Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) issued the following statement Thursday commemorating Veterans Day:
“On this Veterans Day, I take the time to thank and honor every American who so bravely and selflessly served wearing our nation’s uniform.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to these men and women, and their families, for their courage and sacrifice to secure our freedoms. Let today renew our commitment to them and let our gratefulness continue to be reflected through our actions.
“Access to good-paying jobs, affordable and quality healthcare, educational opportunity, housing and financial security are all important aspects of our tireless commitment and responsibility to caring for our veterans.
“This session the Assembly invested deeply in the long-term prosperity of New Jersey veterans. We ended the tax on combat pay, expanded the veterans’ property tax exemption, enacted meaningful reforms to better care for those in our veterans’ homes, closed loopholes providing stronger legal protections for veterans in cases of sexual assault, and supported veteran and military families sending their kids to college.
“We recognize the need to keep building and my vision to chart a path forward on hunger, housing, and small business development speaks to the needs of those left most vulnerable within our veterans communities.
“God bless all who served the United States in war or peace, at home and abroad, today and every day.”