Politics & Power Quote by Sue Kelly

Respect and praise are the easy verbs; “benefits and medical care” is where the quote stops being ceremonial and starts making a demand.

Sue Kelly’s line reads like a bridge between two political languages: the high-gloss patriotism of honoring veterans and the budget-and-policy reality that follows them home. The first clause (“sacrifices,” “willingness to fight,” “defense of our nation”) is standard civic scripture, designed to gather consensus fast. It’s also a protective wrapper. By foregrounding reverence, Kelly inoculates the argument against the reflexive charge that expanding care is “special treatment” or fiscal indulgence. The subtext is blunt: if we’re comfortable borrowing veterans’ courage for national unity, we can’t suddenly become bean-counters when the bill arrives.

The phrasing “merit our deep respect and praise - and” is the tell. That dash functions like a pivot from pageantry to accountability. She’s not just thanking veterans; she’s calling out the gap between public admiration and institutional follow-through. The final fragment, “to the best in benefits and medical care,” is awkwardly constructed, but politically pointed: “best” isn’t a baseline; it’s an aspiration that implies current provision is insufficient or uneven. It frames care as an extension of service, not a discretionary perk.

Contextually, coming from a politician, the quote signals a familiar legislative posture: align with military esteem (nearly untouchable in American politics) while pushing a concrete agenda item in the same breath. It’s moral leverage, deployed with a velvet glove.