The bravery and sacrifice of these individuals is beyond anything else, above all else. We can never repay them, but we will never forget them.
In 2013, our Guard had 2797 members. These men and women of the Guard volunteer to defend what we hold dear. They deploy overseas, with all the risks attendant in such deployment. They serve here at home for defense purposes and in disaster assistance. They have been tremendous--for example, with the serious floods of 2011 and the severe wildfires of the last two summers.
The same recognition is due those currently serving in the US military and our veterans. All of us--in fact the whole country--stand on the shoulders of our veterans. We pay tribute to them today and every day.
Today, the pledge we should take together is simple: Connecticut can and will end homelessness for veterans by the end of 2015. That's a pledge President Obama made for America, and it's a pledge we must embrace.
My budget proposal includes funding for a new security deposit assistance program to help veterans get over that first hurdle to finding a home. It funds the hiring of job placement specialists trained in understanding the challenges--and the opportunities--unique to veterans. And it sets aside $500 thousand to support a review of existing state facilities so that we can put them to their best use for Connecticut's Veterans.
The spirit of our people is also exemplified by the ongoing service and sacrifice of all of our active duty servicemen and women, and our veterans who have made our nation strong. Thank you for your unyielding dedication to our freedom.
Recently though, the Army announced a plan to take many of these helicopters with their pilots out of Pennsylvania. I am going to fight to keep them here.
As a former member of the 28th AVBN, Pennsylvania National Guard, the pride I have for our pilots runs deep.
I plan to ask for the creation of veterans treatment courts to aid our service men and women who have made mistakes and want to get back on track. I believe we owe our veterans this special attention because they, more than most, have earned a second chance from their country.
As we continue to provide free mental health services to returning veterans and their families, we must never forget that honoring veterans who are no longer with us is one of the most sacred responsibilities society shares. It's time to start building local veterans cemeteries throughout New Mexico, of the highest standard. For $600,000, we can build 3 or 4 new cemeteries in areas that have large populations of unserved veterans. We'd be the first state to adopt this unique approach to a long-standing problem. It is the least we can do, given all they have done for us.
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Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015: GA:Chambliss(R) IA:Harkin(D) MI:Levin(D) MT:Baucus(D) NE:Johanns(R) OK:Coburn(R) SD:Johnson(D) WV:Rockefeller(D) Resigned from 113th House: AL-1:Jo Bonner(R) FL-19:Trey Radel(R) LA-5:Rod Alexander(R) MA-5:Ed Markey(D) MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R) NC-12:Melvin Watt(D) SC-1:Tim Scott(R) |
Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R) GA-1:Jack Kingston(R) GA-10:Paul Broun(R) GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R) HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D) IA-1:Bruce Braley(D) LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R) ME-2:Mike Michaud(D) MI-14:Gary Peters(D) MT-0:Steve Daines(R) OK-5:James Lankford(R) PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D) TX-36:Steve Stockman(R) WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) |
Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R) AR-2:Tim Griffin(R) CA-11:George Miller(D) CA-25:Howard McKeon(R) CA-33:Henry Waxman(D) CA-45:John Campbell(R) IA-3:Tom Latham(R) MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R) NC-6:Howard Coble(R) NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D) NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R) NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D) NY-21:Bill Owens(D) PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R) UT-4:Jim Matheson(D) VA-8:Jim Moran(D) VA-10:Frank Wolf(R) | |
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