a new mission, training and advising afghan forces are it john dawson was one of them. from massachusetts, he loved the bruins. in april, he gave his life as an army combat medic. the first american to give his life in this commission. this memorial day, we will honor corporal dawson. like generations of years before them, these americans give everything they had, not for glory or gratitude but for something greater than themselves. we cannot bring them back. nor can the ease the pain on their families and friends who live with the loss. the we are the americans they die to defend. what we can do, what we must do is fulfill our obligations to them, just like they have filled there is to us. we have to honor their memory we have to care for their families and our veterans who served with them. as a nation, we have to remain

worthy of their sacrifice. for every committed to the country they love and the freedom they fought for and died for. thank you, and have a wonderful weekend. and makeup is our fallen heroes and their families. rep. thornberry: hello, i am mac thornberry. in my job, i get to spend a lot of time around the men and women who serve our nation. i'm continually in all of their character, their courage, and their dedication to our country. since the beginning, the u.s. has been blessed with outstanding individuals who cared about something bigger than themselves and have fought, and some even died, four american security and freedom. this memorial day, we continue to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of world war ii. the greatest generation took on one of the greatest evils the

world has ever known, defeated it, and came home to build a nation. their achievement came at a heavy price. on memorial day, all of us should take time to remember and to honor those who sacrificed their lives at answering the call of our country. i think we ought to do more than honor the fallen. we have a duty to honor what they fought for. so that in the words of lincoln at gettysburg, we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. the world today is full of turmoil, freedom and decency are still under a soft red isis poses a grave threat to our security and our way of life. nobody knows how to solve all the problems of the world. the one thing we do know for sure, the world is a safer better place when the united states is militarily strong.

a weakened america invites danger. the constitution and dow's congress with responsibilities to help provide for the common defense. 453 years, congresses of both parties have passed and presidents of both parties have signed into law a defense authorization act, which is helped to build that military strength that we need. the house passed this year's bill this week. it gives our troops are raise and eases transition to the ba and it makes sure we get the most value possible for taxpayer dollars. the senate will take up their version soon. the house bill authorized exactly the amount the president requested to keep america safe. but he wants more money for domestic programs and has threatened to veto the defense bill unless he gets it. we are always going to have our

differences, but it is wrong for anybody to play politics with defense. the world is too dangerous and the men and women who serve are too precious for that. we carry a dead to those who have served and especially to those who have fallen to focus just on doing what is right for the country and what is right for our troops. we honor them best by building on their sacrifice to pass along to the next generation a country even stronger, even more prosperous, and even freer than we have enjoyed. of course, nobody put it better than ronald reagan when he said, and we owed them something, we owed them a promise to look at the world with a steady gaze and perhaps a resigned toughness knowing that we have adversaries in the world and challenges and the only way to meet them and maintain the peace is by staying strong.

when this memorial day has passed, there will still be brave americans stationed all over the world to protect us and our way of life. to everybody who wears america's colors, and to everybody who ever has and to their families thank you. announcer: the communicators is next with tj kennedy of firstnet. that is followed by commencement remarks from republican senator tim scott and veterans affairs secretary robert mcdonald at the university of utah. at 8:00, a look at satire and journalism with editorial cartoonists. announcer: c-span. created by america's cable companies 30 years ago.