Rep. Sykes Issues Statement On Partisan Military Construction, Veterans Affairs Bill Which Fails Our Veterans and Servicemembers
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Representative Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13) issued a statement after voting against H.R. 4366, House Republican legislation which worsens the quality of life for servicemembers and their families and undermines military readiness.
“Our servicemembers and veterans have sacrificed greatly to serve our country, and they deserve our utmost support in return for their service. While House Democrats were able to successfully stop some of the most extreme Republican attacks which would have gutted veterans’ healthcare programs, this bill ultimately still fails to honor our commitment to our veterans and servicemembers,” said Rep. Sykes. “I will continue to fight to ensure our veterans and our men and women in uniform have the full range of support and opportunities they deserve.”
H.R. 4366, the Fiscal Year 2024 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies funding bill, fails to honor our commitment to veterans, servicemembers, and their families. The bill:
- Worsens the quality of life for servicemembers and their families and hurts military readiness by cutting military construction by over $1.5 billion compared to the current level, and does not include dedicated funding for PFAS remediation and cleanup;
- Disarms our military in the face of the climate crisis by failing to include additional, dedicated funding for military installation climate change and resilience projects, which is a cut of $90 million from the current level. Without this funding, military installations will fail to adapt to rising sea levels and worsening natural disasters, putting servicemembers and our national security at risk;
- Further limits women’s access to abortion by prohibiting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from implementing its interim final rule on abortions, putting women at risk by making it harder for veterans to access healthcare; and
- Disenfranchises veterans rather than making the VA a welcoming and inclusive resource for all those who have volunteered to serve our country.
40,461 veterans live in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, and 6,281 active-duty military members reside in Ohio.
H.R. 4366 awaits consideration by the U.S. Senate.