Military families they are speaking to make, and what its like to be one of them. And so they speak obviously from their own personal experience. And, you know, we will tune in when the president starts speaking about what message he wants to send this memorial day. We know this has long been something that the first lady has made a priority. She, even as second lady, during the obama administration, working with the former first Lady Michelle obama, made working with and supporting military families a priority, a project that they made sure stayed at the forefront of the administration. And thats something they are continuing to do memorial day weekend. Lets listen flou to the first lady, dr. Jill biden. And we must do everything we can to help them carry the weight of their grief, and always, always honor their service. Ten years ago first Lady Michelle obama and i created joining joining forces. And this work continues to be one of my Top Priorities today. We are going to make sure that our military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors have what they what you need to survive. Our military is a Community Bound together by love, love for our country, love the men and women who serve beside you or the Service Members in your life. And love for the communities that you all have built together. Its time that our nation matches that devotion. May God Bless You all, our troops and their families. And now im excited to welcome our next speaker, brittany bean. In addition to being a mom of three, a veteran herself and a fellow teacher, brittany has navigated much of this pandemic while her husband, major Nathaniel Bean is deployed to afghanistan. With brittanys service, this is their familys seventh combined deployment. Brittany, like so many moms, i know that you are the rock of your family. Okay. Weve been listening to the First Lady Jill Biden speak to other military families. She herself one of them. Talking about all the shared sacrifice that families make we will tune back in to Joint Base Langlois as soon as the president starts speaking. All right. Lets move to the big vote today, republicans are going to wlok the bill to create a commission to find the truth what happened at the u. S. Capitol january 6th. 554 to 35. I think we have the faces and names of the republicans voted for the commission. Six Susanne Collins with lisa murkowski. Mitt Romney Ben Sasse and rob portman voted for moving forward with the commission. Ten votes were needed to create the Bipartisan Commission, though. Yes, and it also should be noted. Fear or feelty to donald trump, the republican minority prevented the American People from getting the full truth about january th. The republican minority prevented the senate from debating the bill. This vote made it official. Donald trump ace big lie has now fully enveloped the Republican Party. Shame on the Republican Party for trying to sweep the horrors of the day under the drug because they are afraid of donald trump. Cnn chief Congressional Correspondent manu raju following this. As victor said six senators voted in favor of getting information, finding the truth. Nine senators did not vote at all. How did they explain that. Nine republican senators didnt vote. Two democratic snorps didnt vote. They were reaching out to offices. We have gotten explanations others have not gotten back to us as of course the beginning of the holiday weekend. There is a recess next week and some may have decided their vote wouldnt have made a difference at the end of the day and left town. One republican senator actually who left would have voted for this. Pat toomey of pennsylvania, one of the seven voting to convict donald trump at his Impeachment Trial. And the second Impeachment Trial his office said he had a Family Commitment and couldnt attend but he would have voted to move forward. The two Democratic Senators who were not there patti murray of wanting state and also Kirsten Sinema of arizona. Both would have been likely yes votes. That would have still been short of the 60. I asked senator Chuck Schumer about the next steps here but also about the two Democratic Senators who skipped and his reaction to that. You said that youre open to a select committee in the house. Would you encourage your chairman in the senate to investigate this, number one . And number two two members of your caucus skipped todays vote. Is that okay with you given how important a vote this was . Okay im not getting into individual members of our caucus. We always made sure wed have enough votes on all issues. On the first issue, i have a lot of faith already, Senator Klobuchar and peters are looking extensively what went on january 6th. I have faith in what theyre doing. Theyre working together and occasionally reach out to other committees like intelligence where they need expertise there too. So he was talking about an investigation that is happening already in the Senate Rules Committee and Senate Homeland security committee. They have a report expected to come out first week of june looking at security on the Capitol On January 6th that day. He wouldnt talk about Additional Investigation that is might be reached. I tried to press on that but he wouldnt answer. He did express support for a house led select Committee Going forward. He said better to investigate than not at all. And