On the recordDecember 4, 2023
Madam President, I wanted to say a few words about the $106 billion emergency foreign aid supplemental bill that may soon be coming before us. And I should be clear that there are a number of pieces of that bill that I strongly support, but in its present form, I do not think it serves the interests of the American people. Let me say a few words as to why. First, while I strongly support Ukraine's valiant efforts to defend itself against Putin's invasion and Israel's need to defend itself against incoming rocket and missile attacks, I am deeply concerned that this legislation has no investments to address the needs of working families in the United States, 60 percent of whom are living paycheck to paycheck. So let us be clear: Yes, there are enormous emergencies abroad, but there are also very serious emergencies in our own country, including the crises we face in childcare, in primary healthcare, housing, and in other needs. The American people do not want us to continue to ignore these issues. Secondly, at a time when Congress will likely soon pass a $900 billion Defense bill, this supplemental bill includes tens of billions that should be covered as part of the base defense budget and handled through normal appropriations, not allocated as emergency spending. We can save tens of billions of dollars in this bill and dedicate that money to some of the horrendous domestic crises that we face.…
Source
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