  One incredible source of support and assistance for our troops and 
their families are military support groups. All across our country, 
servicemembers and their families and friends have formed these crucial 
support networks.
  Military support groups offer a variety of important services to 
members of our Armed Forces and their families. From providing 
financial assistance, employment assistance and tax return preparation, 
to offering counseling and

[[Page 18712]]

prayer groups, sending care packages and writing letters, support 
groups serve a vital purpose within the military family and within our 
communities.
  My bill, House Resolution 1200, honors the dedication and outstanding 
work of military support groups across this country for their steadfast 
support of the members of our Armed Forces and their families.
  I'm very proud, Mr. Speaker, that one of these support groups, Family 
and Friends Connected, is based in Akron, Ohio, in my congressional 
district. This group was started by one of my constituents, Saundra 
Hunt. With a daughter in the Air Force and a son in the Marine Corps, 
Saundra knows more than a thing or two about the need to support our 
military families. And so, on November 9, 2001, Saundra established 
Family and Friends Connected to bring military families together. And 
on the second Friday of every month, military families and friends from 
all over northeastern Ohio come together to support one another. They 
come from Akron and Barberton and Canton and Cleveland; they come from 
Cuyahoga Falls, and Copley and Dover and Hartville, Hudson, Stow and 
Tallmadge and Wadsworth. They come together to find common support.
  I want to take a moment and recognize Saundra, who took her own 
family's experience and used it to make a positive impact on the lives 
of others in the same situation. Saundra dedicates a listening ear to 
military families, and is available to them at every hour, day or 
night. Because of her endless commitment and compassion, there is an 
obvious love for her within the group.
  I've had the honor and privilege of attending one of their meetings, 
and I can attest firsthand to the dedication and the uplifting 
camaraderie of those who participate in Family and Friends Connected.
  Saundra and the Family and Friends Connected are just one example of 
the many support groups across the country that have provided endless 
amounts of time, energy and compassion to our military families. These 
are people who truly understand what military families go through, and 
they provide very real comfort and support for one another.
  The kindness and understanding these groups provide to our 
servicemembers and to each other is nothing short of inspirational. It 
is such an important service for our Nation's military families and 
yet, Mr. Speaker, they ask for nothing in return. They do it because of 
a love of country, a respect for service, and an understanding of the 
sacrifices that our military families so selflessly make. Their 
unwavering emotional and material support helps to fortify our 
military, allowing them to carry out the missions our Nation asks of 
them.
  We, in Congress, must always honor our brave servicemen and women, in 
word and in deed. Likewise, we should honor those who dedicate 
themselves to their support. That's why I introduced this important 
resolution to honor these amazing groups. They did not ask for any 
recognition for their service, but we can all agree that they deserve 
to be honored for all they do for our military families and for our 
country.
  I ask for your support of this critical resolution honoring our 
military support groups.

                              {time}  1515

  Mr. COLE of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time as 
he might care to consume to my good friend from Georgia (Mr. Price).
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I thank my friend from Oklahoma for his 
leadership on this and so many issues and for yielding me time.
  This is an important issue, an important bill. So many of us have 
worked with groups within our districts all across this Nation who have 
had family members volunteer, serve, defend our liberty and freedom 
around the world, many of them on multiple tours of duty. So helping 
the families and recognizing their sacrifices is extremely important. 
They fight to defend our liberty, they fight to defend our freedom, 
they fight to defend our way of life, and yes, they fight to defend our 
ability to stand on this floor and debate and deliberate the major 
issues of the day.
  Which is why it is with some significant regret that I discuss the 
issue that is the most important issue facing Americans today at home, 
and that is the issue of the economy and increasing gas prices and 
energy policy, and sadly say to my colleagues that the freedom and the 
liberty and the processes that our military men and women risk their 
lives to protect are sadly not being honored here on the floor of the 
House.
  We heard with great fanfare last week the Speaker and the Democrat 
leadership announce to the Nation that they had reached a compromise on 
energy policy, an issue that we have been, on my side of the aisle, 
demanding an appropriate deliberative process and a fair and open 
debate for these many months.
  But the Speaker announced they had reached a compromise. The problem, 
Mr. Speaker, as you well know is the compromise within their own minds, 
within their own caucus, which is why it saddens me to recognize that 
the men and women who are fighting to defend our freedom and our 
liberty and fighting for the ability of our democracy to long survive, 
and yet we have a process of democracy that's been so distorted it 
would not be recognized certainly by our Founding Fathers and likely 
not by any civics class across this Nation.
  Because the way in which this energy bill supposedly--I don't know 
who's seen it--supposedly will be brought to the floor in less than 24 
hours is through a closed process, through a secret process behind 
closed doors; not an open deliberative process, not a democratic 
process. Dare I say, Mr. Speaker, not an American process.
  This is an important bill to recognize the sacrifices of American 
families all across this Nation whose loved ones stand today and have 
continued to stand to fight for liberty and freedom. But it saddens me 
greatly, Mr. Speaker, to not have that process and that fight and that 
valor honored here on the floor of the House of Representatives in a 
way that recognizes the history of our Nation, the appropriateness of 
the deliberative process, the imperative of democracy, the recognition 
that each and every one of us represents the same number of Americans.
  So I support this bill, but I am so saddened and distressed by what 
appears to be a recurrent theme among this current leadership, and that 
is not to recognize the imperative of democracy and debate and 
deliberation in this, the greatest House, the people's House.