the democrats in the house are keeping that option open. Expect that to be the next step here. Necked have a vote, set up the select committee. But democrats are on the committee which would be differenten than the outside Commission Split 50 50. Thank you very much for that Breaking News on capitol hill. Meanwhile we want to bring you back to President Biden speaking at Joint Base Langlois in houston. Around the world. And you are simply stated you are the back bone of the country. Youre the back bone of the country. And although our son beau was the Attorney General of the state of delaware, and had spent nine months in kosovo as assistant u. S. Attorney trying to set up their criminal Justice System and i might say i can do this with the military. Im going to brag about him a little bit. He is the only foreigner to have a War Memory Yam erected to him in kosovo just below ft. Bonsdale and the first highway they built named at joseph r. Beau biden memorial highway. He was proud as hell of his work. But then he had contracted an exposure to a virus in when he was in kosovo and in turkey as a civilian. And he came back with a problem. But he kept going to walter reed. I couldnt understand why. They finally found that prevented him from having what they call bamboo spine. But he kept going back. I couldnt understand why. I thought i knew why. But he went back because he was trying to get an exemption to be able to join the United States army. He was a sitting Attorney General. As all my colleagues governor and bobby scott, and congresswoman, they all know, is that when you do that he joined the National Guard. And his unit deployed. And he wanted to deploy to iraq with them. So he literally had to give up his seat temporarily. He couldnt have any Business Done as you National Guard folks know. You cant do any business with the state if in fact youre now federal property. And so he gave up the seat. And had the courage to appoint a fellow who had been the Republican Attorney general as Attorney General while he while he went. The proudest thing he ever did. The proudest thing he ever did. And he spent a year in iraq. And it was it was one of the great honors of his life to do it. He won the bronze star the Conspicuous Service award like many of you have. But he never talked about it. I remember we had an event at the white house. I shouldnt be talking so much about my son but im not going to apologize for it. We had an even for iraqi veterans at the white house. And the president without telling me and jill invited beau to be there with another 75 soldiers and sailors and airmen. But he wouldnt wear any decorations. And the general called him and said put put them on now. Swear to god. Without of the vp residence he wouldnt wear them until then. Thats the first time i saw the bronze star on him. When im telling you that, he is like a lot of you. You do your duty. You dont expect anything for it except get a little respect. You deserve so much more. You deserve so much more. And, you know, im honored to be joined today by Governor Northam and by two great represent he was of the commonwealth, Congresswoman Lori and congressman scott. And i want to thank thank you for all you do to represent these service veterans, because they are devoted to you. Their family members, caregivers, survivors, all call virginia home. Im especially honored to share the stage with brittany and jared and nathan and margaret kathryn. I love those barrettes in her hair, man. Look at her looks like she is 19 years old like a little lady with her legs crossed. Brittany you are doing triple duty as a veterans, Military Spouse and teacher. And, kids, thank you for being there for your mom. I can remember all those times when all of you remember the spouses when your husband or wife were deployed. Every morning you wake up, you say the little extra prayer drinking your coffee. You spend a little more time wondering. And, you know, you make up 1 of the population defending 99 of the rest of us. And we owe you. But you do your job so gracefully. You hardly ever say anything about what youre doing. But it matters. It matters to your families for that time were sitting across from an empty Charity Kitchen table, the dining room table, those birthdays or christmases, or holidays where theyre gone. You know, there is a famous english poet who said they also serve who only stand and wait. Also serve who only stand and wait. I know major bean, having been deployed to afghanistan during the pandemic has only made everything much harder during the pandemic. I want to thank you so much, your entire familys service to our country. Youre all incredible. You so underestimate how important you are. There is nothing that jill and i enjoy more than spending time with our troops here and abroad. Youre stationed here in the United States or deployed around the world, ive been in and out of iraq and afghanistan over 20 i think 25 times. And ive seen i wish everyone could see what you do when youre there. I wish they could see every day how you saddle up, jump in that cockpit, just see no, youre just doing your job. Not to mention all the troops ive had to chance to visit in the middle east, europe and indopacific recently. Weve traveled all over. Jill traveled all over with me on her own visits to Service Members in iraq. I think she