Becca Balint

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Madam Speaker, this week I have heard from grandfathers, moms, students, and even from my Uber driver the other night, all asking some version of the same question, which is, how can we continue to allow our children to get murdered in their schools? This week, six Nashville families are heartbroken. The parents of three 9-year-olds are grieving. They will join the families of thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of American families who have lost loved ones to gun violence. Four hundred American children have been gunned down this year already. It is unbelievable that it is happening in this Nation. I do not accept that this is the cost of freedom in this country. Americans have said overwhelmingly that they want us to do something about it. We in Congress actually could do something about it. We can vote on the floor of this Chamber for background checks and to ban assault weapons. Throwing up our hands and saying there is nothing that we can do is a dereliction of duty. I stand with the children of America.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote against the previous question so that the House can address more serious matters like the future of seniors' hard-earned benefits. Bringing forth H. Res. 178 gives this body the opportunity to finally affirm our commitment to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. This is what American families want us focused on. When I talk to Vermont families, they are concerned with putting food on the table, with keeping their families safe, with how to afford lifesaving medications, not with propping up corporate polluters at the expense of our future. Americans need us, on the record, promising that families won't have to choose between essentials like medication, food, and housing. Cutting Social Security and Medicare hurts the poorest and most vulnerable among us. These programs support seniors to age with dignity. They support Americans with disabilities to receive the security that they absolutely depend on. We are not going to let Social Security benefits go away--we are not. Over 65 million Americans rely on hard- earned Social Security benefits--65 million. These programs are how we preserve the American middle class, and it is how we support all of the working families in each of our districts. We need to expand the infrastructure and funding of these programs to fully support seniors in their retirement. We owe them this. Mr. Speaker, I want all Americans to know, Americans are not going to stop fighting to protect your hard-earned benefits. Again, I urge my colleagues to turn their attention to real issues that impact real American families, and defeat the previous question.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, we are in the midst of a terrible mental health crisis among youth in our Nation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recent youth risk behavior survey reveals that our kids are really struggling. One in four teen girls reported seriously considering attempting suicide in 2021, and LGBTQ teens and girls report extremely high levels of mental distress, violence, and substance abuse. They need us to stand up for them. They need us to stand with them. We need to make investments that will actually help. We have real work to do. But what do my Republican colleagues have us spending time on this week? A sham bill that does nothing for our kids. It inserts the Federal Government between parents and students and schools. It promotes censorship. It promotes banning books. It is not about freedom. It is not about protecting kids. As a former teacher and as a mom, I know that all children deserve a safe and affirming school environment. When I talk to Vermont families, which I do all the time, they aren't concerned about these kind of culture wars. They need us to take our jobs seriously and address the real everyday concerns. That is why I am in Congress.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, as a former teacher, I know that education can be and should be a pathway to financial freedom. For over 45 million Americans facing crippling student debt, education has become an unsustainable economic burden. Student debt is keeping Americans from buying homes, starting families, and saving for their futures. It is holding back a generation from getting the education that they need, that they want, and that they deserve. This impacts all of us. Our education suffers because of this debt. Our economy suffers, our families suffer, and our children suffer. President Biden's student debt relief plan will change lives and open doors for so many working families. It is urgent that the Supreme Court uphold this critical program that will free millions of Americans from this heavy financial burden. So today I call on the Supreme Court to support President Biden's plan and make the historic step in making higher education attainable for everyone in this country.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the burden that healthcare costs put on American families. No one should have to choose between putting food on the table and affording their medication. Nearly 3 in 10 American adults take prescription drugs each day and say that they have skipped doses. They have cut pills in half or they have not filled prescriptions. This is dangerous. In the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats made major progress in lowering drug costs and making healthcare more affordable. We capped the out-of-pocket costs for seniors. We capped the cost of insulin at $35, and we finally gave Medicare the power to negotiate prices. Let's build on this. Let's cap the cost of insulin at $35 for every American. Let's continue to lower the cost of medical expenses and insurance premiums for every American. American families are struggling while Big Pharma continues to reap the benefits. Let's build on the progress in the Inflation Reduction Act and provide working families with the help they so desperately need.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, we can't truly address the mental health crisis in this country without addressing the stigma head-on. For that reason, I rise today to say that I am one of the millions of Americans who balance day-to-day life with managing anxiety and depression. It isn't always easy for me to share my struggles with mental health, but I know that facing mental health challenges does not make you weak. It makes you human, and it gives others permission and courage to also speak openly. We have to change the national conversation so that we can pull together bipartisan support to finally address our mental health crisis. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to turn their attention to our country's growing mental health crisis. Addressing mental health gets to the root of some of our country's most challenging issues. The issues do not exist within a vacuum. They touch education; they touch housing; and they touch substance use disorder. I will not stop bringing up this issue until our communities feel heard and receive the support they desperately need.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, over 65 million Americans rely on Social Security benefits. They shouldn't have to choose between essentials like medication, food, or housing. That is why it is our job to expand and shore up Social Security and not gut it. Cutting these programs hurts the poorest and most vulnerable among us. We must support seniors to age with dignity. We must ensure that Americans with disabilities receive the security they depend on. Social Security is an essential tool that lifts up 9 million American women out of poverty. Two-thirds of my home State, Vermont, are middle-aged or older. We need to expand the infrastructure and funding to fully support them in their retirement. We owe them this. I want Vermonters and all Americans to know I will not stop fighting to protect their hard-earned benefits.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, due to illness I was unable to be present on January 24th. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA Roll Call No. 32, and YEA on Roll Call No. 33.

Ms. BALINT

Ms. BALINT. Madam Speaker, the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was dehumanizing and dangerous. It does not reflect the will of the majority of Americans who deeply value control over their own bodies. As leader of the State senate in Vermont, I worked to make sure that my State was the first in the Nation to explicitly protect reproductive freedoms in its constitution. It is time to provide these same protections for all Americans. While Republicans seek to control women's bodies to try to distract us from their extreme stances with farcical resolutions, my Democratic colleagues and I will not stop until reproductive freedoms are restored as the law of the land. The American people are overwhelmingly with us. They want their rights. They want their freedoms. As a woman, as a mother, as a Congresswoman, I will continue to fight for a world where abortion care is legal, safe, and accessible for all Americans.