[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 93 (Wednesday, May 31, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H2668-H2669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1415
                         FIGHTING FOR VETERANS

  (Mr. RUIZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. Speaker, extreme Republicans have been dead set on demanding 
harmful cuts that would be disastrous for the American people. If they 
didn't get their way, they threatened to default on our economy.
  In fact, Republicans demanded: a 22 percent cut to veterans' 
healthcare; to make essential toxic exposure and burn pits funding 
discretionary so that veterans would have to come hat in hand to the 
Federal Government every year; and to zero out funding for the PACT 
Act's toxic exposure fund or use it for other purposes.
  Republicans were willing to cause an economic default that would have 
raised costs for families, cut one million jobs for workers, and cost 
seniors their retirement, if they didn't get their way.
  Now, under these horrendous circumstances, the House today will vote 
on a bipartisan budget agreement. Under President Biden's leadership, 
this bill saved veterans' healthcare

[[Page H2669]]

from Republicans' harmful cuts and prevented an economic disaster for 
the American people.
  This bill will fully fund the PACT Act's toxic exposure fund for 
veterans exposed to burn pits with an increase of $15 billion, and it 
makes this funding mandatory. That is why I will vote ``yes'' today.

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