Today, Representative Yvette D. Clarke issued the following statement in celebration of the Memorial Day Holiday:

“This Memorial Day, let us all take the time to recognize all of the men and women who have sacrificed their lives in battle to protect our nation and the values we hold so dear. This Memorial Day, I encourage all residents to take the time to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. 
“And as we honor the fallen, let us not forget those who currently serve in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world.  I am extremely proud of the 4,875 men and women who are currently in active duty, National Guard and the Reserves from the 11th Congressional District of New York, and salute the 913,000 veterans of New York.  I applaud President Obama for keeping his commitment to ending the war in Iraq and I look forward to the responsible withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. 

“As a nation, we made a collective commitment to the members in the armed services that we would take care of them upon their return from their tremendous service to our nation. It is important that we continue creating an economic environment conducive to the hiring of our veterans.  In the 111th Congress, I supported legislation that extended the new GI Bill education benefits to veterans seeking vocational and on-the-job training, which includes; members of the National Guard and veterans taking advantage of online education and distance learning.

“As a member of the House Small Business Committee, it was also an honor to host a Veterans’ Small Business Forum last year during the 112th Congress.  This event helped connect veteran-owned small businesses in Brooklyn to the resources they needed to bolster their enterprises.  Know that I will continue to fight for the resources that our veterans and their families need to prosper.  These brave individuals truly represent some of the best our nation has to offer and the courage and bravery that they exemplify must not go unrecognized and unrewarded.”

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