With Memorial Day quickly approaching, we must cherish and honor the brave men and women who have given their lives for the noble cause of protecting their country.  As we fight two wars overseas, it is also important to pray for those who are currently serving us in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Every day, they are working tirelessly to protect and defend our rights as Americans.

When these brave Servicemembers return to us, they will face the challenge of readjusting to civilian life, and it is imperative that we do all we can to assist them in this transition.  Therefore, I have joined many of my colleagues in introducing the Post-9/11 Veterans’ Educational Assistance Act, which updates the Montgomery GI Bill to provide expanded educational benefits to the veterans who have served us since September 11, 2001.  Additionally, this proposal greatly increases benefits for National Guardsmen and Reservists, who make up a greater percentage of our Armed Forces today than in the past.

I am also a cosponsor of the Enhancement of Recruitment, Retention, and Readjustment Through Education Act of 2008.  This legislation improves education benefits for Servicemembers, helping more military personnel attend college debt-free.  It also allows Servicemembers to transfer their benefits to their spouses and children.

Our veterans have served our nation with courage, dignity, and honor, and they continue to do so at home and in many countries around the world.  This Memorial Day, I will reflect on the sacrifices made by our brave Servicemembers, and I will continue to work to ensure that they receive the benefits they deserve.

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As many of you know on Friday I introduced the “Fix Washington” Project. We have gotten many great ideas and I urge you to continue writing, callings, and faxing in your ideas.

But on another note, today I gave a floor speech on the importance of Memorial Day. It is a day to remember and honor those men and women who have given their lives for their country. It is day to cherish and pray for those currently serving this country at home or abroad. 

Support for our troops must always be an American issue and never a partisan one as our nation’s heroes are defending each one of our rights as American citizens. This week the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 is scheduled to be on the floor. I urge the Democratic leadership to not play political games with funding for our troops. We must do what is best for veterans and active soldiers: not what’s best for a sound bite, political propaganda, or election year politics. These are our nation’s heroes and we must never let our fellow Americans forget their bravery or their sacrifices.

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Late last night the House wrapped up their business for the week by passing the College Opportunity and Affordability Act (H.R. 4137) and the Economic Stimulus Package. The College Opportunity and Affordability Act provides access to college for low- and middle-income students by strengthening Pell Grants, exposing problematic financial aid practices, and updating programs to better meet the needs of the current student populations. It is an injustice when skyrocketing tuition forces potential students to withdraw or abandon their dreams of pursuing higher education. This legislation holds colleges and universities accountable to ensure that students from all walks of life have access to the same programs, benefits, and services when pursuing higher education.

After weeks of discussing the economic stimulus plan, the House passed the updated version of the bill that extends the rebates to include seniors who live off their Social Security benefits, as well as our disabled veterans. This extension ensures that those who made this country what it is today receive funding from the package. Although this package will provide a short-term fix by offering relief to cash strapped Americans and businesses, it is important to note that this plan is only a short-term solution. Over the next few weeks and months, Congress will be discussing how to stabilize our economy for the long-haul and it is my hope that these talks are held in the same bipartisan fashion as the past few weeks.

 Also yesterday I cosponsored a resolution to condemn the inexcusable action of the Berkeley, CA City Councils’ treatment of U.S. Marines. On January 29, the Berkeley City Council passed three resolutions regarding the Marine Corps.  The first directed the City Attorney to investigate Marine recruiters for violating the city’s anti-discrimination laws.  The second directed the City Manager to send letters to the Marines telling them that they were “uninvited and unwelcome intruders.”  The third commended Code Pink for its harassment of the Marines. The behavior of the Berkeley City Council is disgraceful. The City Council has chosen to voice their displeasure with the war at the expense of our brave men and women in uniform. It is my hope that this resolution will come to the floor next week so we, on both sides of the aisle, can reaffirm our commitment to the U.S. Marines.

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Congress returns from recess today and is coming back to hopefully work through a lengthy list of priorities that have gone unaddressed by the Majority throughout the year. Chief among them is providing funding to our troops and veterans and sending the President a fiscally responsible sending bills that keep the government on track to balance the budget without raising taxes.

