Chris Deluzio

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Madam Speaker, I think what you will hear on this floor tonight is a unified voice that we reject political violence, that we mourn Mr. Comperatore's loss of life, that we wish a speedy recovery to the victims. In this country, there ought to be no place for political violence. There ought to be no place for hate in the hearts of freedom-loving people, certainly not in western Pennsylvania, where we reel from it today. We can and often do disagree in this body all the time. The American people expect that of us. When we see the votes on the board, we see those disagreements resolved that way. We see them resolved in the ballot box in November. We cannot solve our differences with violence. We must always condemn it in all its forms. It goes to the heart of American democracy that when we have those disputes, we resolve them peacefully. What we saw in Butler not too long ago when that violence comes to our political system, when it comes to the heart of how we govern ourselves in our elections. We, of course, mourn the consequence, the cost of that violence. Mr. Comperatore, who we have heard so many talk about so eloquently, shielded his family from gunfire that day, showing some courage in the face of violence. I wish a speedy recovery to those still recovering, including my constituent from Moon Township, Mr. Copenhaver, David Dutch of New Kensington, the former President, who of course survived this attack, and so many others who witnessed it and I am sure still suffer from it. I thank my colleague for bringing us together in this important moment. I think it is important the American people hear us with a clear and unified voice calling for unity, rejecting the threat of violence in our elections.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding time. I think we can all agree in this body that this country has a sacred obligation to care for those that wore the uniform, who served in peace or in war or both, and that starts with adequately funding and staffing the VA to make sure that those who have earned their benefits, who have earned their care, can receive them. That is why the Honoring our PACT Act that the ranking member and so many others got through this Congress is such a big deal. It is why it is so powerful. It expands VA healthcare and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic chemicals across generations who have served, and it fulfills that sacred promise this country has made. Veterans have long been exposed to some nasty stuff in service in Vietnam, the Gulf war, Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places. My generation saw burn pit exposure in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. We now know how dangerous this exposure can be and is for folks; cancers and diseases. The PACT Act meets this moment. It adds a presumption of service- related illnesses coming from that toxic exposure. It cuts through red tape that had been blocking too many veterans from the care they have earned. We see the numbers. Over a million veterans and survivors have already had claims approved under the PACT Act. That is a big deal. It means those veterans and their families now have access to those benefits that are hard earned that their service ought to have guaranteed. In this body we often have hot air, debates, all the rest. Here is some practical advice. Last year, we saw veterans have a deadline to submit their intent to file, and many did. That was to get backdated benefits back to when this bill passed the Congress in 2022. Veterans and survivors who submitted that intent to file need to submit an actual claim as soon as possible if they have not yet done that. That is to ensure they get the most out of the PACT Act for those benefits that they have earned. They have a year after submitting intent to file to submit their final claim forms to receive those backdated benefits. Mr. Speaker, VA.gov is the website to do it, to get more information, check the status of your claim. My office and the office, I am sure, of every Member here is willing to help a veteran. Go see a VSO, a veteran service organization, an accredited claims agent, an attorney. You can find some help. I remind my fellow veterans of this: These are earned benefits. You have earned them through your service. Make sure that you are getting what you need to take care of yourself and your family. The PACT Act is a big deal, but it is only going to be successful if we fund it, if we make sure every veteran in this country knows what they have earned, and we give the VA the resources they need to meet veterans' demands. That is our task in this body. I will work with everyone here to get it done. I am proud of the work we have done in this Congress.