WASHINGTON — Today, Speaker Johnson led a bipartisan, all-Member Veterans Day tribute on the House Steps to honor the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans.
“Today, we want to honor all of those who have selflessly stood in defense of our country and all those who have risked their lives so that generations of Americans may live, work, worship and raise their families in peace and security, and we never take that for granted,” Speaker Johnson said. “To these brave heroes, we say the words that none of us can ever say enough: thank you. Thank you for your service to our country.”
Watch Speaker Johnson’s remarks here.
| Below are Speaker Johnson’s remarks as delivered: Good afternoon, everyone. I’m really grateful and proud to be joined by my Republican and Democrat colleagues in the House and many of our newly elected Members, and they’re still coming down the steps here as you can see. We’re all here to pay tribute to America’s veterans, and many of us have participated in several Veterans Day events of course, but we wanted to stand together here, symbolically together on the front steps of the People’s House to pay homage and respect to our veterans. I want to first recognize my friend Chairman Mike Bost over here. He’s the Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Mike is the son, grandson, and nephew of veterans. He’s a father and grandfather to two active-duty Marines and a proud veteran of the Marine Corps himself. Mike has worked tirelessly on behalf of American veterans, and we’re grateful he and so many of our colleagues here today have joined in that effort. I’m surrounded, of course, by many veterans. We’re blessed to be served in the People’s House with so many who have worn the uniform for our nation. I’m standing next to one of my classmates. We’ve been serving together for 10 years now. This is General Jack Bergman, Congressman from Michigan. He’s the highest ranked military officer in the history of the United States Congress, and he is here with me. I’m surrounded by a bunch of Marines, as they keep reminding me, and even Top Gun pilots over here. Navy, I know. Army? Okay. Everybody’s represented. Today, we want to honor all of those who have selflessly stood in defense of our country and all those who have risked their lives so that generations of Americans may live and work and worship and raise their families in peace and security, and we never take that for granted. To these brave heroes, we say the words that none of us can ever say enough: thank you. Thank you for your service to our country. The late Reverend Billy Graham used to share a story about American valor, many years ago, he’s passed now. We just in fact added his statue to the Capitol on behalf of his home state of North Carolina. But many years ago, he visited a veteran’s hospital as he often did. Reverend Graham would go from bed to bed talking and praying with the wounded patients there. And some of these men had lost eyes, lost limbs, lost their good health in service to their country and to all of us, their fellow Americans. And as he told the story at one bedside, Reverend Graham met a man who had fought in World War II and he lost a leg. And when he remarked on the tremendous price he had paid, the veterans said just four words that most of us could scarcely imagine saying after suffering such a sacrifice. He said very simply, “It was worth it, Dr. Graham.” We all know our own hero service members who have said those same things, expressed those same sentiments. It was worth it to serve the greatest nation in the history of the world. Ordinary Americans like this hero have answered the call to serve our country with equal courage and commitment and duty across every generation and at each and every pivotal moment in our nation’s 250-year history. When our freedom and liberty were under threat, they didn’t ask what it would cost them. They simply said the words from scripture in Isaiah 6:8, “Here I am Lord, send me.” Because of their courage and because of their selflessness and sacrifice, we are able to stand here in the greatest nation and enjoy the freedoms that so many around the world can only dream of. We must never forget that. So today at this fateful moment, we can do our part to honor their service by working hard to preserve the blessings of liberty and carry forward the promise and dignity of America that our veterans fought so hard for. We thank them today and always, and we carry with us the admonition of that World War II veteran when he said it was worth it. Ronald Reagan used to remind us that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. He said, “We don’t pass it along in the bloodstream. It must be fought for and protected so that each generation that follows can enjoy the same liberty and opportunity and security that we have known and, and too many people have taken for granted.” There’s no one standing on the steps today of the People’s House that takes that for granted and we are grateful. I’m grateful for all of our colleagues here, for this bipartisan moment of recognition and honor. We give honor where honor is due and we’re happy to do that. God bless you all for being here. God bless the United States of America. Thanks so much. Happy Veterans Day. ### |