Providing for Consideration of H.R. Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, Providing for Consideration of S.J. Res. Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title United States Code, of the Rule Submitted By the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Relating to ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser Prairie- Chicken; Threatened Status with Section 4(D) Rule for the Northern Distinct Population Segment and Endangered Status for the Southern Distinct Population Segment''; and Providing for Consideration of S.J. Res. Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title United States Code, of the Rule Submitted By the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Relating to ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for Northern Long-Eared Bat''

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.

I rise to take note of the sad irony that the extreme Republican majority is bringing this appropriations bill to the floor on the 75th anniversary of President Truman's desegregation of the Armed Forces.

President Truman's heritage would suggest that he would be an unlikely champion for civil rights. He grew up in a segregated town in Missouri, in a family that owned slaves and defended slavery.

When our 33rd President heard of the blinding of Sergeant Isaac Woodard, Jr., a decorated Black World War II veteran who was brutally attacked by a police officer while traveling home to Winnsboro, South Carolina, on a Greyhound bus--still in his uniform after being honorably discharged--Truman was moved to forsake his upbringing and desegregate the Armed Forces.

President Truman courageously recognized and acted to further our Nation's fundamental obligation to our servicemembers and veterans, regardless of their backgrounds.

We should be working to build upon the progress he made, but regrettably, the MILCON-VA bill that the majority is bringing to the floor today would constitute a significant step backward.

This ill-conceived legislation, in addition to reducing funds for the military construction projects that are fundamental to our servicemembers' quality of life, is also an attack on the dignity of our veterans.

It attacks the dignity of women veterans by blocking reproductive healthcare when their health is endangered.

It attacks the dignity of veterans in need of gender-affirming care by blocking the VA from providing it, even if it is recommended by a doctor.

It attacks the dignity of veterans and all Americans of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality by blocking the Biden administration's ongoing efforts to advance equity.

President Truman recognized that our national security is enhanced by respecting the dignity of all American patriots who sacrifice to defend it. This legislation being brought today by the extreme Republican majority is at odds with that principle.

If the Members of today's extreme Republican majority were in office in 1948, I fear they would have attacked President Truman's desegregation order as an unacceptable diversity, equity, and inclusion measure, which section 417 of this legislation would ban.

I fear that if this bill were enacted into law, it would prevent the military from discussing the blinding of Sergeant Isaac Woodard and its influence on President Truman because the topic would be deemed critical race theory, which would be banned by section 415, rather than the historical fact that it was.

Will this section ban our military leaders from making repairs to the GI Bill benefits that were denied Black World War II veterans?

Mr. Speaker, when President Truman was informed of Isaac Woodard's blinding, he reportedly exclaimed: ``My God, I had no idea it was as terrible as that. We have got to do something.'' Sadly, this extreme Republican majority seems to find new ways to be terrible every week.

I rise in opposition to the consideration of this awful bill because Democrats know we have got to do something to prevent them from pushing us off our trek toward a more perfect Union that President Truman so courageously advanced 75 years ago today.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source