While taking questions from reporters at a Senate Democratic Veterans Affairs Committee members press briefing, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) says he will not vote for the CR.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Senator, if there's a government shutdown,
00:02do you think that could speed up some of the things
00:04that the Trump administration does
00:06want to do with the aid employees in terms
00:07of cutting personnel, services, programs, et cetera?
00:11You know, I'm not going to speculate
00:13on what the Trump administration might do
00:18in case of a government shutdown.
00:21This continuing resolution also creates a kind of slush fund
00:27for Donald Trump and may give him unbridled discretion
00:32so they are both potential licenses
00:38for illegal action on the part of Donald Trump.
00:40What's important now is to pass legislation
00:43that protects veterans.
00:46We're protecting veterans to make sure
00:49they get the services they need and deserve in health care,
00:54in disability benefits.
00:55They depend on both.
00:58And we want expedited action for this legislation
01:02because it's the only way to guarantee
01:05that they will be kept on the job serving fellow veterans.
01:10And I just want to make a point that emphasize
01:15a point that Bernie made.
01:16You know, the most powerful voices and faces
01:20for this legislation are veterans.
01:23We got two Marines here, Marine Corps Reserve,
01:28and there are the veteran service organizations
01:32that came before our committee.
01:33And the veterans of foreign wars,
01:36Commander-in-Chief said to us, stop the bleeding.
01:42Stop the bleeding.
01:45That's what I tell my colleagues in the United States Senate
01:50and in the Congress.
01:51We need to stop the bleeding.
01:54And whether it's a shutdown or a continuing resolution,
01:57this legislation is absolutely necessary to stop the bleeding.
02:02It is literally a matter of life and death,
02:04not just in the hospitals
02:07where veterans are waiting for surgery,
02:09where doctors and nurses can't do what they need
02:13to provide to our veterans, but also the PAC Act,
02:17where veterans are dependent on the disability benefits
02:21to live, put food on the table, pay their rent,
02:25and compensate for their disabilities
02:28resulting from exposure to the burn pits
02:31and other toxic chemicals.
02:32Can I just say one thing?
02:35I don't know what Trump's going to do,
02:37but I can tell you right now,
02:38this is the most anti-veteran administration
02:40in the history of this country.
02:43But I know what's in the CR.
02:44In the CR, there's more than a billion-dollar
02:46of cuts to veteran benefits.
02:48Clearly stated, the Republican Party is pushing a budget,
02:53not a CR, because this thing is brand new,
02:55that is more than a billion-dollar cuts to veterans.
02:59So I know for a fact I will not vote
03:01for something that cuts veteran services.
03:03And that's what's in that bill.
03:05Whether it passes, whether not, whether we go to shutdown,
03:07what Trump decides to do, he has to decide.
03:10But I will not take part in knowingly cutting
03:15more than a billion dollars from the VA.
03:16And that's just the start.
03:17There is a lot more that he could do
03:19if we give him that power.
03:20Thank you. I got to head out.
03:22Question for Senator Sanders.
03:23Given the billion dollars in cuts to veteran benefits
03:26in the House-passed CR,
03:28what are you advising your Senate colleagues
03:29to do on that vote, on that six-month bill,
03:32if the alternative is a possible shutdown?
03:34No.
03:36I think what Senator Gallego just said is right.
03:42Let's be clear.
03:43This bill, for the first time in modern history,
03:47this CR was not written by representatives of both parties.
03:52It wasn't the Senate and the House coming together.
03:54It was written by right-wing House Republicans
03:58who managed to get it passed in the House by a few votes.
04:02I think what has got to happen right now
04:04is that we prevent the government from shutting down
04:09by passing a 30-day CR that will allow all sides
04:14to come together to work out a budget
04:17that works for all people
04:18rather than just the billionaire class.
04:22And you have three no votes on the CR here.
04:25I've got to run. I've got to be on the floor.
04:27Okay.
04:30Thank you all for being here.
04:31Yeah.
04:32Earlier this week, you said that you're not getting
04:34a lot of information from the VA about these firings.
04:37Has anything improved in the last few days?
04:39Have you gotten any more clarity on how many veterans or what?
04:43Crickets.
04:45This VA is the most unresponsive of any
04:48that I've seen in my time here.
04:51It is the least transparent,
04:53but it's opening its files to Elon Musk
04:57so that he can rummage through them,
04:59harvest personal, confidential, private information,
05:02including potentially healthcare information.
05:06And this bill would stop it.
05:09It would give veterans rights against that kind of invasion
05:13and intrusive conduct and abuse of power.
05:18And, you know, we know for sure,
05:21Elon Musk has never worn any uniform.
05:25Donald Trump thinks veterans are suckers.
05:28That's the mentality of this administration.
05:30That's the disrespect it has for veterans,
05:33and that's why this legislation is necessary.
05:35Thanks, everyone.