Raising A Question of the Privileges of the House

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member McGovern for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this resolution. I am here as the ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to represent the interests of our Nation's veterans when they are callously being targeted.

While our colleagues across the aisle are determined to shift the public narrative away from the harm being done to veterans, we choose to focus on what our President failed to address last night. He spent an hour and 40 minutes touting his so-called accomplishments while veterans watching at home were waiting for answers, answers and explanations they never received.

While President Trump was addressing us last night on this very House floor, movements were being made by the Chief of Staff for Veterans Affairs, Christopher Syrek, to execute a detrimental reduction in force at VA. With the support of this administration, VA plans to move forward with firing an additional 83,000 VA employees.

Sitting in the audience of President Trump's address were 20 veterans who had been indiscriminately fired from Federal agencies, veterans he failed to address. Not once during his speech was he able to look them in the eyes and speak to the merciless effects his administration's decisions have made on their community. He didn't attempt to justify them because he knows there is no justification.

Our veterans served our Nation. They put their lives on the line for us and this country's values, and now look at what they are facing. They are facing attacks on their benefits. They are facing attacks on their healthcare, education, and housing. When we reduce an agency established to work for them, we fail them.

I stand behind Congressman Green as he stood up for the rights of all veterans and all Americans.

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