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Madam Chair, I thank the ranking member for yielding time. Madam Chair, I am opposed to this amendment. Put simply, I think it does some pretty bad things, among them making it impossible for the Department of Defense to contract with any organization that might try to identify propaganda from our adversaries. For instance, if a nonprofit wants to say and identify something as Communist Chinese propaganda, under this amendment, the Department of Defense cannot work with that organization in identifying something as propaganda from our adversary. I cannot imagine that is the purpose of this amendment, yet that is exactly what the legislative text does. It goes on to apply, beyond the organizations the gentleman from Texas recognized or acknowledged, to include any entity, any nonprofit that does any of these categories listed in the amendment. It includes fact-checking, rating the credibility of that entity. Again, not banning it, not silencing it, but identifying it. The mere fact of an adversary of ours having propaganda in this country and an organization identifying that propaganda, this amendment would bar the Pentagon from working with it. Now, if my colleagues on the other side want to offer a soft on Communist China amendment, have at it. We are not going to support it. I cannot imagine that is the purpose of this amendment, yet that is exactly what it does. Madam Chair, I urge a more narrow redrafting of this amendment. As it is drafted, it makes it very difficult even to do something as simple as identifying propaganda from our adversaries. This is foolish. It is not drafted appropriately, and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle ought to withdraw it.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding. I rise in opposition to the bill. I think that at this moment, my fellow veterans and the VA are at a critical point in time. We are seeing folks come in, because of the PACT Act, who served in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, who were exposed to burn pits. We need to meet that moment by investing in the VA. Unfortunately, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have decided to use this bill to attack abortion rights and to attack reproductive freedom. I think every veteran who raised their right hand was writing a blank check to this country, and my fellow veterans who are women ought to have the full reproductive care they have earned from the VA. This bill, which would ban abortions, even where there are health risks to a veteran, is unacceptable to me and is unacceptable to so many in this country and so many who have served. I urge my Republican colleagues to meet this moment by working with us and getting these toxic attacks on people's freedom out of these spending bills. Let's get a bill that we can pass together.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, the large majority of us came together to pass the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act. The bill includes a provision to exempt from Federal taxes payments for residents like my constituents who were impacted by the East Palestine train derailment and who received payments from Norfolk Southern Railroad. This is something I have been pushing for along with many others. The East Palestine derailment was a disaster for a lot of families in Beaver County, which is just over the State line from our neighbors in Ohio. It is ridiculous to me that folks who were hurt by this toxic train derailment in their backyard or their farm have to pay taxes on Norfolk Southern's payments to them. Let's remember: It was the railroad's negligence and incompetence that caused this whole mess in the first place. I was glad on Tuesday night that we passed a bill to help folks who were hurt. If the Senate follows suit, as they should, these payments will be exempted from Federal taxes, as they should be. Let's keep going to hold big railroads accountable and make freight rails safer. Madam Speaker, we can do that by passing my bill, the Railway Safety Act.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, today I want to honor my Forest Hills constituent, Ms. Julia Parsons. She stepped up to serve in 1942 as war raged across the world. Joining the Navy program, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), she was tasked with destroying German U-boats by breaking Nazi code. She worked tirelessly, using logic puzzles and clunky computers as weapons. In the battle for the Atlantic, the war felt extremely close by. Her co-worker's husband's convoy frequently went through enemy infested waters. Every code the women unwound helped keep him and his shipmates alive. Yet, that very code contained personal details of German soldiers. She learned of a new father's son the same day he did, but had to use that information to spell his demise. Ms. Parsons couldn't breathe a word of her work. She knew, better than anyone, that loose lips sink ships. When people asked what she did, she described codebreaking as ``office work'' and was often dismissed as a low-level secretary. The war ended her work, but not her silence. She was not able to share the truth until the information was declassified beginning in the 1970s. As a fellow Navy veteran, I'm especially proud to tell Julia Parson's story and celebrate her service this Women's History Month.