And with only three weeks remaining before Christmas, the American people are wondering whether or not Congress will finally place politics on the back burner for the first time all year and commit to real, bipartisan accomplishment.  This morning’s New York Times has the details:

“After months of impasse, Congress has considerable work to try to finish in just a few weeks, including financing nearly every federal agency, deciding how to suspend a potential middle-class income tax increase and dealing with major questions on surveillance, agriculture, Pentagon and energy policy.”

With such little time left this year, and I am hopeful that the Majority will finally commit itself to coming together with Republicans and completing our work on behalf of the American people. 

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Today I signed a letter to Speaker Pelosi urging her to complete work on the FY 08 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill before Congress adjourns for the Thanksgiving recess. 

Veterans Day has come and gone; yet a FY 08 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Conference Report remains stalled even though the measure funds important benefits like housing and health care, which are critical to our veterans and troops now returning home from Iraq. 

Almost five months ago, the House passed a bipartisan FY 08 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill. And more than two months ago, the Senate followed suit and immediately appointed conferees. However, instead of appointing House conferees, funding for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs was attached to a pork-laden Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Conference Report. 

Under this bill, the VA is receiving the largest increase in the Department’s history, a $4.8 billion increase over FY 2007 levels.  The bulk of the increase is directed towards medical services, VA hospitals, and clinics.  In FY 2008, it is estimated that the VA will treat 5.8 million patients, including roughly 263,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.   

Our veterans risked their lives to protect our freedom and this is how we are repaying them. Veterans deserve better then the Democratic leadership playing games with their funding and benefits.

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When I look out from the steps of the United States Capitol Building, I am always in awe of the sight before me. The Washington Monument is surrounded by the circle of American flags and the Lincoln Memorial emerges in the distance.  We teach our children that the Presidents honored by these magnificent edifices were heroes of our country and should be remembered with honor. It is appropriate then, that in the shadow of these two great monuments, reside memorials to the men and women who defended the ideals of Washington and Lincoln during the 20th Century. 

The horrific battles fought carved into the World War II Memorial, the bronze faces of brave soldiers at the Korean War Memorial, and the names of the fallen etched into the Vietnam Wall serve as constant reminders  why the people of the United States live in the most free country the world has ever known. 

These memorials honor the sacrifices made by these brave men and women who put their country before themselves. They came from farms and cities, from mountains and valleys, and from lives of privilege and lives of poverty. They each answered the call when their nation needed them most. These men and women represented the best America had to offer and they served their country with pride, with honor, and with courage. 

Today is Veterans Day. It is a day to celebrate and honor those who have answered their nation’s call. During my time in the State Legislature and since taking office in 2005 as a member of the House of Representatives, I have fully, wholeheartedly supported our nation’s heroes. I have heard from many veterans who express their frustration with the VA system, which is not providing them with ample funding to take care of their injuries and needs that are the result of serving our country.  I agree with our nation’s veterans that they should be provided mandatory funding. Just this week I voted for the Military Quality of Life Appropriations bill that provides the largest increase in funding for veterans health care in the history of the VA. This bill also adds over 1,000 new claims processors to reduce the backlog of 400,000 benefits claims and increases oversight to better track how funds are being spent. 

Support for our veterans must always be an American issue and never a partisan issue as our nation’s veterans are defending each one of our rights as American citizens. We must do what is best for veterans: not what’s best for a sound bite, political propaganda, or election year politics. These are our nation’s heroes and we must never let our fellow American’s forget their bravery or their sacrifice.

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Last night I voted for the Labor-HHS-Education and Military Construction-VA appropriations package. This bill ensures that our veterans continue to receive the money they need and deserve. The bill also provides the largest increase in funding for veterans health care in the history of the VA. In addition to the increase in funding, it adds over 1,000 new claims processors to reduce the backlog of 400,000 benefits claims. Other additions to benefits for veterans in this bill include:

• $600 million for new initiative for mental health and polytrauma centers;
• $43.2 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs;
• $37.1 billion for the Veterans Health Administration;
• $29 billion for Veteran’s medical services;
• $1.4 billion to fulfill the Department’s commitment to the Capitol Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission, which will evaluate facilities and determine construction;
• $165 million for grants to states for construction and modification of extended care facilities.

