WASHINGTON – Today U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) spoke on the Senate floor in support of Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s (D-IL) resolution honoring the sacrifice of military servicemembers, veterans, and Gold Star families following reports that President Trump has repeatedly disparaged their service to our country.

In a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Sen. Warner said, “I rise today to express my support for Senator Duckworth’s resolution, honoring the service and sacrifice of members of the US Armed Forces and our veterans. The resolution rightly criticizes President Trump for a series of statements and actions, which have denigrated our men and women in uniform, our veterans and our institutions. Service and sacrifice run deep among my constituents in the Commonwealth of Virginia. With 130,000 active duty members living in Virginia, the Commonwealth has one of the highest populations of military personnel in the nation. And Virginia is home to more than 700,000 veterans – men and women who have displayed the highest level of selfless service while defending this country, who have endured hardship, and who have put country above self.”

He continued: “Remember how President Trump ridiculed the Gold Star parents of Army Captain Humayun Kahn, who died in June 2004 from an IED in Iraq. Or his comments, questioning whether Senator John McCain should be called a hero. And his recent comments that our top officials at DoD want to continue fighting wars to make defense contractors happy. Whether it’s pardoning and excusing those in uniform who commit war crimes, or not standing up to President Putin in defense of our troops when reports emerge that bounties have been offered for killing members of the Armed Forces. Whether it’s deploying our military in response to peaceful protests, threatening to politicize and divide our military from civilian society, the President is on the wrong side of honoring our servicemembers. These actions and statements are an affront to everyone who serves or has served. They are unacceptable and unpresidential.”

In 2018, Sen. Warner and Sen. Tim Kaine successfully pushed a bill into law that renamed a Charlottesville post office as the “Captain Humayun Khan Post Office.” U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan, a graduate of the University of Virginia, was born on September 9, 1976, and died on June 8, 2004, while in service to his country during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was killed by an improvised explosive device outside of his base in Baqubah, Iraq. His efforts that morning saved the lives of more than one hundred soldiers.

The full text of Sen. Warner’s remarks as prepared for delivery appears below:  

I rise today to express my support for Senator Duckworth’s resolution, honoring the service and sacrifice of members of the US Armed Forces and our veterans. 

The resolution rightly criticizes President Trump for a series of statements and actions, which have denigrated our men and women in uniform, our veterans and our institutions.    

Service and sacrifice run deep among my constituents in the Commonwealth of Virginia. With 130,000 active duty members living in Virginia, the Commonwealth has one of the highest populations of military personnel in the nation.     

And Virginia is home to more than 700,000 veterans – men and women who have displayed the highest level of selfless service while defending this country, who have endured hardship, and who have put country above self.  

I am proud to call these American heroes my constituents, as well as my neighbors.  And I am humbled to represent and serve them in Congress. I am thankful to them for protecting this great country.  

President Trump, again and again, has made disrespectful remarks about servicemembers, veterans and military leaders despite being Commander in Chief.   His name-calling and disdain for the value of service is divisive, dangerous and frankly, appalling. 

Remember how President Trump ridiculed the Gold Star parents of Army Captain Humayun Kahn, who died in June 2004 from an IED in Iraq.  Or his comments, questioning whether Senator John McCain should be called a hero. And his recent comments that our top officials at DoD want to continue fighting wars to make defense contractors happy.

Whether it’s pardoning and excusing those in uniform who commit war crimes, or not standing up to President Putin in defense of our troops when reports emerge that bounties have been offered for killing members of the Armed Forces.  

Whether it’s deploying our military in response to peaceful protests, threatening to politicize and divide our military from civilian society… 

The President is on the wrong side of honoring our servicemembers.

These actions and statements are an affront to everyone who serves or has served.  They are unacceptable and unpresidential.

Let us stay focused on what matters in this country. Let’s stay united. We need to ensure we are expressing, each and every day, how thankful we are to those who serve for protecting the freedoms we hold dear.

I thank Senator Duckworth for the introduction of this resolution, and more so, I thank her for her dedicated and exemplary military service to our country.

It is my hope that my colleagues in the Senate will recognize the mistakes made by our Commander in Chief when addressing the heroes of our military and our nation’s veterans. 

Thank you. I yield back. 

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