I started my week with the House Committee on Appropriations reviewing the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill. The Republican’s bill attacks veterans’ benefits and care and breaks our promise to our service members that when they come home, we will take care of them. 

During the hearing, my colleagues and I secured over $50 billion for veterans who suffered from toxic exposure. We fought back against Republicans’ attempt to scrap this funding and won for the veterans who trusted us with their care. 

 
It’s an important win, but their funding bill still fails our veterans. I’ll keep fighting for funding that invests in our veterans and their families.

According to the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, the Trump administration plans to reduce our support for our ally, Ukraine, in their greatest time of need. Two and a half years into Russia’s unprovoked war, we cannot abandon Ukraine in their fight to defend freedom and democracy. 

I questioned the Secretary on the Trump administration’s plans to support our ally during a hearing this week: 

The proposed Republican funding bill for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration will raise costs, gut investments to rural communities, and rip food away from hungry kids and families. 

If my colleagues on the other side of the aisle were serious about investing in America, they wouldn’t be trying to take fruit and vegetables away from children. 

Investing in America means making sure families can put food on the table and children can grow up healthy and strong. That’s how we secure our nation’s future.  

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense, I spoke during our hearing this week on the funding bill proposed by House Republicans. I’m fighting for a Defense funding bill that invests in our national security and military readiness—not one that provides more tax breaks for billionaires. 

However, our nation’s commander-in-chief can’t even be bothered to respond to our budget request. We have no real idea what the priorities are, and we cannot ensure we’re doing the utmost to defend the citizens of our country without one. 
 
We have to do better than this.