|
Washington, D.C. - The gift of freedom is alive in our schools, churches, businesses and neighborhoods. Our freedom defines us as a nation, as a community, and as individuals. But how often do we stop to reflect on the many blessings of freedom? Veterans Day is a day set aside to remember that we enjoy our way of life because of the courage and sacrifice of our veterans. We also take this opportunity to honor our brave men and women in uniform who are protecting our freedoms around the world. They are the best and brightest this country has to offer.
Our veterans are the reason we have our independence, the reason we have remained one nation, and the reason we can all sleep better at night knowing that we are safer from a terrorist threat.
Nothing we can do or say could ever repay the debt owed to our veterans, but we can resolve to honor them by living our lives in such a way as to be worthy of their sacrifices. Their commitment and dedication to the ideals of democracy has strengthened my commitment, as a Member of Congress, to do what I can on the federal level to ensure that our veterans are not forgotten.
Over the last decade, the veterans’ budget has increased 94 percent and in that same period, the medical care budget has increased by nearly 90 percent. In the past six years alone, the veterans’ budget has increased by $30 billion.
Since I was elected to Congress, I have supported a variety of measures crafted to provide our veterans with better and expanded health benefits, better access to job training and education, and better housing opportunities. We also passed legislation that the President signed into law that prohibits demonstrations at military funerals.
For those troops who are currently serving, we recently passed legislation that provides funding for better protection and updated equipment, as well as a 2.2 percent pay increase for our men and women in uniform.
Here in Southern Ohio, we are known for the pride we take in our members of the military and their families. Our communities pay tribute to our troops and our veterans throughout the year, but especially on Veterans Day, with parades, ceremonies and religious services. To name just a few, in Adams County, Veterans Day is celebrated with a parade and a rally at the courthouse. In Hamilton County, the annual event at the Blue Ash Bicentennial Veterans’ Memorial Park honors hundreds of our area’s veterans each year. In Clermont County, we celebrate each year with a parade down Main Street in Batavia, and in Scioto County, schoolchildren honor our fallen heroes in a special assembly.
We should also take this day to especially remember the young men and their families from our area that have recently paid the ultimate price defending our freedom. It is because of their valor and sacrifices -- and the sacrifices of the brave heroes who went before them -- that we can call our great nation the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”
###
Return to News Center |
