During debate on the House floor, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) tore into legislation brought by House Republicans during National Police Week.
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00:00Today, as every day, I stand in honor of our police and our law enforcement.
00:06I often say to those who serve that to serve is an act of love.
00:13And I recognize the love that those who step up to put their lives on the line,
00:20to put their lives in the place of danger to protect us.
00:25So I honor that service and that love.
00:28But today, like last night, I heard an outrageous lie about which party supports law enforcement.
00:37So let's look at the facts.
00:39The Republican president, Mr. Donald Trump's proposed budget will slash funding for the ATF and Drug Enforcement Administration,
00:48fire FBI employees, wipe out community policing grants, and gut civil rights enforcement.
00:56Trump's budget doesn't support local law enforcement.
01:00It hurts them.
01:01In my rural district, local law enforcement actually needs more support.
01:06And I am outraged when Republicans say federal help is just duplicative, which is what they said last night in rules.
01:14I have spoken with the police officers, the sheriffs, who traverse thousands of miles of bumpy rural roads in my district.
01:23Rio Arriba County, for example, is bigger than the state of Connecticut, yet it has fewer than two dozen police officers.
01:34You know what helps a small world police department like Rio Arriba?
01:38You know what the sheriffs need?
01:40They need support from the FBI and federal law enforcement.
01:44So when you cut funding for the FBI, as the Republican President Trump proposes in his budget, you're not cutting.
02:12Duplicative funding, you're cutting essential investigative services.
02:20It's a guarantee that crimes will go unsolved.
02:24The partnership between law enforcement agencies at all levels is critical to keep our community safe,
02:30from the sheriff in Rio Arriba to the Capitol Police officers right outside these doors.
02:36Each plays an important role.
02:39But unfortunately, not everybody respects all of our law enforcement officers.
02:46In this very building, January 6th, insurrectionists brutally attacked the Capitol Police and law enforcement officers from multiple jurisdictions.
02:58More than 140 police suffered injuries and went to the hospital.
03:04Five officers died.
03:07Then, President Trump pardoned the violent thugs who battered those police officers.
03:14Shame.
03:16Every day, we walk by our dedicated Capitol Police, yet very few Republicans have the courage to condemn the pardons of the violent thugs who beat the police.
03:28Last night at rules, we couldn't even get a Republican who's a former prosecutor to condemn the pardons.
03:36More shame.
03:38If Republicans truly backed the blue, they would all denounce those pardons.
03:43Mr. Speaker, I wonder, has my colleague from Texas condemned those pardons?
03:49Is he willing to do so now?
03:51But, Mr. Speaker, I need to tell you that I want to turn to what Americans are focused on right now.
03:59What the thousands of callers to congressional offices Republican and Democrat are worried about.
04:05Republican cuts to Medicaid.
04:07This is a big week for Republicans.
04:10It's there, and I quote what was reported in Punchbowl, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cut Medicaid.
04:19This week, Republican committees, in the dead of night while America was sleeping, took a sledgehammer to life-saving programs like Medicaid.
04:28Let me tell you what's happening, Mr. Speaker.
04:30Democrats fought all night to save 8.6 million Americans from losing access to Medicaid.
04:36And that doesn't include the 4.2 million Americans who will start paying a whole lot more for their health care premiums so big corporations can get their tax deductions.
04:47Republicans voted down every single amendment that Democrats offered to protect Medicaid.
04:54And let me remind everybody, in more than 25 districts, more than a third of the constituents rely on Medicaid.
05:01That includes Republican districts like Nick Begich, Robert Bresnahan, yet not a single Republican had the courage to stand up for their constituents.
05:11The people are showing up in our offices to demand that Republicans listen to them.
05:18Some are protesting in their wheelchairs.
05:22Yesterday, I spoke to a disabled woman named Julie outside the committee markup.
05:2935 years ago, Julie crawled up the House steps to demand that Congress pass the Americans with Disabilities Act.
05:39Now, she's back to beg for the bare minimum.
05:43She told me that she doesn't trust Republicans to protect her health care.
05:47Based on their votes, she's right.
05:50Thirty-five years ago, Congress listened to her plea.
05:54Now, the wealthy interests and Trump's pressure are just too much.
05:59Republicans won't listen to a word, Julie, or the 80 disabled advocates who came here to ask them,
06:07protect Medicaid, protect the services I need.
06:12Even though I'm in this wheelchair, I am not voiceless and I will show up with my power.
06:17If that doesn't break your heart, I don't know what will.
06:22But we do have a broken system that prioritizes the wealthy, the corruption, and loyalty to President Trump
06:29over the health and well-being of people like Julie.
06:338.6 million people will suffer because Republicans took their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cut Medicaid.
06:41Republicans may be gleeful, but Americans will be tearful.
06:45And remember, Congressional Republicans will lie over and over and say,
06:50this isn't about rooting out fraud.
06:53No, it's not.
06:54It's about giving permanent tax cuts to the oligarchs.
06:58In fact, the top 20% of income earners will get 68% of the benefits in their bill.
07:05Make no mistake, people will die as a result of these cuts.
07:09Families will suffer.
07:11Many will grow broke thanks to medical bills, while millionaires get money for more yachts.
07:16Do they really need any more yachts?
07:19Getting back to law enforcement.
07:21You know what the other thing that sheriffs in my district need to respond to crime and to keep people alive?
07:27Rural hospitals.
07:29When Republicans strip $715 billion for Medicaid,
07:33no matter how they try to paint that pig,
07:36they'll be eliminating rural hospitals and emergency rooms.
07:41When they do that,
07:42police officers in rural areas and places like Chama, New Mexico in my district
07:47will have to drive one and a half, two hours to the nearest emergency room.
07:53Ask any first responder.
07:55The quicker you get somebody to an emergency room,
07:59the more likely they are to survive.
08:02When life or death is a matter of minutes,
08:06what Republicans are doing this week is deadly.
08:10I reserve.
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