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Ms. BROWN of Florida. First of all, I want to thank you, Mr. Filner, for all the service that you've done for the veterans throughout the years. And of course I want to thank the chairman from Florida for your work in bringing this legislation to the floor. It's very important to the veterans.

This legislation affects the benefits of all veterans by raising the compensation they receive to allow them to continue to buy the products they need to live. It is important to pass this bill as a clean bill for those who have made sacrifices to protect the freedoms we hold most dear and do not suffer in these tough economic times.

In the words of the first President of the United States, George Washington: ``The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country.''

As we go to Veterans Day--that's coming up November 11--I want to thank all of the veterans for their service.

God bless America.

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