Speaker Pelosi Remarks at Honoring Our PACT Act Press Event

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined Chairman Mark Takano, Congressman Raul Ruiz, Congresswoman Elaine Luria, Jon Stewart and advocates for veterans to highlight the importance of passing the Honoring Our PACT Act. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Raul. Thank you for your leadership in putting together pieces of this bill as well. You have been a leader on this as a physician, as a patriot, as one who has served our men and women in uniform.

And it's an honor to be here with Elaine Luria, who – Congresswoman Luria, who has served our country so well in uniform, and now she serves in the Congress of the United States for those in uniform and those who have served us. Thank you, Elaine Luria.

I join you in saluting Mark Takano in his leadership in bringing this legislation to the Floor. It's very significant.

Thank you, Jon Stewart for your – wherever you may be – participation in this.

When I was thinking this morning of – I saw you all on TV – I was remembering, this was a long time ago, about 40 years ago. I was with Dick Gregory when we were sitting with veterans who were doing a hunger strike because of Agent Orange. It was in Los Angeles. And Dick Gregory was teaching them how to have a hunger strike and be safe. And again, entertainment – lifting their spirits. And thank you for lifting everyone's spirits and calling attention, as he did, to this chart.

It took us decades to do Agent Orange – we could not let any more time go by before we address this burn pit issue.

I was so excited to see – you know, the most expensive real estate in Washington, D.C.: it's like one inch in the State of the Union address. To just get that piece in there. And the President spent so much time on this important – not issue, value for us.

So again, I want to thank Chief Fritz Mihelcic, Katie Purswell, Shane Liebermann, Jack McManus, Jen Burch and, of course, Jon Stewart. But I also want to thank Paul Rieckhoff, who has been on our case with this for such a while. But again, Mr. Chairman, thank you.

As you all know, our saying when we're dealing with our veterans: on the battlefield, we leave no soldier behind, and when they come home, we leave no veteran behind. But we have, and we can't.

And if there's one point I would like to make here, in addition to saluting our veterans, is to say: this is a cost of war. Don't even talk to us about the price. This is a cost of war that we should recognize when we go. And that is – there should be no question. Because this is going to be – it's not going to be expensive, it's going to be worth it. But it's going to have a big price tag. It's coming down because of the better review we're getting from the Congressional Budget Office. But when it comes up – I don't want anybody bringing up the dollar amount, because what we are looking at is the value of what this does for our country.

And thank you for putting in the Camp Lejeune Justice Act in here. Because this is not just only about our veterans; it's about their families. And when you meet the families and see, generationally, the toll that has taken because of what's in the water – what has been in the water there.

So for these and other reasons, this PACT Act is something that is long overdue.

Just a cause of great excitement, and I salute the President again for making such an issue a focus on it last night so that the American people could have a better understanding of what – the hope this gives people.

Again, I thank you for the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act that took so long for us to make sure that so many other people were covered. Your Chairmanship made that possible, Mr. Chairman.

Today on the Floor, I'll talk about Sergeant Wesley Black: a Purple Heart Hero and advocate for PACT. He died from all of this. He said – and what he said: ‘It's too late for me, but it's not too late for the next veteran who walks down the hall at the VA and goes in and complains about signs and symptoms.' Today, as we pass our Honoring our PACT Act, we honor our duty and we honor the memory of so many for whom it is too late. But also making the case that it's never too late to save the lives of our veterans.

With that, I yield back to the distinguished doctor, Congressman, friend of veterans, Raul Ruiz. Thank you.

[Applause]

***

Speaker Pelosi. I would just say that, around here, sometimes people will say, ‘It's not the price; it's the money.' But we're saying we – it isn't about the money, it's about the value that we will get from this. And I want to associate myself with Jon and John and their remarks completely – Jon – in terms of how we would reject a –

[Laughter]

You know. You got it.

Jon Stewart. I don't know where the swear jar is down here. I'll kick in a twenty.

[Laughter]

Speaker Pelosi. There you go.

[Laughter]

But in any case, what I think – just a little perspective that you all know, but I just want to reinforce. And that is that, on a regular basis, we meet with our Veterans Service Organizations. They tell us what their priorities are. They have a long list, and we – saying prioritize, as you know, and the – they have been on the forefront.

Well, you talked about, even before World War II, the American Legion was looking out for the veterans of World War II – the veterans of World War I – were looking out for –

So when these veterans organizations come in, knowing from their own experience, but also looking to the future, it has weight. It has weight. But all of it is important. But the inside maneuvering we do doesn't count unless we have the outside mobilization, when the American people know. That's why the President bringing it to the forefront was so important, and I had a feeling that he would – so I got up when he started talking. My kids were saying, ‘Mom, why are you – why are we standing up?' I said I just couldn't contain myself.

[Laughter]

I was so excited that this was coming, and I like to stand up for veterans anyway.

But in any case, I do think that when our colleagues on the other side of the building understand the difference between the two pieces of legislation, we will have common ground on it. And let – again – just as Jon said at the end – if we're not willing to pay the price of war, we shouldn't go.

When you were talking about Kandahar, I was thinking – when we went to Kandahar one time, we could barely get in there, it was so dangerous. Another time, we could walk the streets. Little did we know, on both occasions – the danger was there to our troops. Whether it was an intense battle – it was combat or not, the danger was there to our troops.

So for them, their caregivers, for their families, for our country, for who we are and how we respect those who helped make us the ‘Home of the Brave' and ‘Land of the Free' – we've got to get this done. And we're gonna have a big, strong bipartisan vote to do so.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, again.

Chairman Takano. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Speaker Pelosi.Again, thank you, John and Jon. Just understand, with John, he does make – like beautifully – miserably – miserable – by just putting a timeframe into it. Right? Let's just get it done, now. Whether it was helping our 9/11 folks –

[Applause]

John Feal. Why not? Why not? Why wouldn't we get it done right now?

Speaker Pelosi. That's right. Why not? So there we are. It's about time. It's long overdue.

John Feal. Well, if more women were in charge – no offense, Chairman. I think, I truly believe the Speaker has bigger ‘Abraham Lincolns' than most men in this town. And when things need to get done, she makes things move. It's that simple.

Speaker Pelosi. Well, let's thank all of you, and Rosie, thank you.

John Feal. I didn't curse. She cursed. Come on, everyone was wondering if I was gonna curse today.

Speaker Pelosi. Is that a compliment? Should I take that as a compliment?

[Laughter]

John Feal. It was.