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Stephen Mackin, Sr., of Thornburg, Pennsylvania. Steve was born on November 7, 1960, and was a lifelong Pittsburgher. He graduated from Bishop Canevin in 1979 where he made many lifelong friends. A hard worker always seeking perfection, for the past 42 years Steve worked at and co-owned Liberty Fuel & Supply in Carnegie, working alongside his father, brothers, sons, nephews, and many friends. He was a good man who knew how to have a good time when he could. He loved to get away to the beach to spend time with his family and cracking open an Iron City. He was a very proud grandfather, a loyal brother, and a devoted member of a big family. Steve was committed to supporting the kids in our western Pennsylvania community. He was my basketball coach at St. Philip's, and I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, Steve was tough, but he always brought out the best in us. Sadly, Steve passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack on March 6 of this year. He was just 63. Steve will be missed by his loving family, including Ruth, his wife of 35 years, their three children, and his siblings, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren, all of whom wish they had more time together. To the Mackin family, whom I am proud to call my friends: Our whole community mourns Steve's passing.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Madam Speaker, today, I want to congratulate Sister Linda Yankoski, CEO of the Holy Family Institute, on being recognized as a Pittsburgh Business Times Women of Influence and receiving their Career Achievement award. It is an honor justly earned for her 40 years of service as a woman of faith at the Holy Family Institute and decades of dedication to at- risk youth and communities across western Pennsylvania. I congratulate her. Celebrating the Life of Jim Roddey

Mr. DELUZIO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join so many in western Pennsylvania in celebrating the life of Jim Roddey and extending my condolences to his family and loved ones. A proud marine, Jim led Allegheny County through a critical transformation, serving as the first county executive and ushering in a new era of county government. I had the privilege of working with Jim on the bipartisan Blue Ribbon Commission on Pennsylvania's Election Security, where his counsel was invaluable and where patriotism carried the day over any party label. Fair winds and following seas, marine.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago this weekend, my constituents in Beaver County and our East Palestine neighbors lived through Norfolk Southern's disastrous train derailment. They caused a massive toxic fireball. Frankly, we are lucky that no one died. Since then, what has Congress done to protect our communities, to make freight rail safer? Absolutely nothing. Folks in western Pennsylvania are sick and tired of being treated like collateral damage in the way of corporate profits. Those railroad profits have not been shabby. From 2018 to last year, Norfolk Southern enriched their shareholders with $18 billion. My bill, the Railway Safety Act, is supported by the Biden administration and former President Trump and will make rail safer. This shouldn't be partisan. Along with my Democratic colleagues, I am joined by nine Republican cosponsors, and, yet, nothing has changed. The railroads are running the show here like it is the 19th century. It is time for politicians to stop carrying their water, to stop treating my constituents and our neighbors like fodder. We need action. It is time to pass the Railway Safety Act.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, I love this country, as so many here do. I remain as committed to it today as I was when I entered the Naval Academy as a 17-year-old. Through my voting rights, election security, and cybersecurity security work at Pitt Cyber and the Brennan Center, I know, like others, that the threats to this beautiful and fragile democracy of ours are serious. In this very Chamber on January 6, insurrectionists attacked the people's government, spurred on by lies and conspiracy. Every patriotic American understands that government of, by, and for the people is a lot stronger than the guns and threats of extremists. With antidemocratic forces on the rise, Congress needs an all-hands- on-deck approach to protecting our Constitution. That is why, today, I launched my defend democracy agenda, a three- part policy roadmap to strengthen American democracy. Public trust is central, so my agenda starts with a critical slate of policies to try and earn back that trust. I hope all with a love of country will join me in supporting these anticorruption, transparency, and reform measures for Congress and for political campaigns.