OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012

Floor Speech

Date: July 31, 2012
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Veterans

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Mrs. MALONEY. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his hard work on this bill and in so many other areas in our Congress, not just for veterans and the military, but in a large array of areas, from health to national security, where he has been a leader.

I rise in strong support today of H.R. 1627, as amended, the Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012. This represents the hard work of both sides of the aisle. I thank Chairman Miller, Ranking Member Filner, as well as the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud) and Representative Miller from North Carolina on our side who have been leaders on this issue.

I am particularly proud to rise in support of this legislation to finally give medical coverage and justice to those military families previously stationed at Camp Lejeune where, for three decades--three decades--thousands of Marines and their families consumed water contaminated with toxic chemicals that likely led to very serious illnesses.

Because of travesties like this, I authored an amendment to the 2012 Defense authorization bill prohibiting the secrecy of information about water contamination on our military bases. I asked Secretary Panetta for transparency to help strike the necessary balance between safeguarding our national interests and preventing another Camp Lejeune scandal from happening that endangers the health of our military families here on the soil of our country.

I strongly support this bill because this is a big step in making sure that our veterans are continuously cared for throughout their deployment and thereafter here at home and are not put at risk for their health.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. With respect to the gentleman's earlier request to enter a colloquy that was granted earlier, the Chair would clarify that a colloquy may not be inserted into the Record but that two statements may be inserted independently under general leave.

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