[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 21]
[House]
[Pages 28971-28972]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         MILITARY FAMILY MONTH

  Mr. KISSELL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 861) supporting the goals and ideals of 
National Military Family Month, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 861

       Whereas military families, through their sacrifices and 
     their dedication to the United States and its values, 
     represent the bedrock upon which the United States was 
     founded and upon which the country continues to rely in these 
     perilous and challenging times; and
       Whereas the month of November, which includes the Veterans 
     Day holiday, was declared by the President on October 30, 
     2009, to be Military Family Month: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of Military Family Month;
       (2) recognizes the sacrifices and dedication of military 
     families and their contributions to the United States; and
       (3) expresses the appreciation to the people of the United 
     States who observed Military Family Month with appropriate 
     ceremonies and activities.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Kissell) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
Wittman) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina.


                             General Leave

  Mr. KISSELL. Madam Speaker, I request unanimous consent for Members 
to have 5 legislative days in which to extend and modify their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KISSELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I would first like to recognize Congressman Rooney from Florida for 
bringing this resolution to the floor. It is a very timely resolution 
and one that, while we recognize the importance of our military 
families all the time, we certainly want to have the opportunity to 
make it official, so to speak, for this Congress, this House of 
Representatives, to join in that recognition. So I thank Representative 
Rooney for his efforts.
  I also want to commend and thank President Obama for declaring 
November to be National Military Family Month as we support this 
resolution that will join in the goals and ideals that are set forth in 
this proclamation.
  Madam Speaker, we know that our military families are dedicated but 
also face great challenges and difficulties. As our troops have faced 
repeated deployments and have gone back into the field more often than 
perhaps we would wish as they serve our country as we need for them to 
do, so much of the burden of this service falls back to the military 
family.
  But the military families have responded in incredible ways. They 
unite around each other. They support each other. They help their 
single-parent families. They come together in a way not only to support 
themselves but to also support their family members that are deployed. 
It is not a surprise that this happens, because they are an extension 
of these men and women that serve our Nation so heroically.
  So with this resolution, H. Res. 861, we simply want to recognize 
once again the work, the dedication, the sacrifice in how our military 
families come together and acknowledge this in a positive way from the 
U.S. House of Representatives.
  I reserve my time.
  Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Rooney) for as much time as he may consume.
  Mr. ROONEY. Thank you, Mr. Wittman and Mr. Kissell, for managing this 
bill and for Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member McKeon for supporting 
the National Military Family Month resolution.
  This resolution is about supporting our military families. We rightly 
give due credit time and time again in this Chamber to our service men 
and women who wear the uniform, especially now in a time of war. But 
this bill goes a step further in recognizing the spouses and the 
parents and the children of those men and women who serve our country.
  As a former Army captain married to another Army captain, my wife and 
I met so many families at just two of our duty stations at Fort Hood, 
Texas, and West Point, New York. The people that we came to know in the 
military were truly the best people we've ever met. The sacrifice of 
seeing a loved one off to war and waiting the days and months for their 
return, sending letters, waiting in the middle of the night for a phone 
call or an email just to hear that they're okay; the sacrifice of 
moving time and time again and town to town and duty station to duty 
station when other families set down roots much earlier; and, finally, 
the sacrifice of a mom and dad seeing their child putting on a uniform 
for the first time and marching at graduation and the pride that they 
feel, and sometimes even the sorrow of receiving a flag that draped 
their child's casket, this resolution honors them, moms and dads, the 
spouses, the children.
  I urge Members to support this, and thank you for yielding, Mr. 
Wittman and Mr. Kissell, and for supporting this bill.
  Mr. KISSELL. Madam Speaker, I once again thank Representative Rooney 
for bringing this resolution to the floor. And all of the ideals that 
he expressed, I thank him so much for.
  I've had the opportunity to speak with many of our soldiers; and to a 
person, they tell me that if they just know their families are being 
taken care of, what a relief that is for them to concentrate on the 
duty that we're asking for them to perform in wherever the mission 
might be.
  So once again, I ask for support for the resolution for a National 
Military Family Month, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 861, 
which recognizes the goals and ideals of National Military Family 
Month. And I want to commend Representative Tom Rooney of Florida for 
sponsoring this legislation.
  Twenty years ago, the week of Thanksgiving was deemed Military Family 
Week as part of the Great American Family Project. And in 1996, with 
the support of the Armed Services YMCA, Military Family Week was 
expanded into Military Family Month. And Military Family Month seeks to 
recognize the sacrifices of our military families and the things they 
do for our Nation each and every day.