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, I represent many of the people who made the steel that built this country and who still make the steel this country relies on. We are seeing today, unfortunately, corporate executives, egged on by Wall Street, selling off U.S. Steel to a foreign company. U.S. Steel has benefited from strong action in this country: tariffs from President Biden and President Trump, the Inflation Reduction Act, defense spending, the infrastructure bill, and more, while chasing the biggest, fattest bid and blowing off the steelworkers whose work made them rich. Profits matter, don't get me wrong, but other things matter, too: our workers, our jobs, our communities, and this country. We need an economy that reflects that, that says that hard work matters, not just greed. Let's keep fighting for all that.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Western Pennsylvanian Jim Leyland's election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. A former Pittsburgh Pirates manager, he led the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 through 1996. Even though it was his first Major League head coaching gig, he did a damn fine job. Over his 11 seasons with the Bucs, he accrued 851 wins with the team--the third best record in Pirates history. Jim Leyland led the club to three straight division titles and was named Manager of the Year twice (and then again as manager of the Detroit Tigers). He of course led the Florida Marlins to win the 1997 World Series, and he won the American League pennant in 2006 with the Tigers. He's a die-hard baseball guy and a beloved Pittsburgher. I'm proud to represent him as my constituent in Thornburg, PA. I welcome Jim to the Hall, and I congratulate him on this historic achievement.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the hard work and legacy of Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. County Executive Fitzgerald is finishing up his third and final term in the county's top elected position--one he has held since 2012. Born and raised in the City of Pittsburgh, Rich Fitzgerald graduated from Carnegie Mellon University. He and his wife, Cathy, have eight children. ``Fitz,'' as he is fondly called, is well-known for his work ethic and his ability to bring people and organizations together to tackle the biggest issues facing our region. He first was elected to the County Council in 1999 and served on the Council--including as Council President from 2004 through 2011--until his successful election as County Executive. Under his leadership, Allegheny County has seen strong and solid job growth, a diverse and growing economy, and an excellent quality of life. The 2020 Census is a testament to County Executive Fitzgerald's leadership: for the first time in sixty years, the county's population grew over a decade. He also led the region through the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic with consistency and reassurance, striving to protect public health and keep the economy strong. While we only crossed paths in elected office a short period of time, I greatly appreciated his guidance, experience, and collaboration. Fitz is a public servant through and through. Though he closes this chapter as Allegheny County Executive, the impact of his work for the Common Good will remain. On behalf of the good people of Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District, I thank Fitz for his years of service.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, plenty of my colleagues claim to have the best high school football. Of course, they will be wrong because western Pennsylvania is second to none. When Jack Lambert took his place in the Hall of Fame, he called folks in western Pennsylvania a proud, hardworking people who love their football and their players. It was true then, and it is true today. It doesn't matter if we are cheering for the Steelers or for WPIAL contenders under the Friday night lights. On any field, football is serious business in western Pennsylvania. I congratulate the WPIAL champions from my district for bringing home the hardware: Beaver Falls, North Allegheny, and Aliquippa High Schools. A special congratulations to the Quips on their record 20th WPIAL title victory. Good luck this weekend to all the teams battling it out for the State playoffs and for the State title.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and honor the loss of public servant, first responder, and beloved member of my western Pennsylvania community, Anthony ``Tony'' Cuda. Chief of Foxwall Emergency Medical Services since 2020, Chief Cuda was a titan in the EMS scene. He joined the Swissvale Fire Department at 16, became a paramedic by 18, and worked as a first responder for Seneca area EMS in Wilkinsburg, Monroeville, Penn Hills, and other parts of western Pennsylvania. Through the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Cuda led his crew with generosity, honesty, and courageous conviction. Chief Cuda saved lives, comforted frightened community members, and taught the next generation of first responders. He was a witty straight shooter who off the job enjoyed playing Dungeons and Dragons and spending time with family whether at home, at Kennywood, the Renaissance Festival, or Comic Con. To the Cuda family, especially his wife, Michele, and his five children, Zachary, Morgan, Shannon, Caitlyn, and Kirsten, know this: Our corner of western Pennsylvania is better off thanks to Chief Cuda and mourns his passing, as does this body and this country.

