Lehigh Times

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the debt ceiling crisis continues, Congresswoman Susan Wild spoke on the House floor to slam GOP leadership’s extreme decision to hold the economy hostage and push unreasonable cuts that would harm Pennsylvania veterans.

“More than 272,000 Pennsylvania veterans’ medical care and outpatient visits would be at risk due to slashed VA funding,” said Rep. Susan Wild. “The 29 percent of Pennsylvania veterans who live with disabilities will face more red tape and longer wait times, undermining needed medical care. This is not what keeping our promises to those who served us to protect us looks like. Our veterans, and the American people, deserve better.”

Rep. Wild has previously warned of the catastrophic impact that defaulting on United States national debt would have on the national and global economy, calling for separation between a debt ceiling increase and budget negotiations – and pointing out that a clean debt ceiling increase took place three times under the Trump administration. Rep. Wild continues to advocate for a reasonable bipartisan deal to raise the debt ceiling and avert an economic crisis that would be devastating for working families in Pennsylvania Seven.

Click HERE to view Rep. Wild’s entire speech or view a transcript of her remarks below:

“As we stare down a completely manufactured economic crisis, I sure hope we can come together to avoid a default.

“But the proposal from the far right of the GOP—one that holds our economy hostage to enact extreme budget cuts—would hurt veterans most of all. Veterans in my district, across Pennsylvania, and across the United States.

“Pennsylvania has the fourth highest veteran population, so I’m not talking hypotheticals when it comes to how VHA cuts would impact our veterans.

“If they get their way, more than 272,000 Pennsylvania veterans’ medical care and outpatient visits would be at risk due to slashed VA funding. The 29 percent of Pennsylvania veterans who live with disabilities will face more red tape and longer wait times, undermining needed medical care.

“This is NOT what keeping our promises to those who served us to protect us looks like. Our veterans, and the American people, deserve better.”

Original source can be found here.