                Announcement By the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Expressions of approval or disapproval from 
the gallery are not allowed.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I represent Guam, a small little island in the Pacific 
where we have today more active National Guardsmen reservists serving 
in Afghanistan and Iraq per capita than any other State in the Union.
  Just last month I led a codel to Pakistan, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and 
Iraq and found 181 National Guardsmen and reservists from Guam deployed 
in Afghanistan serving in the most dangerous provinces in that country.
  I want to speak to this bill because on Guam, because of the numerous 
soldiers deployed all over the world today, the support group is 
exceptional, made up of family and friends. I have visited their 
headquarters, and it's made up of housewives, families, and friends all 
supporting our soldiers. And I want to go on record to say that I 
applaud our soldiers and families on Guam for their dedicated support 
and loyalty, and I go on record as supporting this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time I have no further requests for time, and I 
am prepared to close after my colleague has yielded back his time.
  I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COLE of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I will try to be brief.
  I want to, again, commend my good friend from Guam and say in the 
opportunities we've had to travel abroad I

[[Page 18713]]

notice how fervently she seeks out servicemen and women from her 
country and with what great warmth and gratitude she's always received. 
And it's a reminder of what an exceptional place she represents and 
what exceptional people have chosen her from amongst themselves to 
defend them here.
  I want to also express my personal appreciation for the types of 
groups, again, that were singled out in this resolution by our good 
friend, Ms. Sutton. Frankly, we all could sit here and name many, many 
groups in our respective districts that put American men and women in 
uniform ahead of everything else. I want to mention just one, if I 
might, Mr. Speaker.
  In my home State of Lawton, Oklahoma, is where Fort Sill is located. 
It's the home base of the field artillery. And Fort Sill has a very 
unique organization called literally the Armed Services YMCA of Lawton/
Fort Sill. It, for decades, has performed support services for family. 
Every year there is a huge breakfast and, frankly, a community drive to 
solicit private dollars to support its efforts to help men and women in 
uniform and service families.
  And I've heard repeatedly, as I go down to these, instances where 
families would show up from deployment desperately needing things; you 
know, perhaps young families not able to furnish the apartments they 
were in, needing support. That support's always given generously by 
fellow soldiers, but more importantly, even by the men and women of 
Lawton, Oklahoma.
  Again, I commend my colleagues for bringing this resolution. I urge 
its support.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I want to go on record to thank the co-
manager of the bill today, Mr. Cole, a good friend of mine whom I've 
traveled with on numerous occasions, and I truly appreciate the kind 
words that he has noted of Guam and, of course, his own State.
  And as he said, each Member going on these congressional delegation 
trips is always meeting with their troops, and this is one of the great 
pleasures, shall we say, of the trip, not only to investigate and see 
how we are doing and how our troops are treated, but to meet with 
troops from our district.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my 
gratitude to all the support groups, families, and friends of our men 
and women in the armed forces. By supporting those who support them, we 
honor the sacrifice and courage of our women who have served and are 
currently serving in our Armed Forces.
  Since September 2001, more than 1,700,000 members of the Armed Forces 
have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and nearly 611,000 have 
been deployed more than once. More than 782,000 members of our Armed 
Forces deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are parents. Sadly, nearly 
35,000 troops have been separated from their children for 4 or more 
deployments.
  Many of our men and women in the armed forces have given the ultimate 
sacrifice to secure the freedoms of others. As of May 3, 2008 over 
4,500 died and over 32,000 wounded while deployed in support of 
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan).
  The members of our Armed Forces and their families deserve all the 
medical, financial, education, and moral support that our Nation can 