                              {time}  1100

  As we celebrate Veterans Day and Thanksgiving during the month of 
November, it is important that we celebrate the critical role of the 
military family.
  During a time of extended conflict, it is imperative not only that we 
stop and take time to acknowledge the dedications and sacrifices made 
by our military families every day, but also that

[[Page 28972]]

we pause to recognize the strength, commitment, and courage of the 
military spouse and children of our men and women serving today.
  Whether deployed overseas or training at home, the families of our 
servicemen and -women are the foundation of our military and proudly 
represent a keystone in a strong national defense. Even though this 
resolution commemorates 1 month of recognition for our military 
families, I believe our military families should be praised every day 
for their selfless service to America. I urge Members to vote in favor 
of this resolution and American military families.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KISSELL. Madam Speaker, I join with my colleague from Virginia in 
recognizing that the service and dedication of our military families is 
not just a 1 month deal; it is something that occurs every day, and we 
should recognize that every day. I ask my colleagues to support the 
resolution, H. Res. 861.
  Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a proud 
cosponsor of H. Res. 861, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals 
of National Military Family Month.
  The families of those who serve our country on the front lines 
deserve the admiration and appreciation of each and every citizen. 
These family members often watch their loved ones travel to faraway 
lands in support of a cause and an ideal so much greater than any one 
individual. The support given to our service men and women by their 
loved ones is irreplaceable, as it is the foundation for the bravery 
inherent in those who labor steadfastly in the defense of liberty.
  The men and women of the United States armed services rely on the 
support and encouragement of their families as they strive to protect 
the liberties and freedoms we enjoy every day at home. From the service 
organizations that provide holiday gifts to the letter that a parent or 
sibling writes to a loved one deployed or stationed abroad, the love 
and support of our military families is paramount. The sacrifices 
performed by these families should never be forgotten or diminished 
because they represent the very foundation of the American spirit.
  Let us also make certain that we remember those individuals who are 
in harm's way today in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as those who have 
paid the ultimate sacrifice--we are forever grateful for your heroic 
acts and for your service to our nation.
  The brave men, women, and families who have and continue to sacrifice 
for our present freedoms deserve our fullest support. These individuals 
represent our nation's finest qualities, and they must be treated with 
the utmost respect and honor. Recognizing the month of November as 
National Military Family Month is just one small token of our 
appreciation for the families and their sons, daughters, brothers, and 
sisters who labor steadfastly for the United States and its undying 
values of freedom and liberty for all. It is my hope that we will 
continue to do all we can and more for the members of our Armed Forces 
and their families.
  Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this 
resolution.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to applaud the 
actions of the House of Representatives in recognizing the burden which 
military families bear, and honoring the importance of the sacrifices 
they make. I strongly support H. Res. 861, designating the month of 
November, which includes the Veterans Day holiday, as an appropriate 
time to observe National Military Family Month. As a Member of the 
House Committee on Armed Services, I find this resolution to be of 
great significance, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Military families in my home State of Georgia have suffered the loss 
of 158 soldiers, 6 of whom were constituents in my district, as a 
result of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nationwide, 
military families have endured the loss of thousands of soldiers. We 
owe them our gratitude and recognition for their service. The men and 
women who serve in the Armed Forces are responsible for carrying out 
the invaluable task of keeping our country safe, and as they fulfill 
their duties at home and abroad, they rely, not only on the political 
support of fellow citizens, but also on the emotional support of their 
families. As we move forward with important military objectives in Iraq 
and Afghanistan, we should not forget this unseen, but crucial, 
support. Indeed, the dedication of military families represents what is 
finest about our country. And, with increasing military challenges, 
this resolution, honoring their commitment, will reaffirm the 
solidarity and unity that provides our country with strength and 
resolve as we pass through this time of trial.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H. Res. 861, which supports the goals and ideals of National Military 
Family Month. The fact that our star-spangled banner yet wave is a 
testament to the courage and honor of our military which is reason 
enough to thank the men and women of our military for the safety we 
have here in America; equally important are the loved ones they leave 
behind each tour, who support them and help keep them going day in and 
out.
  In 1996, the Armed Services YMCA expanded Military Family Week, which 
usually occurred around Thanksgiving, into Military Family Month. Just 
like the week grew into a month long celebration in appreciation, so to 
have military families grown in number. ``When I came in the service 
back in the Dark Ages, most of the troops were single. Everybody was 
single,'' said retired Navy Rear Adm. Frank Gallo, director of the 
Armed Services YMCA. Now, he added, 65 percent to 70 percent of service 
members are married, many with children. Families are a big part of the 
military, and the health of those families is also a big part of the 
readiness of the military, he said.
  Military Family Month puts a little extra focus on supporting the 
families who support the men and women of our military. This has 
especially been true since the beginning of the conflicts in 
Afghanistan and Iraq as more of our soldiers are deployed.
  The men and women of our military, through trial and tribulation, 
carry on; which they do in the name of many things, namely freedom, 
justice, democracy as well as in the name of their family and loved 
ones. The support necessary to keep a person going in such an atrocious 
environment is unfathomable, yet their families too, carry on. In my 
home district, the 18th District of Texas, we currently have, according 
to the Department of Defense, approximately 400 men and women in the 
military. With President Obama's planned deployment of 30,000 more 
troops to Afghanistan, there is bound to be more families left without 
sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers here at home. 
National Military Family Month will help provide encouragement to 
military families who in turn support our military men and women.
  Military families, through their sacrifices and their dedication to 
the United States and its values, represent the bedrock upon which the 
United States was founded and upon which the country continues to rely 
in these perilous and challenging times. The month of November, which 
includes the Veterans Day holiday, is an appropriate month to observe 
National Military Family Month, which recognizes the sacrifices and 
dedication of military families and their contributions to the United 
States. H. Res 861 will also encourage the people of the United States 
to observe National Military Family Month with appropriate ceremonies 
and activities.
  Mr. KISSELL. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Kissell) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 861, 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. KISSELL. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  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.

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