Mr. DeLUZIO

Mr. DeLUZIO. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today to recognize that October is Gaucher Disease Awareness Month and spotlight the national patient advocacy organization, the Gaucher Community Alliance. Gaucher Disease is an ultra-rare genetic disorder that affects approximately 6,000 people in the United States. Gaucher Disease is the most common genetic disorder for persons of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. This disorder results from a build-up of fat laden Gaucher cells in organs such as the spleen and liver or in the bone marrow. As a result of this build up, the organs of people with Gaucher Disease can become enlarged, impeding their ability to function. If the bone tissue and bone marrow become affected, patients' bones will become weaker, making them more prone to fractures and ultimately could lead to bone death. There are different forms of Gaucher Disease. Gaucher Type I accounts for 95% of patients in the United States. Patients with this specific type, experience spleen and liver enlargement including low blood counts and issues with the clotting process and various problems with their bones. The FDA has approved two types of treatments for Gaucher Type I, including enzyme replacement therapies (ERT) or oral substrate reduction therapies (SRT). Gaucher Type 2 is rarer than Type I and is typically fatal within the first two years of life because of the severe neurological abnormalities associated with this type. Patients with Gaucher Type 2 suffer from poor development, seizures, jerking movements, poor ability to suck and swallow, as well as an enlarged liver and spleen. GCA hopes that a current clinical trial taking place to combat this terrible disorder that claims the lives of young, will show success. Gaucher Type 3 is the most common Type worldwide and its severity falls between that of Type 1 and Type 2. Patients with Gaucher Type 3 suffer from a mix of symptoms from the first two types including seizures, skeletal irregularities, eye movement disorders, cognitive issues, poor coordination, an enlarged liver and spleen, respiratory problems, and various blood disorders such as anemia. It is important to note that patients can be characterized as having a blend of the types and not within a single category. The Gaucher Community Alliance is the national nonprofit organization for the patient community, based in Western Pennsylvania. Two passionate Gaucher patient advocates founded GCA--Aviva Rosenberg of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cyndi Frank of Sonoma, California. The mission of GCA is to support patients with Gaucher Disease and their families through peer-to-peer support and education, advocacy, patient and family resources and networking. GCA collaborates with industry partners to encourage clinical trials for additional treatments and therapies; access to Patient Assistance Programs for Gaucher patients; and promote newborn screening for Gaucher Disease and other lysosomal storage disorders. GCA also hosts patient meetings around the country. The Gaucher Community Alliance is working hard to improve the quality of life of those diagnosed with Gaucher Disease. I would like to salute the community during Gaucher Awareness Month.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 333, NAY on Roll Call No. 334, NAY on Roll Call No. 335, NAY on Roll Call No. 336, and NAY on Roll Call No. 337.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 338, expressing the sense of Congress supporting the State of Israel.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, June is Pride Month, a month that celebrates the contributions and importance of the LGBTQ+ community all over the country and in Pennsylvania's 17th District. My home borough of Aspinwall hosted Pride in the Park, a festival to connect and celebrate the community with history walks, community resources, art, music, and a vendor fair of local LGBTQ-owned small businesses. Pride is celebrated all across western Pennsylvania, from a Pride- themed Roller Derby bout in Cheswick, to festivals in Dormont and Mt. Lebanon. There is also Prom in Millvale, online writing groups for seniors, a parade and music in Swissvale, and lots more. It is a busy month for our community and one that centers around freedom at its core. It also remembers those who fought tirelessly for equal rights and those hurt by discrimination or lost to senseless hatred and violence. America was founded under the ideals of liberty and justice, not censorship, discrimination, or control. All people shall have the freedom to love who they love, to be who they are, to be accepted, to feel safe, and to be treated equally under the law. On behalf of the good people of western Pennsylvania, I will keep fighting for these freedoms here in Washington.

Mr. DeLUZIO

Mr. DeLUZIO. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. DeLUZIO. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, the bill our Republican colleagues forced through the House, the default on America act, is rubbish. They are threatening to push our economy off a cliff unless we slash the basic functions of government by massive amounts, but they are protecting tax cuts for billionaires. It is the very definition of fiscal irresponsibility and recklessness. In the bill forced through several weeks ago with no Democratic votes, with four Republicans voting against it, House Republicans voted for massive cuts with zero protections for veterans' healthcare, for rail safety, for Meals on Wheels for seniors, and so much more. They voted to pull back $2 billion from the VA. That is a cut. Now, their appropriations bill underfunds the Cost of War Toxic Exposure Fund by nearly $15 million. If they didn't want to fund veterans' care, they shouldn't have sent Americans off to 20 years of war. Do you know why Republicans are taking these extreme positions, these unpopular positions the American people do not want? Because what