Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. GUEST. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 4366, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY 2024.

I am proud that this legislation fully funds programs to care for our Nation's heroes, and it ensures that our military infrastructure needs are met to address critical national security priorities. This bill focuses on the important work of these agencies while also preventing the radical woke policies of the Biden administration from distracting these departments from their primary responsibilities.

A recent example of these policies can be seen in my home State of Mississippi, where a VA facility chose to replace an American flag with an LGBTQ Pride flag.

The mission of the VA is to fulfill President Lincoln's promise, a promise to care for those who have served in our Nation's military, their families, their caregivers, and their survivors. The work and the message of the VA should not be divisive but, rather, respectful toward our veterans and consistent with the purpose for which the VA was created.

I am grateful that language is included in the bill to ensure that the only flags flown over VA facilities or national cemeteries are government, military, or POW/MIA flags.

Mr. Chair, I am proud to support this bill. We owe our veterans a debt of gratitude, not a political message.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Lee), who represents tens of thousands of military servicemembers as well as veterans and is an incredible advocate on their behalf.

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