America Deserves Better (Cong. Rec., June 15, 2021)
Summary
This is H2751 of the Congressional Record, House, June 15, 2021, with interleaved columns. The page begins with the end of a statement thanking VA staff at the Manchester medical center for clearing a backlog of community care claims. Under the heading America Deserves Better, a speaker criticizes President Biden's budget, citing $174 billion for electric vehicle subsidies and $2 billion for care of unaccompanied migrant children. Under the heading Celebrating Caribbean-American Heritage Month, Ms. Plaskett is recognized for 5 minutes and speaks about the contributions of Caribbean Americans, with the views and figures attributed to the speakers.
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“America Deserves Better (Cong. Rec., June 15, 2021).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-06-15-crec-2021-06-15-pt1-pgh2751-91380c1416/
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June 15, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2751
The Manchester VA Medical Center’s earned dollars fixing problems he cre- dren, our children, one where they
Office of Community Care steadily ated. don’t have to pay President Biden’s
plowed through the backlog, giving He wants us spending $174 billion on debts and suffer the consequences of ir-
specialized attention to each provider. electric cars, carports, car charging responsible and egregious spending.
After more than 15 months of their stations, and other subsidies to the America deserves better.
hard work, I am proud these diligent electric vehicle market in a full-on at- f
efforts have resulted in tens of millions tempt to replace the oil and gas indus-
try; $40 billion to retain employees who CELEBRATING CARIBBEAN-
of dollars of paid claims to New Hamp-
lost their jobs after he blocked the AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
shire’s VA Community Care providers.
They were so successful in this work Keystone pipeline and destroyed thou- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The
that their internal process is now being sands of energy jobs; and a total of $36 Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from
shared nationally across the VA sys- billion to combat climate change, the Virgin Islands (Ms. PLASKETT) for 5
tem as a model. bringing back the waters of the U.S. minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to person- rule and mandating 30 percent of our Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, it is
ally thank the team members at the privately owned land be locked in con- spring, the beginning of summer, but it
VA in Manchester who put in so many servation practices. President Biden’s is also Caribbean-American Heritage
hours to address this backlog, includ- budget is the progressive’s Green New Month this June. It brings me great
ing: Deal in disguise, and America doesn’t pride to join Virgin Islanders and other
Michelle Mercer, who spent consider- want anything to do with it. Caribbean people across the country in
able time dealing with each member’s President Biden wants $2 billion to celebrating Caribbean-American Herit-
hospital billing department; provide care for unaccompanied mi- age Month.
Patricia Patterson, who also spent grant children at our southern border As a Virgin Islander and an American
considerable time dealing with each after he put millions of innocent chil- of Caribbean descent, I am proud to
member’s billing department; dren in harm’s way and encouraged im- celebrate the life, legacy, and achieve-
Tracy Allaire, who worked closely migrants to cross illegally. He wants ment of Caribbean people in this coun-
with Tri-West on claims on behalf of no extension of funding to complete try. Virgin Islanders and other Ameri-
hospitals on the back end; the already nearly finished wall system cans of Caribbean lineage have made
Charlene Eaton, who supervised and or money to enforce our immigration enormous contributions to the United
provided oversight to the VA Office of laws at the border and instead instated States through academia, athletics,
Community Care staff; an executive order stopping construc- the arts, and more.
Dr. Brain Phemester, who worked tion on the very wall that keeps our Caribbeans have been involved in this
and provided leadership and served as a country safe. country since its inception, such as des
conduit between VA Central Office and President Biden wants $63.5 billion gens de couleurs libres, who included
the New Hampshire Hospital Associa- for international affairs spending, a 12 800 French-Caribbean soldiers, 500 of
tion and its members; percent increase from 2022 that lacks whom were Haitian free men of color
And Daniel Wilson, who initially specific defense funding for Israel, who fought at the battle of Savannah
spearheaded the billing resolution ef- America’s only democratic ally in the for the Colonies in the American Revo-
fort within the VA Central Office, and Middle East. His omission is clear and lution.
worked with our district office and the comes at a time when the terrorist or- Caribbean-American Heritage Month
Hospital Association. ganization Hamas launched hundreds was officially celebrated and recog-
These Manchester VA Medical Center of rockets at Israel in the last month nized on June 5, 2006, by Presidential
employees went above and beyond the alone and when Democrats are on the proclamation signed by President
call of duty for our veterans and the record for their anti-Semitic language George W. Bush. It had been unani-
providers, as well as the future of com- and slurs. mously adopted in the House in 2005
munity care. I couldn’t be more proud And President Biden refuses to pro- through the unwavering power of our
to be able to recognize them for their tect our dollars from being spent on colleague BARBARA LEE, who sponsored
efforts here today. abortions or abortion services. Instead, the legislation. Since 2006, the White
for the first time in four decades, no House has released an annual procla-
f
such protection exists, a protection mation recognizing June as National
b 1015 that 77 percent of Americans support Caribbean-American Heritage Month.
and a protection even Biden supported Caribbean Americans have added to
AMERICA DESERVES BETTER the history, culture, and communities
for years before his Presidential cam-
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The paign. in America in countless ways. The
Chair recognizes the gentleman from On top of all this, President Biden unique relationship between the United
Kansas (Mr. MANN) for 5 minutes. claims his budget is partly in response States and the Caribbean has enriched
Mr. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic, but both regions, and this month is a won-
in fierce opposition to President like the American Rescue Plan, it, too, derful time to celebrate our shared
Biden’s proposed budget. fails to investigate the origins of past and our future.
When he released his budget just a COVID–19. Even more, the Biden ad- We should also look for opportunities
few weeks ago, nearly 3 months later ministration won’t commit that none for us as Americans to pursue new
than any President in a transition of the budget requests would include partnerships on a number of issues
year, by the way, President Biden re- funding for the research at the Wuhan with the Caribbean. From trade, immi-
minded Americans of advice his father lab. gration, disaster preparedness, poverty
gave him years ago. ‘‘Don’t tell me The economic disaster to follow from eradication, and ending HIV/AIDS, the
what you value,’’ Biden’s father told his reckless spending will cripple United States and the Caribbean share
him. ‘‘Show me your budget, and I’ll American families’ purchasing power a number of mutual policy interests.
tell you what you value.’’ and leave future generations with the This year, the COVID–19 pandemic
If that is true, then Biden’s $6 tril- crushing burden of the national debt. It adds a new challenge to both our coun-
lion budget reveals to us exactly what is time we hold President Biden ac- try and our Caribbean neighbors. I will
President Biden values: destroying countable for a budget that would keep fighting to ensure that the United
America’s oil and gas industry, cause our Federal debt to reach 117 per- States works to be an active and con-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE
prioritizing the rights of illegal immi- cent of gross domestic product by 2031, structive partner in safeguarding the
grants over law-abiding Americans, the highest level since World War II, health and welfare of our third border.
funneling foreign aid away from our and continue the record rates of infla- The people of the Caribbean are as
longtime ally Israel, turning a blind tion we are already seeing under Presi- much a part of the fabric of this coun-
eye to protecting the unborn. dent Biden. try as anyone else. We are not mono-
Under the Biden budget, President I ran for Congress with the intention lithic, nor do we represent one culture,
Biden suggests we spend our hard- of creating a better world for my chil- one ideology, or even one ethnicity.
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