[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 110 (Thursday, June 26, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H2998]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ADDRESSING IMMIGRATION INEFFICIENCIES

  (Ms. TOKUDA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Speaker, just days ago, a Hawaii veteran, Sae Joon 
Park, said goodbye to his family which included his elderly mother with 
dementia, his two adult children, and his home.
  Mr. Park was shot twice in combat, earning a Purple Heart for his 
bravery. Yet despite his sacrifice, ICE officers gave him no choice but 
to deport himself back to South Korea after nearly 50 years.
  Mr. Park served. He fought. He belonged. Yes, he made mistakes, as 
many veterans struggling with PTSD do, but he turned his life around. 
That is the reality for many veterans. They fight hard for this country 
and still face battles back home and, too often, alone.
  Republicans are now pushing a funding bill that would abandon even 
more veterans like Mr. Park. It shifts critical care from the VA to 
private corporations and makes it harder for women and immigrant 
veterans to get the services they need
  This bill isn't efficiency. It is cruelty. I will not stand by while 
Republicans turn our veterans into bargaining chips.
  When we fail our veterans, we are not just breaking a promise. We are 
breaking our people.

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