Snowe Addresses 92nd State Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary
U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) today spoke to hundreds of veterans in attendance at the 92nd State Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Ladies Auxiliary. During her remarks, Senator Snowe discussed efforts in Washington to assist America's veterans, including her legislation to accelerate job opportunities and her bill to protect the sanctity of military funerals. She expressed her profound gratitude to those who have served in our nation's Armed Forces. Below are excerpts from Senator Snowe's remarks, as prepared for delivery.
On America's brave veterans and our obligation to them:
"This occasion also brings to mind how one of the greatest honors of my life has been the opportunity to meet so many exceptional veterans and men and women in uniform. I have witnessed firsthand time and again the sterling, unshakable resolve of America's finest and bravest during my visits to Iraq and Afghanistan. I don't have to tell you about their unrivaled devotion to duty and their steadfast commitment to country, which are unforgettable and awe-inspiring. The unwavering dedication to duty and consummate professionalism of our troops exemplifies the steadfast courage that demonstrates why our armed forces are second to none, and the finest in the world!
"And so we rightly venerate all of you who answered our country's call to pursue the most valiant of purposes and whose example speaks to the best of us all -- to the best of humanity and to this great land we treasure. Your legacy of sacrifice is the string upon which our pearls of freedom, liberty, and democracy have always been strung -- and you have truly woven the fabric of America's greatness from generation to generation.
"That is why those of us in public office have a solemn obligation to champion the causes of our more than 21 million American veterans, including the nearly 140,000 veterans in our state. And might I add, with Maine consistently boasting one of the highest percentages of veterans' population in the nation, you have certainly proven that Maine's motto of "Dirigo' or "I Lead' is a credo we not only stand by -- but one we live by! So I'm immeasurably proud to work for you day in and day out, and I want you to know I understand full well the challenges you face and what Congress must focus on this year to ensure the promises we've made will be promises kept."
On Senator Snowe's efforts to assist returning service members:
"When it comes to America's newest veterans, when the unemployment rate for veterans nationwide who have served since September 11 is 12.1 percent, and 30.2 percent of all veterans between 18 and 24 are unemployed in America and 14 percent in Maine, indisputably we must provide them with the opportunities, skills, and support to secure jobs when they leave military service. That's why I'm the lead Republican cosponsor of legislation to require federal agencies to accept qualified military training as meeting the requirements for federal licenses such as Aircraft Mechanic from the FAA or Engineer from the U.S. Coast Guard. And it's why I introduced a bill to accelerate the process for veterans applying for a commercial driver's license, and got it included as part of the Senate's highway bill that's now in a House Senate conference committee, and will hopefully be passed into law by the end of this year."
On the immeasurable sacrifice the veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq have made:
"This VFW convention is the first to follow the conclusion of our decade-long war in Iraq -- where our fighting men and women served at inconceivable personal risk and peril -- battling for, and winning time and again, milestone strides that are emblematic of the unswerving mettle of America and our armed forces. And in Afghanistan, our brave troops are continuing to demonstrate unyielding tenacity to deny terrorists a safe-haven and to create prerequisite conditions for sustainable self-governance -- despite the most rigorous of conditions and the most unforgiving of terrain. Many are serving their second, third, fourth or even fifth tours of duty, so that never again will Afghanistan recede into a bastion of terrorism that led to the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001.
"So today we also remember the 65 Mainers of the 6,480 Americans who have perished in Operations Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, and Enduring Freedom. Indeed, we recall with the deepest respect and sadness, Captain Jay Brainard of Newport, who was killed in Afghanistan just last week. We are mindful that our freedom has been won by individuals like Jay -- individuals of indescribable heroism that we are duty-bound to ensure the country we cherish forever reflects their eternal light, and that our memory of them will be, in the words of Daniel Webster, "as lasting as the land they honored.' As I said at the recent Memorial Day ceremonies in Lewiston, and in Gorham -- like their patriotic forbearers, their spirits will forever remain too soaring and too powerful to be extinguished by time."
On the SERVE Act:
"That is why nothing is of greater consequence than bestowing upon every fallen service member the enormous respect, honor, and dignity they deserve, and that means safeguarding our sacred military funerals from repugnant disruptions as we've regrettably witnessed in the past -- so that families may lay their loved ones to rest in uninterrupted reverence. That is why I've authored legislation that will increase quiet time before and after military funerals; increase the buffer around a military funeral; increase the buffer around access routes to a funeral service area; and increase civil penalties. I'm proud to say my bill has 37 bipartisan cosponsors, was approved by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, and has the support of the VFW as well as 35 veterans organizations! And while the legislation is being held up in the Senate along with numerous other measures, I'm hopeful Congress will ultimately pass it this year, and provide its full support for America's true heroes and their families."
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