Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, House Republicans' ineffectual and outright wrong economic policies are bringing our country to the brink of default and opening the door to crippling financial hardships for America's working families.

In addition to catapulting our Nation into economic instability, the House Republican default on America bill will cause unemployment to double, the stock market to crash, and mortgage and student loan rates to skyrocket.

The Republican budget cuts vital funding to schools, forces communities to lay off thousands of first responders, and increases housing costs.

Rather than discuss the budget in good faith, Republicans are intent on holding the full faith and credit of the United States hostage.

Under the guise of responsible spending, Republicans are destroying our economy and putting the lives and livelihood of millions of Americans at risk in the process.

House Democrats stand united in working for the people and building an economy that lowers costs, creates good-paying jobs, and makes communities safer.

Mr. Speaker, the number one cause of death for children in America is gun violence. Yet, instead of making our schools safer and creating environments for children to thrive, House Republicans are focusing their attention on harmful political rhetoric.

Today's passage of H.R. 5 politicizes classrooms and facilitates the censorship of American stories, American experiences, and factual American history.

To unreasonably limit the scope of our children's knowledge and to dilute their critical thinking abilities is an immense disservice to America's children and to our country's future.

Instead of solving real problems, House Republicans are simply trying to distract the American people with divisive political stunts and empty culture wars.

I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to work with House Democrats to pass legislation that will actually help America's children, not exploit them to further divide Americans for political gain.

Mr. Speaker, while working families are facing economic challenges, House Republicans continue to prioritize political stunts.

This week, Republicans have taken to the House floor to support efforts that disseminate extreme MAGA conspiracy theories and encourage the spread of foreign propaganda and harmful online content that undermine our democracy.

House Republicans are also using committee hearings to dehumanize the LGBTQ community--promoting hateful and dangerous rhetoric.

House Democrats will always put people over politics, and we continue to work to build on the economic gains we have made over the last 2 years.

House Democrats continue to work to lower costs and invest in America--all while reducing the Federal deficit.

It is past time for House Republicans to stop playing the politics of demonization and work for the American people and work for their interests.

Mr. Speaker, as President Biden laid out at the State of the Union, House Democrats and the Biden administration have delivered for the American people.

Because House Democrats put people over politics, our economy saw the creation of more than 12 million new jobs in the past 2 years.

We enacted landmark legislation that made historic investments in infrastructure and lowered costs for America's working families, all while decreasing the deficit by more than $1.7 trillion.

We are rebuilding our economy and American pride by reigniting the spirit of American manufacturing and industrial strength.

As Members of Congress, we have a responsibility to strengthen the middle class, fix our crumbling infrastructure, safeguard Social Security and Medicare, protect reproductive freedom, uphold our promise to our Nation's veterans, and create a fair economy that works for all Americans.

House Democrats are committed to finishing the job and continuing to work and deliver for the people.

Mr. Speaker, this week marks the 83rd anniversary of the first Social Security check being issued. Since then, Democrats have worked to protect and strengthen Social Security, which has kept seniors from poverty and helped ensure a secure economic future for working Americans.

This year, Social Security beneficiaries received an 8.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment, the largest increase in decades.

While 70 million Americans are benefiting from this increase today, Republicans are working hard to slash Social Security and Medicare. To add further insult to injury, the Republican economic scheme includes a 30 percent sales tax that will impact every American family.

Our children, our families, and our seniors do not deserve to carry the undue financial burden of Republican tax breaks for large corporations and billionaires.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to realign their priorities and start working for the people.

Mr. Speaker, how are House Republicans working for America's working families struggling to make ends meet?

By pursuing an economic scheme that raises their taxes and increases their everyday costs.

The very first bill that House Republicans passed was a break for tax cheats that also benefited large corporations and billionaires while adding $114 billion to the deficit.

Last time Republicans controlled the House, they enacted a $2 trillion tax cut for the 1 percent and big corporations. All the while, House Democrats continue to work to hold large corporations accountable and ensure they are paying their fair share.

We are working to strengthen the middle class by creating good-paying jobs, lowering middle-class taxes, and protecting Social Security and Medicare because we understand that a strong middle class is essential to a strong economy, to a strong democracy, and to a strong America.

Mr. Speaker, last week, House Republicans sadly displayed their incoherent and chaotic approach toward governing in this country.

But when it comes to ripping away the reproductive rights and freedoms of women across the country, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have never been more united.

Despite the many immediate challenges facing our country, their priority was to criminalize abortion care and to put the health of women at risk.

The party that claims they want government out of our lives could not move more quickly to put the government and politicians in charge of one of the most personal decisions a woman can ever make.

