Betty McCollum

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel), a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), in support of this en bloc, which I also support.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chairman, I just want to be clear, in this bill we pay for our troops and our military to equip and do training, but in this bill there is no funding for salaries for Ukrainian troops. Mr. Chair, I thank the chair for working in such a bipartisan fashion for these en bloc amendments, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania for bringing this forward. I wholeheartedly support her amendment, and I hope that it will be adopted in the bill.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Texas for sharing his journey, and I am glad he is doing well. I don't oppose the study of many of these drugs, but I am going to lay out why, in this particular instance, I am going to oppose this. On this floor we have had many a debate about whether or not medical marijuana should be used for post-traumatic stress for veterans and whether we should do research and all kinds of things, things I have supported. Time and time again we haven't done that, in part because it is a schedule I class drug. The Department is concerned about a study involving Active-Duty servicemembers. They acknowledge, and I am glad that they do, that the benefits are being pursued by veterans. The implementation for Active- Duty servicemembers would be much more challenging at this time because it involves questions around clearances, legal hurdles, and the logistics that would just appear to hamper the success of a pilot program or study with Active-Duty servicemembers. As I said, schedule I--I gave the example of marijuana--under the Controlled Substances Act means that they have a high potential for abuse and there is no currently accepted medical treatment in the United States for this right now. There is a lack of accepted safety and there is no medical supervision in a way we can move forward. For this reason, the Defense Health Agency does not believe it could be implemented. I support working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to look at anything we can do to help welcome our servicemen and servicewomen home and to find the help that they need. Currently, with the way that this amendment is written, I reluctantly cannot support the gentleman's amendment. I look forward to working with the gentleman in the future on this. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, Ukraine is a democracy. It is a democracy fighting for its life every single day, and the world is watching. The brave men and women of Ukraine are fighting to protect their democracy. Vladimir Putin violated international law with his illegal invasion of Ukraine. Putin and his thugs are committing war crimes on a mass scale in Ukraine, including the senseless murder of civilians, even while they are in the hospital. He continues to violate international laws by deliberately targeting marketplaces, supermarkets, daycares, and apartment buildings. Putin has also broken other international laws by permitting--encouraging, not just permitting--encouraging the abduction of Ukrainian children to be taken from their families and their parents. Democracies need to stand together, and that is what they have been doing. It is the responsibility of the United States, the strongest democracy, and all nations that respect democratically elected governments to support Ukraine's fight against this unlawful Russian aggression. That is exactly why we have seen such a global response to these atrocities. Our allies, our partners, our fellow democracies are also supporting Ukraine in this fight by providing tanks donated by allies and partners; air defense artillery rounds donated by allies and partners; fighter aircraft donated 100 percent by allies and partners; mid- to long-range air defense systems 75 percent donated by allies and partners; counter unmanned aerial systems 69 percent donated by allies and partners; 155-millimeter artillery systems 64 percent donated by allies and partners; Armor, personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles 63 percent donated by allies and partners; Stinger missiles 52 percent donated by allies and partners; Javelin command launch units 52 percent donated by allies and partners; Javelin missiles 46 percent donated by allies and partners. America is not providing support alone. The democracies are together on this. I would point out for a fact that when Ukraine decided to become a democracy, to engage in the free world, they gave up their nuclear weapons. They gave them up. What they are just asking for us right now is to support a fellow democracy. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to strongly oppose this amendment. Support Ukrainians in their struggle to defend their homeland. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I have some disagreement with some of the, I want to say, opinions put forward by the gentleman. We do have oversight at our embassy on where equipment is going. The chair and I have been in classified briefings asking these very tough questions together because, you are right, we want accountability. As we saw, when the President of Ukraine didn't think he was getting the accountability he deserved from his military leaders and people in his government, he very publicly removed them and said: No, this is not acceptable to me. The oversight is taking place, and our allies are also doing oversight. As I pointed out earlier, this is an invasion that was brought on for no other reason than a land grab. Putin is trying to put Russia back in an image that he wants to see it in the future. Who is watching him do this and who is watching who stands up to him? Well, Russia is watching as to what we do, and we know China is with all the chatter we are now hearing about Taiwan. What does that mean? That means that democracies have to stand together to support another democracy. As I mentioned earlier today, I was previously a social studies teacher. Take out a map and take a look at the emerging democracies in the area who feel under threat from Russia. Take a look at our allies that have suffered through World War II with aggression from Germany. The democracies, Germany included, have learned from that lesson: We cannot be silent. We have to be there for each other. Mr. Chair, I will also point out that the money that is being put forward, again, is for equipment and training, and we are doing that with NATO. We are doing that together. As I said, I feel very passionately about supporting Ukraine.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment to have a discussion with the gentleman.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, we have had this provision in the bill for the last 2 years to prohibit funding for the work performed by EcoHealth Alliance for research within China. As the gentleman is very aware of, because he is very knowledgeable of this, it is a global nonprofit organization that works to protect wildlife and public health from the emergence of disease. This is enacted in law, and we have worked in a bipartisan manner on the committee on this. The gentleman's amendment, if I understand it correctly, now seeks to establish a full prohibition on funding to EcoHealth Alliance, Inc., in this bill. I thank the gentleman for the fact that his amendment preserves the waiver option for the Secretary of Defense to make a determination that working with EcoHealth Alliance remains a national security interest. As we move forward, I would like to better understand any ramifications as we move to this broader exemption that the gentleman wants to do as we go to committee to make sure that it lives up to what I heard him say on the floor, to my understanding, with the waiver. I work a lot on the ICC, the International Conservation Caucus, so I want to make sure that the wildlife work that we are doing is protected as well as the research. I thank the gentleman for bringing this forward, but I have a few more questions, and we will work on it during conference. Mr. Chair, I would also just reflect on something that the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Crane) said in our last debate, where he implied fertilizer and other materials were being supported by the United States Government. That is correct, but that is in the State Department bill. What I said about what we were supporting and not doing in this bill, I was factual with, and I just wanted the gentleman from Arizona to understand that what he was talking about, I wasn't confused, it is in the State and Foreign Operations bill. