Deb Haaland
Editor’s Note: The following are remarks from New México Congresswoman Deb Haaland on February 5, regarding the articles of impeachment against the president:
This is a sad day for our democracy. President Trump abused the power of his office, put our national security at risk and should be removed from office as a result. Instead of holding the president accountable, the Republican-led Senate turned its back on the truth and the American people should be outraged.
Every person in this country deserves a fair shot at success, but President Trump is failing hard-working American families. Last night, President Trump gave a misleading picture. The reality is that Trump’s policies are immoral and they hurt women and children in our communities while enriching himself and his friends.
As I escorted President Trump to the House Chamber, I was representing our For the People Agenda, a bold contrast to President Trump, reminding everyone that this country is for them – no matter where they come from, what their background, or who they love. As President Trump expands his Muslim ban and his officials announce that they will target DREAMers, I am proud that my colleagues and I passed the American Dream and Promise Act and I will fight for us to pass the No BAN Act to put an end to this and future discriminatory travel bans. As a Vice Chair of the Equality Caucus, I am advocating against the attacks on our LGBTQ community and am using my new position on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee to hold this Administration accountable.
I believe our best days are ahead of us and we don’t have to accept President Trump’s policies that enrich the wealthy instead of our future.
President Trump touts a growing economy, but his policies are failing hard-working American families while enriching himself and his friends. And under Attorney General Barr, the Department of Justice is fighting in court to repeal the ACA, taking away healthcare from thousands of New Mexicans. President Trump has even announced he plans to cut Social Security and Medicare.
Families in New México and across the country know that this Administration’s policies are working for the wealthy and well-connected, while hurting hardworking families. Almost 50,000 New Mexicans in our district rely on SNAP to feed their families, but are now threatened by rule changes that will take food away from hundreds of thousands of people across the country. As someone who had to rely on SNAP at times to keep food on the table, I know how important these programs are to our community. I will work with my colleagues to fight on behalf of every day New Mexicans, not just the wealthy.
While President Trump claims to make us safer, he has disarmed us in our fight against climate change, which remains our greatest national security threat. I am proud to have voted for and passed the Climate Action Now Act, a bill aligning us the Paris Climate Accords and restoring our position leading the world in this fight. The House of Representatives also passed the Scientific Integrity Act to ensure all decisions made by the federal government follow sound science instead of the whims of lobbyists. As the Vice Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, I will continue to hold up New México’s commitment to a renewable energy revolution as an example for the rest of the country.
The President tried to claim credit for improving our national security, but instead he nearly dragged us into an unnecessary war and stole money from vital projects for his misguided border wall. New Mexicans have a proud history of heeding the call to service and deserve leadership that works for them, not uses them as props. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I was able to get housing protections for our military families, which will help all of our serving families living on Kirtland Air Force Base, as well as provisions to start the PFAS cleanup on Kirtland.
Lastly, my membership on the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the U.S. puts me in a position to hold the federal government to its trust responsibility to provide for healthcare, public safety, housing, and infrastructure programs. As part of this effort, I will continue to be a tireless advocate for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women so we can give a voice to this silent crisis and enact concrete solutions to address it.
We do have things to be proud of over this past year, there have been victories and improvements for everyday Americans due to the House of Representatives. I believe our best days are ahead of us and we don’t have to accept President Trump’s policies that enrich the wealthy instead of our future.
Congresswoman Deb Haaland represents the 1st District of New México.
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