Listening to my colleagues pontificate about the sanctity of life while attempting to take away life-saving healthcare for millions of women is appalling.

I am proud to stand with House Democrats to continue to fight for reproductive freedom and reproductive justice and the right to abortion across the United States.

Mr. Speaker, this summer the Supreme Court issued the Dobbs decision, a direct assault on the right to safe and legal abortion.

In a disturbing concurrence to an already dangerous decision, Justice Clarence Thomas attacked Obergefell v. Hodges, which underpins the right to marriage equality.

With the right to marry potentially at risk, House Democrats put people over politics and took action to protect marriage equality for all Americans.

The Respect for Marriage Act prevents right-wing extremists from overturning legal precedent and ensures statutory protections for same- sex and interracial marriages across the country.

While extremist Republicans continue their path to destroy American freedom and challenge the legitimacy of LGBTQ families, Democrats are protecting American people's right to marry who they love.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this crucial bill to safeguard same-sex and interracial marriages, and I look forward to seeing President Biden sign this bill into law to protect and respect the right to marriage equality across our country.

Madam Speaker, there is perhaps no greater threat to our future than the climate crisis.

House Democrats understand the severity of this existential threat and the harm it poses to the American people, our health, our national security, and our economic prosperity.

That is why House Democrats have championed comprehensive and sustainable investments in a clean energy future. Our efforts were relentless to secure passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes historic investments in climate action. By investing in smart policies for clean, secure American energy production, this law makes monumental strides in fighting the climate crisis, all while creating millions of good-paying jobs.

While congressional Republicans remain occupied with lining the pockets of Big Oil, global corporations that saw record profits while Americans struggled to make ends meet, Democrats remain steadfast in putting people over politics as we continue to work to protect our planet and a strong, prosperous future for working families.

Madam Speaker, from day one, House Democrats have worked for the people and passed historic legislation to address the challenges facing our country, and clearly, the American people resoundingly supported our efforts.

Democrats passed the CHIPS and Science Act that makes significant investments in American manufacturing, which is the backbone of our economy and drives job creation.

Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act to lower costs at the pharmacy counter, in the grocery aisles, and at the gas pump. This landmark legislation also delivers the most significant action on climate in history, while reducing the deficit.

Democrats passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to fix our roads and public transit systems. This is one of the largest Federal investments in our Nation's infrastructure and is laying the foundation for strong economic growth by creating millions of good- paying jobs.

While congressional Republicans play politics at the expense of our democracy, Democrats remain steadfast in putting people over politics, and we will continue to deliver transformational investments for America's working families.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman of the committee and the ranking member for being so supportive of this bill. I also thank Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer, and every member of the California delegation, for their support.

As the chair and ranking member mentioned, my bill, H.R. 7698, will name the new VA outpatient clinic in Ventura County after Captain Rosemary Bryant Mariner.

This new VA clinic has been a long time in the making. Since I was elected to Congress, I have been working to expand VA services in Ventura County to ensure that our veterans have access to the timely and quality care that they have earned and deserve.

When I first came to Congress, it was clear that Ventura County veterans were being deeply underserved by the undersized and understaffed local VA clinic, so I immediately set out to work to correct the situation.

While I was able to secure improvements to the facility that existed, it

was clear that the large veteran population in our region needed a much larger facility and one run by VA personnel, personnel that understood them and understood their experiences. That was critically important.

Although the road to passing legislation to authorize a new facility was long, in 2017, my legislation was signed into law. This new clinic will be better equipped to deliver high-quality healthcare to a growing community of veterans living in Ventura County and in the area.

Importantly, the new clinic will have VA personnel and will offer expanded services and more specialty care, like dental care, physical therapy, rehabilitation services, optometry, audiology, podiatry, cardiology, and other services.

Getting the new facility open has been my highest priority in Congress, and I am very, very excited that it will be opening next Tuesday, September 27.

I am very grateful for the work of all the dedicated VA personnel in our region, who have been laser focused on getting this new facility opened and hiring all the necessary staff it needs.

Already, the reviews from local veterans who have toured the new facility have been very positive. I am hopeful that as veterans begin to get care at the facility, it will be truly transformative in their lives.

As chair of the Women Veterans Task Force, I am also especially pleased that the new clinic will be one of the first VA clinics in the country, and the very first in the greater Los Angeles area, with a women-only entrance.

Since the Revolutionary War, millions of women have served in the Armed Forces of the United States. However, when they leave the military, they are often invisible, and far too many women leave military service with the scars of military sexual trauma. The women- only entrance will ensure that our women veterans can feel safe and welcomed and, hopefully, never feel discouraged from seeking the care they need.

