[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 118 (Tuesday, July 11, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H3183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        MILITARY FAMILIES NEED HELP WITH CHILDCARE, NOT WEAPONS

  (Mr. CASAR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CASAR. Mr. Speaker, I am  Greg Casar, and I represent the heart 
of Texas.
  Throughout my time in office, I have heard from and spoken with 
military families about what their greatest needs are. The answer that 
has most consistently come up isn't about the latest tanks or the 
latest guns. It is childcare.
  In fact, based on a 2021 survey from the Military Family Advisory 
Network, they found that 78 percent of military families have found it 
difficult to get childcare for their kids. This need is ever present in 
San Antonio, Texas, Military City USA.
  Military readiness means more than just stocking up on more and more 
weapons and gadgets. It means investing in the people of the military.
  Right now, the extreme rightwing is trying to bring forward a bill to 
spend more and more money on weapons that the Pentagon hasn't even 
asked for, and it happens nearly every year.
  The NDAA, our annual defense spending bill, provides funds that the 
Department of Defense is told to spend on obsolete weapons and 
programs. That is why I am proposing an amendment to the NDAA, 
alongside Congressman Castro, to provide adequate childcare for our 
military families.

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