Each year on the last Monday in May, our country comes together to remember those who sacrificed in the name of freedom. Our debt to them is immeasurable. Thanks to the unsurpassed courage of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines and their families through all military encounters, our country stands boldly, shines brightly, and lives free.

We must reflect, prayerfully, that on this Memorial Day, we continue to be engaged in hostilities, and young men and women in uniform continue to pay the ultimate price in service to the nation. Nearly 2,500 American military personnel have been killed in Iraq; yet there is no viable plan to withdraw the troops still stationed there. While we all stand in solidarity with the grieving family members, we must also reaffirm our commitment to be good stewards of their sacrifice.

As we honor the fallen this Memorial Day, we must firmly resolve to keep our promises to those still with us. Let us support and pay tribute to our troops currently serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the globe, who are the veterans of tomorrow.

In 1944, Congress enacted the original GI Bill of Rights to honor the Greatest Generation by providing our returning troops with educational benefits, loans to buy a home, and medical assistance. In each major military conflict since, we have honored the service of our soldiers through an improved GI bill. The U.S. government must once again fulfill our moral obligation to those who have fought for freedom and democracy.

In support of those who have answered the call to duty, and to assume that they will be able to rely on the promises of the nation for which they fought, Democrats have introduced legislation that will assist America's 24 million veterans. The comprehensive New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century will strengthen benefits for our men and women in uniform today, and it will provide long overdue benefits for the veterans and military retirees who have already served. For those returning from the front lines - 18,000 troops have been wounded in Iraq alone - we are continuing our efforts to invest adequately in veterans' health care. Our New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century focuses on improving veterans' health care, including mental health care, to meet the needs of our returning troops. More than 30,000 veterans are waiting in line for their first appointment with the Veterans Administration (VA), and that problem will only worsen with the growing numbers of returning service men and women.

Regrettably, the Republicans' five-year budget bill, approved on May 18, cuts veterans health care by $6 billion - even though more than 144,000 troops who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan have sought health care with the VA. Democrats are working to provide an additional $1.8 billion to meet the demand for current services and adjust for medical cost inflation this year, and we will work to ensure that the VA is adequately funded to ease the waiting periods for veterans seeking health care services. Because of the efforts of House Democrats last year, Republicans were forced to acknowledge that funding for veterans' health had a shortfall of nearly $3 billion.

The New GI Bill of Rights also puts an end to the Military Families Tax. The Military Families Tax unfairly penalizes 60,000 survivors, most of them widows, of those who have died as a result of service-connected injuries. This unfair tax reduces their military survivor benefits by the amount of their VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits - a deduction of $1033 per month. Those who have sacrificed so much should receive all of their promised benefits, but House Republicans recently rejected efforts to eliminate the tax, so we are taking extraordinary efforts to force action to end this injustice.

On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind. Let us honor their service with a New GI Bill of Rights worthy of our grateful nation. No other group of Americans has stood stronger and braver for our democracy than those who serve in the military. We must celebrate, honor, and remember these courageous and faithful men and women by ending these unfair taxes on military families and disabled military retirees, and improving veterans' health care to keep up with our returning troops.

Those who serve, have served, and have sacrificed in our military demonstrate a profound example of commitment and love for our nation. We must return to them all they have given. Our commitment must be one of action and not just words for our military families, veterans and military retirees. That is our moral obligation as we honor those who have fallen on this Memorial Day.

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