While opening this clinic has been my highest priority, I also believe that naming the clinic will provide us with yet another opportunity to recognize the service and sacrifice of our women veterans.

Women comprise the fastest growing and most diverse demographic in both the military and veteran populations.

Through my work in Congress, I am constantly reminded that women are the most visible while serving and the most invisible when they return to civilian life. This is symbolized, sadly, by the lack of VA facilities named after women veterans. In fact, of the 1,255 VA healthcare facilities, only two facilities have been named in honor of women veterans--only two.

To address this, I convened a local citizens advisory panel comprised of veterans and community leaders to select a woman veteran for whom we could name the new clinic, and they selected Captain Rosemary Bryant Mariner.

Captain Mariner, a former resident of Ventura County, joined the Navy in 1973, where she became a member of the Navy's first flight training class for women. In 1974, she was one of six women to earn her wings and, the following year, became the first female naval aviator to fly a jet attack aircraft.

Captain Mariner was named commander of the Naval Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 34 at Naval Air Station Point Mugu in Ventura County, California. The unit was 30 percent female and made Captain Mariner the first woman to command an operational air squadron.

Throughout her career, Captain Mariner was a passionate advocate for women in the military, leading the Women Military Aviators and working with Congress and the Department of Defense to lift restrictions barring women from flying in combat.

I could not be more pleased that the House is taking up my bill to honor Captain Rosemary Bryant Mariner.

This bill and this clinic send a critically important message to our women veterans, and that is: We see you.

Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I know the American people are feeling the effects of higher prices. That is why Congressional Democrats continue our work to provide relief to America's working families who are struggling to make ends meet by putting people over politics and passing the Inflation Reduction Act. This historic life-changing legislation significantly lowers healthcare costs for America's seniors by enabling Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and by capping Medicare out-of-pocket expenses to $2,000 every year.

The Inflation Reduction Act tackles rising costs and inflation by ensuring big corporations pay their fair share of taxes which will, in turn, reduce the national debt. The legislation also makes the largest investment ever in fighting the climate crisis by investing in clean and secure energy production and manufacturing, while creating good- paying American jobs for the future.

Congressional Republicans are too busy trying to score political points rather than working with us to solve today's challenges.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join us in working for the people.

Madam Speaker, the American people are feeling the effects of rising costs. As these costs continue to put pressure on the pockets of America's working families, House Democrats are working tirelessly to provide relief.

When gas prices soared earlier this year, House Democrats took action to fight price gouging at the pump.

House Democrats took action to lower insulin costs and ensure that lifesaving prescriptions do not send families into bankruptcy.

As food prices rose, House Democrats took action to reduce prices for American farmers and lower prices for families in the grocery aisles.

But our work is far from over.

We understand that prices are too high and Americans are struggling to make ends meet. Fighting inflation and lowering costs for families remains our top priority.

Republicans have tried to obstruct bills to cut costs to earn political points at the expense of hardworking American families. It is time to put people before politics.

House Democrats are working for America's working families, and it is time my Republican colleagues do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I am so very proud to announce that the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs once again authorized the Women Veterans Task Force, which has been instrumental in helping Congress develop and pass impactful legislation that is greatly improving the lives of women veterans across the country.

Since its establishment in 2019, the task force has built a powerful women veterans outreach network through convening bipartisan meetings with community advocates, veterans service organizations, stakeholders, and individual veterans.

The Deborah Sampson Act, the task force's signature achievement and one of the most comprehensive pieces of legislation for women veterans in our history, is the result of this direct insight.

The authorization of the task force will further advance our mission to increase the visibility of women veterans and promote inclusivity and true equity for the 2 million women who have served our Nation in uniform.

As chair of the Women Veterans Task Force, I am proud to continue our work to recognize the service and sacrifice of America's women veterans.

Madam Speaker, last month, the extreme and radical wing of the Republican Party and the Supreme Court took a dangerous and detrimental strike against women's reproductive rights by overturning Roe v. Wade and dismantling decades of healthcare and privacy protections, and they are not stopping there.

In his opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas threatened American women that the Supreme Court will no longer protect the right to birth control.

Nearly all women in the United States use contraceptives at least once during their lifetime and an estimated 65 percent of women use a form of birth control every single day.

This is but another egregious component of the radical Republican agenda to restrict women's rights and the fundamental right to her bodily autonomy.

This is why I am supporting the Right to Contraception Act, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' to protect access to birth control.

House Democrats will not be deterred in the fight for the health, safety, and reproductive freedom of women and every American.