[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 81 (Monday, May 15, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H2332]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              DEBT CEILING

  (Mrs. McCLELLAN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. McCLELLAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my House 
Republican colleagues to end their debt ceiling brinksmanship and 
prioritize the needs of the American people over their party's 
interests.
  An unprecedented debt default would jeopardize health benefits for 
over 315,000 people in my district who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, or 
Veterans Affairs health insurance and raise the cost for all Americans 
by raising interest rates on every loan they have.
  Unfortunately, the Republican solution is no solution at all, as 
their default on America act would devastate American families, 
seniors, and, especially, our veterans.
  This bill would immediately rescind $2 billion in funding to support 
veterans, which would mean 30 million fewer outpatient visits and 
81,000 jobs lost across the Veterans Health Administration. This would 
exacerbate backlogs and wait times for important medical appointments, 
particularly at facilities like the Richmond VA Medical Center in my 
district.
  Our brave veterans deserve better. These are not viable options.
  I call on House Republicans to stop holding the American economy 
hostage and raise the debt ceiling cleanly, just as we did three times 
under the former President.

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