matters most to them is protecting tax cuts for the uber wealthy and for the largest and most powerful corporations in this country. Former President Obama once said, there could be an asteroid coming to Earth, and the Republican plan and response would be tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. It is true. They are for the big corporations and the rich and powerful. That is who they are. That is their core value. This approach is fiscally irresponsible. What is more, their economic plan is not working for the people. Their tired, trickle-down fairy tale has been ripping us all off, starving the government of revenue, and has led to massive gaps in equality. Wall Street, big corporations, CEOs, they have done just fine. The American people, not so much. This Republican economic vision is killing the American Dream. It is driving up huge deficits in our government. It guts the core things our government does but makes sure that the richest people and companies in this country can still avoid paying their fair share in taxes. Every Member of this body pays the same amount in taxes toward Social Security as Elon Musk. You can look it up. He is one of the richest men in the history of the world. Elon Musk and all of his billionaire pals should be paying their fair share. They are not because Republicans want them to use the Federal Government to subsidize extreme wealth and corporate power. Let me be clear. This is not about punishing success and demonizing the wealthy. It is about fairness and fiscal responsibility. Many of my House Republican colleagues don't want to admit the path to longer-term fiscal health in the budget is to actually tax the ultra-rich at historically normal rates. Let's consider Republican President Dwight Eisenhower; hardly a radical. I don't think anyone here would call him a socialist. Under his administration, the wealthiest Americans paid a top marginal tax rate of over 90 percent. Today, it is 37 percent. We are at historically low tax rates for the most powerful, the wealthiest people in this country, and for the biggest and most powerful corporations. It is not an accident. It is by Republican design. Let's look back at the 2017 Trump tax cuts that I am seeing handed out to the richest Americans and biggest corporations. The bill was a massive wealth transfer to billionaires but also raised the deficit by almost 2 trillion--with a t--dollars. It gave so many of the benefits to the top 1 percent. Everyone knows the American people are being ripped off by this. We can feel the dark reality, that the American Dream keeps getting pulled away while Republicans help billionaires and huge corporations cash out on the public's dime. It is far past time for a change to real fiscal responsibility. Instead, Republicans are now proposing slash-and-burn cuts, defunding the government while urging the public to not look behind the curtain at their priorities for revenue. Our colleagues know they are holding the economy hostage to protect these massive tax cuts and handouts to the most powerful, the richest people who have ever walked the planet Earth. They are holding America's full faith and credit hostage to cut things that make your life better: programs like rail safety inspections, air traffic control towers, IRS auditors charged with tracking down tax cheats. Republicans are literally threatening to blow up the American economy unless we agree to slash nearly everything in government, but they want to protect tax cuts for billionaires. They still expect us to buy into this utterly discredited nonsense known as trickle-down economics. It is a fairy tale. It has never worked. It doesn't work. We should be creating an economy that rewards hard work, not just wealth. That means taking on corporate power and putting people first. We should be fighting for the common good and investing in our shared prosperity, not just the rich and powerful. That means instead of slashing the heart of government, we should make the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, the defense industrial base is dominated by a handful of massive corporations that have gobbled up competitors. These five companies have a lot of power and responsibility to supply our military. But what are they doing with that power? Are they investing in innovation? They are enriching themselves with stock buybacks and shareholder dividends, fueled by public money, while shrinking their investments to innovation. The Pentagon has reported that over the past decade, research and development is down, but corporate payouts for prime contractors are up. Meanwhile, they are lobbying Congress for more cash every year. Top brass warn that late, over-budget defense orders threaten our readiness. National security shouldn't be subject to the whims of Wall Street or crazy ideas of shareholder primacy. Public money shouldn't bankroll stock buybacks. It doesn't have to be this way. We should, once again, ban buybacks. They used to be illegal, and should be again. We need smarter industrial policy to break up these monopolies so we have got real competition in the defense industry.

Mr. DELUZIO

Mr. DELUZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule to advance this bill. I am opposed to the bill. This bill includes massive cuts to veterans' care, 30 million fewer medical visits for my fellow veterans. We are going to see my fellow veterans wait longer to have their claims heard. They are going to see telehealth get worse, mental health services get worse, and homelessness issues get worse. This bill is a betrayal of the obligation this country has to everyone who served. I have seen my fellow veterans used as props on folks' websites and in their ads, people wrap themselves in the flag. Guess what? You don't get to claim you are here for veterans, standing up for veterans when you cut their care. That is what this bill does. It is a disgrace. Everyone in the country ought to know it. We ought to vote it down.