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of the amendment by the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett). We know that these countries are seeking to influence our way of life, to find ways to divide us and ultimately make us weaker. We know that China and Russia are very active in this. They are even working to seek to influence our elections and disrupt our democracy. This amendment is necessary to ensure that we have the tools necessary to fight against these nefarious actions. I support this amendment, and I hope my colleagues will do the same.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in the strongest opposition to this amendment.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect when being addressed. Assistant Secretary Skelly has served in her role admirably, as she has done as her time as a naval officer. Assistant Secretary Skelly has been a naval fighter for over 20 years. I am a little upset because the lack of respect that has been shown to Secretary Skelly by the last speaker is surprising for me on this House floor, which we hold in such high esteem. She has been a naval flight officer for 20 years, including time spent in the Pacific. While we are all aware of how important this region is right now, there is absolutely no basis for this amendment. The colleague who offers this amendment provides no real substantive reason why Assistant Secretary Skelly should have her salary reduced. There is only one reason why Assistant Secretary Skelly is being targeted, because she is simply a woman. I have fought long and hard with many women before me and with our allies for pay equity. We still have a long way to go, but I am never going to vote to reduce a woman's salary. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, when it comes to service to our country, there are a couple of things we ask from people: To take a loyalty oath, and they do that; to pass basic training and to be up and fit for the job that they are called upon to do, and they do that. Secretary Skelly qualifies in all those areas. As far as the conversation that my colleague is having, I am not going to engage in hateful rhetoric, Mr. Chair. Instead, I will focus on the admirable service that our transgender, gay, bisexual members do in an all-volunteer Army. They volunteer to put their lives on the line. They deserve the dignity and respect this House can give them. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I am just baffled here that we can pick and choose what is science and what is not science, what is human rights and dignity and respect and what is not human rights and dignity and respect. I look forward to having a discussion on climate change based on science with the gentlewoman from Colorado at some point in time. Mr. Chair, I thank all our servicemen and -women for their service, and their families, who serve alongside them. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, Dr. Dillard has dedicated his life to service to the United States. Commissioned in the United States Army in 1981, he served for 26 years and retired as a colonel after numerous command and staff positions. I thank him for his service. In his current position as director of diversity and inclusion, he provides oversight and guidance to individuals working across the Department of Defense on these issues, and he has the experience to know where improvements can be made. The goals of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion promote the Department of Defense culture of dignity and respect that values diversity and inclusion and readiness imperatives. As the Department executes the Secretary of Defense's direction to ``take care of our people,'' it is about supporting both the servicemember and their family, regardless of who they are. It is about having their backs while they put their lives on the line in the defense of this country. The chairman and others in this room are fond of Ronald Reagan, so I offer a quote: ``Government's first duty is to protect the people, not to run their lives.'' Rather than trying to run the lives of each servicemember into the ground, let us concentrate on what should be the focus of this bill-- ensuring that our military servicemembers have the tools they need to defend our Nation and to come home safely. Need I remind everyone in the room that we are in the middle of a recruitment crisis? The chair and I have heard why we are in the middle of a recruitment crisis. Many companies and private businesses are in the middle of a recruitment crisis. What are they doing? They are opening up positions for diversity and inclusion to make sure people know that they are welcome in their companies. We want to make sure that people are welcomed in the Department of Defense. We must find ways to attract young people to choose to serve this country, to know that their service will be honored. If they feel that serving in different branches of the Department will open them up to ridicule, disrespect, or worse, why would they volunteer to serve and put their lives on the line? Mr. Dillard is trying to ensure that all feel welcome. He should not be vilified for that. He should be applauded. Let's stop the attacks on building a diverse force that represents all of America. Mr. Chair, I remember as a young high school student--I am not afraid to admit my age with my gray hair--in 1972, all the discussions about women in the military academy. That was a radical idea. You know what the military had to do. They had to go out and recruit, and they had to show that they wanted the diversity. They wanted the respect. I am proud I do that with my military academies, where I have Hmong, African Americans, and people from different sexual orientations apply to serve our country. They put their lives on the line. It is duty first for them. Let's stop the attacks on building a diverse force. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, some of the remarks that my colleague made, I am not even going to bother to respond to because I don't think they are appropriate for this august Chamber which we are in. The military only takes people who are qualified to serve. Then after they have done their service for our country, they should still be respected. This is a very sad conversation that we are having, and I go back to the fact about diversity. I will use the example of the Hmong in my community who fought along with our soldiers in Vietnam and protected and rescued many of our pilots. They came here, and they didn't have a written language. They came here, and they didn't know about military academies. They wanted to honor and serve our country, but they weren't quite sure how to go about it. What did we do? We created opportunities for diversity and inclusion, and it is amazing when you put a hand out to somebody and say: We want you to be part of this great Nation. You are willing to put your life on the line, and we thank you for that. The chair and I know why we have a recruitment problem. I understand why we have a recruitment problem. I serve on the committee, and I am doing everything I can to address it, and part of that is this office. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.