May 27, 2023
Dear Friends,
This week, I had the privilege of joining some of my colleagues on a Congressional delegation to Arlington National Cemetery. After a morning spent touring the cemetery’s hallowed grounds, I had the opportunity to witness the Changing of the Guard and to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. With Memorial Day approaching, this solemn ceremony reminded me of the deep responsibility we bear to protect the freedoms and values that so many have sacrificed to preserve.
Each year, as we spend this long weekend with family and friends, I find myself reflecting on the lives and stories of those servicemembers—known and unknown—who have paid the ultimate price in the name of freedom and democracy for all. This holiday calls on all of us to pause and remember their sacrifices, and to reflect on the debt we owe to our fallen heroes. I believe that the only way we can begin to fulfill that debt is by honoring the promises we’ve made to those veterans who return home.
Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve been working to do just that. Last year, I was proud to cast my vote in favor of the Honoring our PACT Act—the first-ever comprehensive effort to treat exposure to toxic substances as a cost of war. This legislation, passed with bipartisan support and signed into law by President Biden last summer, ensures that veterans living with the effects of toxic exposure can access the care and benefits they’ve earned through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). I’m especially proud that this law includes provisions from my Fort McClellan Health Registry Act that recognize and seek to address the lasting health impacts related to service at that base, measures that veterans in our district and beyond have demanded for decades. These servicemembers held up their end of the bargain, and I was honored to help Congress do the same.
But now, as our nation stands on the brink of fiscal catastrophe, Republicans are spending this Memorial Day weekend threatening to trigger a recession unless their demands—which include eviscerating veterans benefits—are met. The Honoring our PACT Act established the Toxic Exposure Fund (TEF) to provide a dedicated funding stream that would allow the VA to care for our toxic-exposed heroes, with $20 billion requested by VA leaders for this vital effort in FY2024. Despite the critical need, House Republicans slashed TEF funding by more than two-thirds in their proposed budget, to just $5.5 billion. At a time when we should be united in honoring our brave servicemembers, this abandonment of our most vulnerable veterans is unconscionable.
Republicans are playing political games with the full faith and credit of the United States, generating a crisis of their own making that threatens to devastate the global economy and upend the livelihoods of millions of Americans. And if their scheme to hold our economy hostage results in a default, the consequences would be catastrophic for our veterans.
On June 1, the federal government is scheduled to deliver $12 billion in veterans benefits, as well as an additional $12 billion in military and civilian retirement benefits. If Republicans force a breach of the debt ceiling, those payments will be delayed indefinitely, forcing those who have sacrificed so much for our country to sacrifice even more at the hands of GOP gamesmanship. A default could leave 7.1 million veterans without the benefits they’ve earned, all while withholding paychecks from millions more VA employees who provide our veterans with essential care every day.
We must not allow Republicans to use dangerous brinksmanship and hostage tactics to enact draconian budget cuts that will hurt millions of veterans and families across our nation. Democrats are ready to pay America’s bills without gambling with the livelihoods of working people. This Memorial Day, I urge my Republican colleagues to join us in ending this crisis, saving our economy, and providing for those who have given our country so much.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates, announcements, and recommendations. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- The City of Albany has launched a new Community Dashboard to keep city residents updated on the progress of Albany’s program to replace all lead service lines in the city by 2034!
- In 2021, I was proud to join Mayor Kathy Sheehan in welcoming EPA Administrator Michael Regan to Albany to help launch this exciting program.
- Now, thanks in part to $500,000 in funding from the American Rescue Plan, Albany is well on its way to reaching that goal!
- The new Community Dashboard will track the progress of this critical project and will also help inform residents about the status of the service lines in their own homes.
- You can check out this exciting new tool HERE.
