Thank you to all the veterans in our community for your commitment to this country, and your service. When I say thank you for serving America and her people I hope you realize I mean much more than those simple words.

I am saying thank you for making your sense of duty to America above all else. Thank you for the austere life you lived: being shot at, flying over our enemies, sailing across the seas away from your family, missing the most special moments with your family, and your willingness to line a row of Arlington national cemetery alongside the greatest heroes we have ever known.

Your service was selfless and the definition of honorable. In short, thank you for being everything that makes me say, I am proud to be an American.

But words aren’t enough.  We need to put those words into action and give our veterans the proper care that they need and rightfully deserve. And this week, I’m happy to say we made some serious progress: we passed 15 bills to support veterans.