"Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives," founding father John Adams wrote in 1808. This past Memorial Day we paused to remember those who truly took the words of President Adams to heart. For Adams' exhortation to his fellow
“Our obligations to our country never cease…”
By Congresswoman Foxx
“Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives,” founding father John Adams wrote in 1808. This past Memorial Day we paused to remember those who truly took the words of President Adams to heart. For Adams’ exhortation to his fellow patriots rings most true in the lives of those who have fallen defending the freedoms we cherish.
As Americans honored the memory of those who gave their lives in service to their county this Memorial Day, the wise words of Adams were a reminder that though freedom is a timeless cause, it can at times demand a heavy price. That is why those who volunteer in the cause of freedom, risking life and limb, are a rare kind of patriot. Especially at a time when we wage a war against terrorism, these sacrificial servants of freedom deserve not only our respect but also every ounce of support that was promised them when they took their oath of service.
The obligations to our country are binding not only on those who serve in the military but on every citizen. It is therefore my great privilege to work in Congress to help fulfill our national obligations to our military men and women. Ensuring that Washington keeps its word to our troops and delivers the promised benefits to our military men and women is one of the highest callings of my Congressional service.
On Memorial Day of 2006 the HERO Act (H.R. 1499), a bill I introduced that allows members of the military in combat zones to invest in Individual Retirement Accounts, became law. This legislation was the culmination of a long effort to ensure that our troops are taken care of in both big and small ways.
The idea for the bill came from a constituent who thought that anyone fighting on the front lines should be able to use their combat pay to save for retirement. I agreed completely with such a common sense proposal and immediately began the process of shepherding a bill through Congress to make this proposal law.
According to the Congressional Research Service, two years after the HERO Act was signed into law, more than 1.5 million members of our military have been eligible to take advantage of this new retirement savings opportunity. This is thanks to the commonsense idea of one constituent who was looking out for the brave men and women who serve in our armed forces.
The HERO Act is one small piece of a larger effort to look after our troops. Providing them proper funding, healthcare and family support, without political strings attached, is a crucial part of helping them succeed. But equally important is the message we send them as we gather to remember their fallen comrades in arms each Memorial Day: “you are not forgotten and you will not be forgotten.”
There is no shortage of ways that we can continue to improve and reform the “Washington-way” of caring for our nation’s military men and women. The HERO Act represents one step towards making their lives better. And if one thing always proves true, it’s that the wisdom of the people trumps the wisdom of Washington. The commonsense wisdom of average constituents is a powerful thing. I hope we can continue to harness that wisdom to make the lives of our troops better, one piece of legislation at a time.
Editor’s Note: Virginia Foxx is a United States Representative from North Carolina’s Fifth Congressional District. You may contact her office toll free at 1-866-677-8968 or e-mail her from her web site, www.foxx.house.gov.
