During debate on the House floor, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) tore into House Republicans' Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations proposal for FY2025.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you Mr. McGovern for pointing out the importance
00:05 of choosing our leaders wisely and choosing those who would reject
00:09 tyrannical tendencies themselves or to ally themselves with tyrants because
00:16 this reminds me that 250 years ago when the revolutionaries of our American
00:22 soil decided to fight to escape the tyrannical and authoritarian rule of the
00:27 king some pushed back. They were concerned that the people of the
00:31 beautiful experiment we call America would not be able to choose the right
00:36 leader. Samuel Adams believed that virtue was the soul of democracy. He said these
00:44 beautiful words I quote "A moral people will elect moral leaders" and quote "A
00:50 moral people will elect moral leaders." I have incredible faith in our American
00:57 people. I know that they honor and cherish our Constitution. I know that the
01:02 American people will honor the rule of law. Today I will not speak of the 34
01:08 reasons why I know that the American people are moral people and will elect
01:13 moral leaders. Today instead I will speak about the manner in which Americans not
01:20 just cherish virtue, rule of law, and our Constitution. Americans also cherish
01:27 our veterans and our military. The Appropriations Bill the Republicans have
01:32 presented today does not cherish or honor the sacrifices of our service
01:38 members made in battle for this country. Instead it sacrifices our national
01:44 security to industries and lobbyists who don't want us to even acknowledge
01:50 climate change. The Republican speaker last night actually recognized that it
01:55 would be common sense to protect our bases from sea rise and flooding but
02:01 this bill strips funding for climate resilience. They would sacrifice our
02:07 military readiness for climate denialism. This bill is a kitchen sink of culture
02:14 wars rather than one that honors our service members and veterans. Instead of
02:19 focusing on what our military bases need for readiness, Republicans are attacking
02:23 women's health care, promoting discrimination against LGBTQ veterans,
02:28 and denying climate change. This Appropriations Bill will prevent women
02:32 veterans from receiving reproductive health care wherever she may live. If a
02:37 veteran woman's health is at risk during her pregnancy, Republicans don't want her
02:42 to get VA care in the full way that she may need it. If she lives in Texas,
02:47 Alabama, or a state that took away her reproductive health care, she might find
02:52 herself waiting in an emergency room parking lot until she is near death. I've
02:57 made difficult decisions about life-threatening conditions during my
03:02 own pregnancies. I enjoyed the right to make decisions about my health with the
03:10 people I trust and love, my doctors, and my own faith in God. I want every woman
03:15 to have the same right to have access to health care if her health is at risk
03:20 during pregnancy, especially if she is a veteran who has served our country.
03:24 Veterans, all veterans, deserve our respect wherever they live. That respect
03:31 is measured by action. Actions that protect health care access, this bill
03:37 does not show that respect. I urge my colleagues to oppose the rule and I yield
03:42 back.