Political Quotes

“I thank the good gentleman for all his incredible work as chairman. I know it is difficult and it was the best that we could do, especially with so much opposition on the Senate side. But as a voice and advocate for a district that encompasses frontline communities facing concentrated poverty, growing healthcare costs, decreasing education funding, and continuous assaults on our environment, I could not support and cannot support a bill that provides $738 billion for wars and defense contractors while, this year, we only provided $190 billion in discretionary funding for healthcare, education, antipoverty programs, and workforce development. After the House took action to end U.S. involvement in the war and humanitarian crisis in Yemen, this NDAA fails to include necessary provisions to end the U.S. support for military action in Yemen. This bill also keeps Guantanamo Bay open, provides for new nuclear warheads, and establishes the absurd Space Force. By removing the House's repeal of the Iraq war AUMF, we have also agreed to endless war abroad. By removing language that would have stopped, Madam Speaker, Pentagon spending at Trump hotels and properties, we are authorizing corruption. By removing critical PFAS protections, we have also left our communities at risk. So I am asking my colleagues to please not rubberstamp this annual increase of the world's largest military budget. We can do better.”