provide. Our military support groups and organizations play a vital 
role in providing services to members of our Armed Forces and their 
families, including financial assistance, employment assistance, tax 
return preparation, counseling, prayer groups, and sending care 
packages.
  The resolution we considered today provides an opportunity for each 
of us, regardless of political views, religion, ethnicity, gender, or 
background to come together, and to recognize and honor our nation's 
heroes and those that support them and their families.
  Though we may be divided by our positions on the war in Iraq, we 
stand together to support our veterans. Our nation has a proud legacy 
of appreciation and commitment to the men and women who have worn the 
uniform in defense of this country. We must be united in seeing that 
every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine is welcomed back with all the 
care and compassion this grateful nation can bestow.
  All too many of our veterans are left without the help and support 
they need to transition from the horrors they bravely face on the front 
lines of battle to successful civilian life. According to the Veterans 
of all ages were homeless.
  The V.A. also reports 400 veterans of the wars in Iraq and 
Afghanistan alone have already become homeless, and this figure only 
takes into account those who have sought services from V.A.-sponsored 
programs. Experts have predicted that the trauma resulting from the 
extreme horrors of these modern wars could lead to a surge in homeless 
veterans in the coming years.
  I chose to celebrate one of our heroic daughters of Texas, Specialist 
Monica L. Brown of the United States Army with House Concurrent 
Resolution 320 for her efforts earlier this year.
  Spec. Brown was the first woman in Afghanistan and only the second 
female soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star, the 
nation's third-highest medal for valor. This soldier from Lake Jackson, 
Texas was only 10-years-old, when on April 25, 2007, Specialist Brown 
as part of a four-vehicle convoy patrolling near Jani Kheil in the 
eastern province of Paktia that was attacked. She saw her fellow 
soldiers injured, she grabbed her aid bag and started running toward 
the burning vehicle as insurgents opened fire. All five wounded 
soldiers from her platoon scrambled out. Under this commotion, she 
assessed her patients and moved them to a safer location because they 
were still receiving incoming fire.
  The Pentagon's official policy is to prohibit women from serving in 
front-line combat roles in the infantry, armor or artillery, but the 
nature of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, with no real front lines, 
has seen women soldiers take part in close-quarters combat more than 
previous conflicts.
  According to the army four Army nurses in World War II were the first 
women to receive the Silver Star, though three nurses serving in World 
War I were awarded the medal posthumously in 2007. Sgt. Leigh Ann 
Hester, of Nashville, Tenn., was the first to receive the Silver Star 
in 2005 along with two fellow male soldiers for her gallantry during an 
insurgent ambush on a convoy in Iraq.
  Though I have opposed the war in Iraq from its inception, I remain 
absolutely committed to ensuring that we recognize, celebrate, and 
honor the service of our sons and daughters in and returning from, Iraq 
and Afghanistan.
  I am proud to support H. Res. 1200 by my colleague, Congresswoman 
Sutton. I firmly believe that we should celebrate and support our armed 
forces and their families, and I remain committed, as a Member of 
Congress, to both meeting the needs of veterans of previous wars, and 
to provide a fitting welcome home to those who are now serving. Current 
serving military personnel and veterans have kept their promise to 
serve our nation; they have willingly risked their lives to protect the 
country we all love. We must now ensure that we keep our promises to 
them.
  Currently, there are over 25 million veterans in the United States. 
Thee are more than 1,633,000 veterans living in Texas and more than 
32,000 veterans living in my Congressional district alone. I hope we 
will all take the time to show appreciation to those who have answered 
the call to duty. As Winston Churchill famously state, ``Never in the 
field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.''
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting our 
troops, their families, and those groups that are working to support 
them.
  Ms. BORDALLO. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1200, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. COLE of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground 
that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum 
is not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________