Politics & Government

U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy: Taking Care of Soldiers

We can never do enough to support our troops and their families.

In between the barbecues, beaches and ballgames that many Americans are enjoying this Memorial Day, let’s also honor our brave men and women in uniform here at home and overseas who have made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting for our safety and freedom.

And because the fight for freedom, justice and security never ends, let’s also honor the brave men and women who continue to risk their lives to give us these rights every single day.

There’s the small team of American soldiers who took down this month.  Their courage and capability are truly inspiring and represent the world-class excellence our country can produce.

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There are also the many soldiers from my district, including our National Guard members, volunteering their abilities and their lives whether it’s on the frontlines of war or responding to natural disasters here on domestic soil.

Working behind the scenes every day are hundreds of thousands of Americans applying the best of their abilities in the armed forces, be they soldiers or engineers or analysts or medical professionals.

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Sometimes the work of our servicemen and servicewomen is very close to home.  I’m so proud of my sister Donna, for example, whose recent passing leaves behind not just a loving family here on Long Island and elsewhere but also a loving family in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary where she served for 19 years.

I believe in giving back and in a government that takes care of its soldiers and veterans.  As a Member of Congress, I’ve made fighting for our selfless soldiers and their families a top priority.  This includes helping to:

  • Enact the new post-9/11 GI Bill to restore the promise of a full four-year college education for our new vets coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan and support new legislation to grandfather in many soldiers from my district who would otherwise not qualify for the new bill.
  • Strengthen health care for more than five million vets with an historic commitment for more doctors and nurses and the largest single funding increase in the history of the Veterans Administration.
  • Give tax breaks to small business that hire veterans.
  • Support programs that help returning vets transition to the civilian job market with training and certification programs.

We can never do enough to support our troops and their families, so I fight for provisions like these every day, and will continue to at every turn.

From my family to yours, have a safe and Happy Memorial Day and God Bless America.


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