Urging A Moment Of Silence For Military Personnel

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise with a certain amount of outrage tonight because we are debating a resolution that, just to remind this House, expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that all people of the United States should participate in a moment of silence to reflect upon the service and sacrifice of members of the United States Armed Forces both at home and abroad. A noble thing, a good thing that we would honor our veterans who day in and day out put their lives on the line for the freedom and safety of every single American. And the minority stands here tonight and brings their politics into this resolution.

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I will yield to the gentleman when I have completed my statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am appalled that at this moment when we are here to honor our veterans the minority would bring their politics and their misinformation. And though I am appalled, while we are talking about veterans I will not stand here while that misinformation is peddled.

A bill made in darkness, if I might quote my friend on the other side of the aisle. This bill has been discussed for months, for years. For decades this debate has raged. One hundred twenty Republican amendments included in this. This thing posted in the House and in the Senate and now for the requisite 72 hours, and they call that darkness.

Increasing the deficit. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, respected by both sides, has indicated clearly down to many significant figures that this will be the largest reduction in the deficit ever engineered by this House: in excess of $100 billion in the first years, in excess of $1 trillion in the second 10 years.

We are hearing the same misinformation about 6 years of benefits for 10 years of taxation. How is this? Shortly after this bill's enactment children will no longer be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions. Shortly after this bill's passage how is this for 6 years of benefits? Our seniors will experience immediately a reduction in the doughnut hole that has forced them in instances to choose between food and drugs. Shortly after passage of this bill, shortly after the passage of this bill young people up to the age of 26 will be able to go on their parents' insurance. Six years of benefits with 10 years of taxation. This is outrageous misinformation made all the worse by the fact that the minority chooses to bring this up at this moment when we are here to honor the sacrifice of our proud veterans.

I yield to my friend on the other side.

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Reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman for bringing the discussion back to its proper topic of the honoring that this House and that the people of America can do for our veterans. I thank the gentleman for that, and would like to note to this gentleman that I spent this morning fighting to make sure that we would vote on the bill in an up and down fashion. And in fact that is what we will do.

I will note to the gentleman that he has had ample opportunity to discuss this over many, many months. But again I thank him for bringing this discussion back to where it should be, which is debating whether and how we honor our veterans.

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