The publication is reproduced in full below:
CELEBRATING VETERANS
______
HON. PETER MEIJER
of michigan
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Mr. MEIJER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor our nation's veterans and help shine a light on the struggles they continue to face after returning home from their service in uniform. I want to thank my colleague from Michigan for giving us this opportunity to speak here today.
With Veterans Day just around the corner, it is important that all Americans take time to reflect on the sacrifices these courageous men and women, and their families, have made for the United States. This is a solemn occasion when we come together as a country to appreciate the selfless service and celebrate the bravery of these heroes.
I have had many conversations with veterans in my district about the challenges they continue to face once they have returned home. Many have been longstanding for generations: the physical and emotional wounds of combat, obstacles in accessing VA care and benefits, and debilitating health conditions resulting from exposure to burn pits and other toxic hazards.
But recently, there has been an increased call to address other, less talked about challenges, including the mental health impacts of processing what we all witnessed in Afghanistan over the last few months.
I am proud to have joined my colleagues in leading several bipartisan pieces of legislation to help address some of these challenges, but there is much more to be done. We have an urgent moral obligation to take care of the men and women who have served and sacrificed to defend our nation, and I am committed to continuing this crucial work with my colleagues here in Congress.
Today, I want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to all of our nation's veterans, and I encourage all Americans to reach out to veterans in their life and let them know that they are valued and that they are not alone. We will never forget those who have answered the call to serve this country in uniform, and we honor them all here today.
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 192
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