Political Quotes

“I rise today as we are voting on the fiscal 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, an essential bill that demonstrates our unwavering commitment to our veterans, military families, and national security. This is a major piece of legislation, totaling $453 billion, that ensures we support those who have worn the uniform and continue building the strongest military in the world. This bill fully funds veterans' medical care, backing up the words we often say on this floor and throughout our districts that we support our veterans and thank them for their service. Let me quickly walk through what is in this bill: $453 billion in total funding, $150 billion in discretionary funding, $300 billion for mandatory programs, $131 billion to fully fund veterans' medical care, $2 billion for military family housing, and over $1.2 billion for Guard and Reserve construction facilities. This supports President Trump's initiative to end veteran homelessness through the Bridging Rental Assistance for Veteran Empowerment program, protects veterans' Second Amendment rights, and invests heavily in general military construction. I proudly represent more than 45,000 veterans in Pennsylvania's Ninth Congressional District. When I include their families, many of whom have served or are preparing to serve, well over 100,000 Pennsylvanians just in my district alone will be directly impacted by what we do today.”