is the only second layer lady to ever go into a middle of a war zone because she wanted to be there and see it. I always want you to know, always, that the issues you and your family are facing we need to know how we can support you better. I mean it sincerely from the bottom of my heart, support you better. There is a reason for that. And i said, we bidens are proud to have family in the military. And our son beaus service was among the achievements as i said, he was most proud of. My heart swelled seeing him in uniform. When i went into iraq, i was there for five times when he was in baghdad. And i i remember first time i saw him he had his name was hurn. He said what in the hell happened . He said i didnt want anybody giving me special privileges because my department is vicepresident. He got special perming to have a different name tag. I listened to him talk about the needs people had when he got back home. About all the folks he served with who came back with post traumatic stress. And he was back being Attorney General having to deal with it. But here is the point. You do so much. And you ask for so little. You know, our experience is a fraction of what so many of you and your families have gone through. A family like brittany and her kids. Youre the absolute best america has to offer. Our heart, our honor, your solid steel spine. My message to all of you is quite simple. Thank you. Thank you. Not thank you for your service. Just thank you for who you are. Because its contagious. Thank you for choosing the Selfless Service to your country. I know we have mostly soldiers and airmen in attendance today. But there can be a lot of friendry rivalries on a base. Each branch has its own Proud Cherished tradition and culture. I know how proud langlois is of the premier f22 raptor wing. I asked. Im the Commander In Chief why the hell cant i command you go up in one. But i cant. Ft. Ustes primarily used by the navy all about as joint as it can possibly get. Every day more than 20,000 member of the air force and army with civilian and earn personnel come to work with a shared mission no matter which branch of our armed forces you represent. Youre part of the greatest Fighting Force in the history of the world. Thats not hyperbole. The greatest Fighting Force in the history of the world. Youre integral to the most powerful nation in the world. Theres been no army, navy or air force ever like you or marines. Mere at joint Base Langlois Ustes you enable the success of our mission around the world. You provide intelligence support and air power. You ensure our soldiers and airmen are ready, trained to deploy in the cocoms around the world. Including this year adhering to covid19 Safety Protocols and quarantines before troops ship out in order to minimize spread of the virus. I know that many of you deployed yourselves probably more than once. Over the past 20 years our Volunteer Force and our military families have made incredible sacrifices in this country. Early in my term as vicepresident i traveled overseas id meet servicemen and women who deployed the fourth, fifth, sixth time. Remember going into baghdad you had to fly in wed do the circular deals we wouldnt get shot at or wouldnt get hit. I walked up in the cockpit of a Silver Bullet they had me in. I asked there were five people in the cockpit, looked master as well. How many of this is your first tour . Nobody raised their hand how many second tour in nobody raised their hand. Third tour. Two raised their hand. Fourth tour, two raised their hand. Fifth tour, one raised their hand. No other war have you gone in, served, got back up again and go back again, and again, and again. Once. Once. Wiping the blood off the seat of a humvee is enough to get you focused. But to saddle up next time and go back, and back again, youre incredible. Youre incredible. The country, they owe you. And this time they are more appreciative. In my generation you didnt come home and get off the airplane in a uniform in an airport come back from vietnam people treated with you respect but they have no idea the sacrifices you make in theater. As we bring we get close to bringing down the longest war drawdown in american history, the troop presence in afghanistan. I want to recognize the significance of what all of you, the United States armed forces accomplished in the past 20 years. You went to a afghanistan with a clare purpose to get the people that attacked us in 9 11 and prevent algd using it as a base to attack america in the future. We achieved that. You achieved that. Year after year deployment after deployment america pursued the Terrorist Threat through some of the most unforgiving terrain on the planet. I have now had the pleasure from the fobs up in the konar valley down south looking at all the poppy fields, and all in between. Its one god for saken landscape, but you all just showed up and did your job, and to help make sure there hasnt been another attack from afghanistan for the last 20 years. You never gave up until we delivered justice to osalma bin laden. I got criticized after 9 11 for saying well follow the Son Of A Bitch to The Gates Of Hell thats exactly what you did. You got him. And now as we draw down were also focusing on the urgent work of rebuilding over the horizon capabilities allowing us to take after algd if they return to afghanis