Working in DC, I have the opportunity to see the memorials to our brave Veterans everyday. When I look out from the steps of the United States Capitol Building, I am always in awe of the sight before me. The Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Wall, and the World War II Memorial serve as constant reminders as to why the people of the United States live in most free country the world has ever known. 

These memorials each honor the sacrifice made by men and women who put their country before themselves. They came from farms and cities, from mountains and valleys, and from lives of privilege and lives of poverty. They each answer the call when their nation needs them most. These men and women represent the best America have to offer and they serve their country with pride, with honor, and with courage.  

Our veterans are America’s bravest heroes.  Support for our veterans must always be an American issue and never a partisan issue, as our nation’s veterans have defended all of our rights as American citizens. We have an obligation to provide for our veterans with the best available medical care and benefits and this bill does just that. I hope that everyone keeps our nations veterans in mind on Veterans’ Day Monday.

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It is astonishing how one complaint can change a time-honored military tradition. It was one, single complaint that led the Department of Veterans Affairs to issue a directive banning the recitation, which recounts the meaning of each of the flag’s 13 folds. 

Through thousands of military burials, the American flag has been folded 13 times and recited the significance of every fold to survivors of those being laid to rest. The first fold, a narrator tells relatives, represents life, the second a belief in eternal life. The 11th fold celebrates Jewish war veterans and “glorifies the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”  

A single complaint against the words for the 11th fold recently prompted the National Cemetery Administration to ban the entire recital at all 125 national cemeteries. This banning is ludicrous and has rightly sparked indignation from veterans across the nation. 

It is not the job of bureaucrats in Washington to decide the funeral practices of our brave veterans. Our soldiers fought for one nation under God. It should be left to their families, not bureaucrats to decide the manner in which they receive their last honors.  

Flag folds - These meanings, not part of the U.S. Flag Code, have been ascribed to the 13 folds of American flags at veterans burial services:  

1. Symbol of life.  

2. Symbol of our belief in the eternal life.  

3. In honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.  

4. Represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.  

5. A tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.”  

6. Represents where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 

7. A tribute to our armed forces.  

8. A tribute to the one who entered in to the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.  

9. A tribute to womanhood.  

10. A tribute to father.  

11. In the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  

12. In the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.  

13. When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”  Sources: USHistory.com, other Web sites 

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Today, a colleague of mine, Congresswoman Thelma Drake (R-VA) ,gave a floor speech on our pending budget crisis. I decided to include it on my blog because I couldn’t agree with her more on this issue. Below are her comments:  

“This is day 30. That is 30 days, so far, that our veterans have not had the use of the increased funding for their benefits and health care. That is $18.5 million a day not able to be used. And why? Because the Democratic leadership has decided to not complete this bill and send it to the President, who has agreed to sign it. 

In June this House passed this appropriation bill with a $6 billion increase in a bipartisan manner. We were proud of our work and grateful to our veterans. 

On September 6, the Senate completed their bill. 

This work is done. Our veterans are not pawns in a political game. They are heroes. America expects us to get the job done.

America expects us to provide the best care to our veterans.  Please join me in calling upon the Democratic leadership to put our veterans first and send this bill to the President now.”

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I would like to welcome home the 222nd Military Police Co. of the New York National Guard. The 65 solider unit is scheduled to arrive at the Hornell Armory between 4 and 4:30 p.m. today after a stop in Auburn.  

The soldiers, half of which are from the Hornell area, left in August 2006 and trained at Fort Dix in New Jersey. They and a unit from Puerto Rico spent a year training Iraqi police. These brave and dedicated citizens volunteered to serve our nation and risked their lives to defend our freedom.  Nothing is more noble than that, and I appreciate their service and sacrifice. 

A homecoming ceremony will take place today at the Hornell Armory, 100 Seneca St. I urge anyone who can attend their welcome home celebration to be there. It is important that the returning soldiers know how much we appreciate their service to this country. The sacrifice that the soldiers and their families make should be cherished today by this generation and by future generations to come. Welcome home New York National Guard.

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