Political Quotes

“I really wish I could say that caring for our veterans is a bipartisan issue, something we all agree on. Instead, for the first time in years, the appropriations for military construction and VA will not be bipartisan because my colleagues across the aisle have not put veterans first. Instead, they have tacked onto their VA bill a kitchen sink of culture wars. H.R. 4366 would trample on our veterans' freedoms, slash access to reproductive care, and slash access to gender-affirming care. It would prohibit training that helps people from different backgrounds work together that addresses the inequalities that still exist in our military. It would allow homophobia to run rampant. This legislation makes our VA facilities less welcoming for the thousands of diverse New Mexicans who receive care there. Every homeowner knows it is better to fix a leaking roof right away because if not, it is going to be really expensive. Yet, this bill cuts $1.5 billion from military construction. Our military housing and health clinics are leaking, but these cuts will cost us so much more in the future. We must do more than just thank our veterans for their service. We can't just use words. We must actually back it up with resources. When Democrats led the House, we passed the Honoring our PACT Act to expand healthcare coverage and compensate veterans exposed to toxic substances, which 174 Republicans voted against.…”