[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8401]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING OUR SERVICEMEMBERS AND VETERANS

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, a lot of times our 
constituents are confused about the processes of this House. The one 
thing that we are not confused about is when we all join together in 
unity, our patriotism, our respect, affection, and admiration for the 
United States military.
  Yesterday, many of us interfaced with families, Gold Star Mothers and 
Blue Star Mothers, families who had experienced a wounded soldier or 
one who had lost their life in battle. It was a serious time, and I, 
too, commemorated and celebrated with my fellow Houstonians and Texans, 
even those who came up to me and said veterans can't get jobs.
  And so for me to come today and to participate in a mockery of a 
placed-on-the-floor vote on the debt ceiling when everyone knew, and 
our good friends on the Republican side, that it was a joke, but it was 
not a joke for me. I voted ``yes'' because the responsible position is 
to ensure that America pays her bills, not to leave soldiers on the 
battlefield with no equipment, no shelter, no food, and certainly not 
to take away veterans benefits, Medicare, Medicaid.
  Let us be responsible, and let us stand for the American people. I 
did that today.

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