SPRINGFIELD – Members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus took a moment during the legislative session Wednesday to honor and recognize veterans just days after Veterans Day.

The caucus proudly includes three members who served in the military: Senators Michael E. Hastings (Army), Mike Porfirio (Navy and Current Navy Reserve), and Mark Walker (Army) – all who thanked their fellow veterans and reflected on their own experiences while serving.

“As a veteran myself, we must share our experience and our stories,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “We must teach young people how important service and patriotism is. We must do more in the legislature to support our veterans after returning home. We have the power and we must use Veterans Day as a reminder that freedom isn’t free.”

Members also spoke about the importance of educating the younger generation about the importance of veterans and emphasized the importance of never giving up on passing meaningful legislation to support our troops.

“We must honor veterans because they honor us,” said Walker (D-Arlington Heights). “We can depend on the military to protect us, therefore we must protect them. In the service, we learned that we live as a team and we die as a team. It is the same in this chamber. We are a team and we must protect our country, constitution, troops, and leave nobody behind. If we can do those things together, we can honor our veterans with dignity.”

They also highlighted the seriousness of veteran’s suicide epidemic which claims an estimated 17 lives per a day. The Illinois Senate is working to improve mental health resources for veterans facing challenges related to their service and transitioning to life at home. “Veterans suicide is a national emergency. Illinois must be a national leader in that crisis. The America we know has survived due to our veterans sacrifices,” said Porfiorio (D-Lyons Township). “We must continue to honor and serve our veterans. We must continue to push for full funding for veteran grants. We must put aside our differences in order to help our veterans in this state.”

Members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus vow to prioritize and uplift veterans across the state – both during Veterans Day and beyond.