[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Pages H1960-H1977] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. COLE: I yield myself quickly such time as I may consume just to correct my friend. I did not blame all inflation on President Biden. He had a lot of help. He had a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate that worked with him to get there, so he certainly didn't do it on his own. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock), my very good friend, and a distinguished member of the Budget Committee. Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, for the first time in my 15 years in Congress, I will vote for a debt limit increase because for the first time we have a bill that is serious about controlling the reckless spending that is destroying America's productivity and its prosperity-- $4.8 trillion in savings. How could anyone who cares about the debt not vote for this measure? The debt limit is there for a reason. If your family is living beyond its means and needs to raise its credit limit, it better sit down around the kitchen table and have a serious discussion over the circumstances that have gotten it into this mess and what steps it needs to take to get out. The debt limit is there to assure that we have exactly that discussion as a Nation. Now, the President and the Democrats across the aisle say they are not willing to engage in that discussion. Well, to coin a phrase, ``Come on, man.'' When Bill Clinton lost the House in 1994, he reached across the aisle to work with House Republicans. Together, a Democratic President and a Republican House accomplished wonderful things. They reformed the welfare system, as this bill does; they cut spending as a percentage of GDP; they produced the biggest capital gains tax cut in history; but most importantly, they balanced four budgets in a row and produced one of the greatest economic expansions in our Nation's history. By the way, Clinton was reelected. Americans are soon going to ask themselves, are we better off than we were 4 years ago? Mr. Biden is going to need a better answer than doubling down on policies that two-thirds of Americans are desperately trying to tell him have put our country on the wrong track, and that answer is right here before us today. Mr. Speaker, I beg the Democrats to join us to set our Nation's finances in order. Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I say to the gentleman, extortion is not a negotiation. President Biden actually has a budget that will reduce the deficit. It would be better if the Republicans actually came up with a budget, and we could talk about that. We are willing to have a conversation, but we are not willing to be extorted here. Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt about the fact that this bill could monumentally hurt our Nation's heroes. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the Paralyzed Veterans of America and a letter from the Veterans of Foreign Wars in opposition to this bill.  [From the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Apr. 25, 2023]  Congress, Protect All Services and Programs Needed by Paralyzed Veterans and Their Families  Washington, D.C.--Today, Paralyzed Veterans of America Executive Director Carl Blake issued a statement in light of the House' consideration later today of the debt limit package (Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023). ``Right now the House of Representatives is preparing to take action on legislation that would couple raising the debt limit with significant cuts in federal spending. PVA has received assurances from some Republican leaders that veterans' funding will not be a target of these cuts, and we appreciate these assurances! But the pending legislation provides no specific protections for veterans with catastrophic disabilities, specifically the services and supports they and their families depend on. Efforts to address the federal deficit must provide concrete protections for veterans, their families, and caregivers, which means explicit direction that the Department of Veterans Affairs' budget will not suffer significant cuts. Although ensuring the VA will have the funding needed to meet its fiscal year 2024 needs is our foremost concern, we urge Congress to remember that veterans with significant disabilities depend upon many other Federal services and supports outside of the VA that protect their disability civil rights, employment support, affordable accessible housing, as well as provide benefits that help their families and caregivers. Our responsibility as a nation is to ensure that those who have already sacrificed so much for our way of life are not forced to do so again.'' ____    Veterans of Foreign Wars,  April 25, 2023. Hon. Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Speaker McCarthy: On behalf of the 1.5 million members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Auxiliary, a significant number of whom rely on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and benefits, we write to express our grave concerns with the proposed reports of returning to Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) funding levels for the federal government and its potential effects on veterans programs. Congress has championed monumental advancements in veteran care and benefits in the past few years and we believe we need to continue pushing forward instead of taking steps backward in serving our veterans. Plainly stated, the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 did not exist when funding levels were set for FY 2022. The VFW is gravely concerned the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 missed the mark by not protecting the advances in care and benefits for toxic-exposed veterans. This could set our collective hard work back years and make veterans once again have to fight for the care and benefits they have earned. Through PACT Act reforms, we believe we are on the cusp of resolving many issues that have plagued VA for decades, thanks to the years of hard work from veteran advocates around the country, as well as our faithful supporters in the past few Congresses and across multiple Presidential Administrations. Military Toxic Exposure claim denials, VA processing backlogs, hiring delays, and unacceptable appointment wait times will hopefully be a thing of the past, and we will once again be able to point to VA as a world- class provider of healthcare and benefits. These advancements will fade away if they are not resourced properly, which is why the VFW believes returning funding levels to FY22 would likely jeopardize the care and benefits our nation's veterans have earned. Bills aiming to return the budget to FY22 funding levels, without explicitly securing care and benefit programs for veterans are intolerable to our organization. The service members, veterans, and families we represent have seen the true cost of more than 20 years of war, and it is unacceptable to ask them to now pay the bill. Mr. Speaker, the VFW understands your goal of fiscal responsibility, but we respectfully ask that in the context of Limit, Save,     Grow, that you provide explicit assurances on how Congress will continue to properly invest in VA programming-- specifically, the reforms authorized through the PACT Act. The members of the VFW and our Auxiliary hope you will continue to honor the promise made to the men and women who served our country by reinforcing your long-standing support of those who stood in harm's way. Returning VA to FY22 funding levels will negatively affect millions of Americans across the country and we look forward to working with you to make sure this does not happen. Sincerely, Ryan M. Gallucci, Executive Director, VFW Washington Office.  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, it is clear our veterans are against this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), a distinguished member of the Rules Committee.