Putting All Americans First

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge Donald Trump to truly put America first by setting politics aside and providing California with the disaster relief we urgently need and deserve. Let's do that by fighting for California, home to close to 40 million people who also live in America.

Just a few weeks ago, big, bad fires broke out across Los Angeles County. Donald Trump's first instinct was to point fingers at California leaders for fires caused not by them but by Mother Nature herself and climate change. For the record, California has a lot of things, but one thing we do not have is a big old sink that can water the entire State.

Now, Trump wants to be a unifier. He claims he wants to put America first, so let's talk about what America First genuinely means.

America First does not involve placing conditions on disaster aid to Americans simply because of how a State voted.

America First does not mean leaving thousands of people without housing amid an ongoing housing crisis.

America First does not look like insurance companies robbing people or putting shareholders first.

What putting America first does mean, however, is passing disaster aid without conditions because, as Americans, we help each other when we are in need. At least, I thought that is what we do.

America First means build and rebuild. Build, baby, rebuild, swiftly and fairly, so no one remains unhoused.

America First means making insurance plans accessible to everyone, not just the rich and those properties that are considered low risk.

Mr. Trump, the individuals impacted by the fires in Los Angeles are not just, as you put it, ``the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country'' who were present at your inauguration. These are real people--grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren, working, middle-class individuals--who have lost everything.

News flash, Donald Trump, many of them voted for you.

Let's support them and not just the wealthy few. That is how we truly put America first.

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