[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 20, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H2152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 PROTECTING AMERICAN MARITIME RESEARCH

  (Ms. McBride of Delaware was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Ms. McBRIDE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the ANCHOR Act, 
a bipartisan bill to protect American maritime research and strengthen 
our national security.
  The University of Delaware's research vessel, the Hugh R. Sharp, is a 
floating lab used by scientists and students to study everything from 
our ocean health to fisheries and coastal storms.
  All of this is happening right off of the coast of Delaware. Right 
now, these vessels are often running on outdated technology, and that 
makes them sitting ducks for cyberattacks from hackers and foreign 
adversaries.
  That is why I am proud to cosponsor the ANCHOR Act, which directs the 
National Science Foundation to develop a plan to upgrade cybersecurity 
and communications across the U.S. academic research fleet, including 
the Sharp. This is because a secure country relies on secure labs, even 
the ones at sea.
  Protecting the Sharp and our entire academic research fleet helps 
Delaware track sea level rise and protect our coastal communities. This 
is a big deal for the lowest lying State in the Nation.
  That is why I have also submitted a $1.5 million funding request to 
make sure the Sharp gets the upgrades that it needs.
  The ANCHOR Act passed out of committee with bipartisan support, and I 
urge my colleagues to vote to get it over the finish line.


                         Betraying Our Veterans

  Ms. McBRIDE. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, I joined veterans, 
families, and care providers to celebrate 75 years of service at the 
Wilmington VA Medical Center, a facility that provided 338,000 
appointments last year alone. That is visits to a primary care doctor, 
a dentist, and drug and alcohol counseling. Every single one of those 
visits is fulfilling a sacred promise that the government has made to 
show up for those who have sacrificed for all of us.
  As we head into Memorial Day weekend, we must recognize the 
responsibility that we have as elected officials, not just on Monday 
but every day of the year, to honor those who have given their last 
full measure of devotion by fulfilling our commitment to all of those 
who have served our country.
  Our country has long recognized the value of service by promising our 
veterans that no matter who sits in the Oval Office or behind this 
dais, they will be cared for and protected.
  However, today, that promise is in jeopardy. Nearly 6,000 veterans 
have already been summarily fired by the Trump administration, and now 
they are pushing a plan to lay off 80,000 of the very workers who 
process benefits and facilitate lifesaving care through the VA. 
Moreover, if that weren't enough, as I speak, congressional Republicans 
are continuing to advance a budget that would slash support for 
veterans, even further undermining healthcare, housing assistance, and 
food support.
  Mr. Speaker, let me be clear: We don't support veterans by handing 
them a folded flag with one hand and cutting their lifelines with the 
other. More than 1.6 million veterans rely on Medicaid for their health 
coverage.
  If House Republicans succeed in their slash-and-burn proposal, it 
will mean real harm for veterans and their families. My constituents 
are warning me, and they are right, that cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and VA 
services will fall hardest on disabled and aging veterans, especially 
in rural areas and communities of color.
  House Republicans have chosen to unilaterally pursue a budget that 
puts tax cuts for billionaires ahead of care for the people who wore 
the uniform. That is not just bad budgeting, it is a betrayal of our 
promise.

                              {time}  1045

  Delaware's veterans and veterans across this country don't need 
slogans. They need support. They need stable housing. They need 
accessible healthcare. They need us to keep our promise to them. 
Veterans who fought for our country should not be forced to fight for 
the coverage and assistance that they earned long ago.
  I didn't come to Congress to sanction cruelty. I came to keep our 
word, to ensure that the veterans I met at the Wilmington VA and the 
tens of thousands more across Delaware are treated not as political 
props but as patriots deserving dignity.
  This Memorial Day, I urge my colleagues to follow the famous charge 
of President Lincoln. Any Nation that does not honor its heroes will 
not long endure. No mission is more important or righteous.

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