00:02My name is Major retired Richard Ojeda. I served 24 years in the United States
00:06military with combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. And I'm sick and tired
00:11of politicians who wrap themselves in the American flag, beat the drums of war,
00:16and send somebody else's child off to die. Families in my district watched
00:21their loved ones deploy from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, believing that they
00:24would be home in a couple of weeks. Then came the letter. Their deployment has
00:28been extended to an entire year. A year of missed birthdays, missed anniversaries,
00:34children growing up without without their mom or their dad. A year of
00:38nightmares filled with flag-draped coffins. And for what? Donald Trump's ego?
00:44Another billion dollars for Raytheon? This administration dragged our sons and
00:48daughters into a war with Iran without a clear exit strategy, without a plan for
00:53bringing them home, and without answering the most important question, what the
00:57hell are we fighting for? Our troops deserve better. Our veterans deserve
01:02better. The families who sacrifice everything for this country deserve a
01:07hell of a lot better. And I'll be damned if we keep letting politicians send our
01:11sons and daughters off to fight wars that they wouldn't have the guts to fight for
01:16themselves. These are not chess pieces on Donald Trump's board. They are not pawns.
01:23They are not prophets. They are our sons and our daughters. And it's time to bring
01:28them home. And for Pete Hegseth, he lucked out. He squeaked through
01:33this one. But make no mistake about it, the 120th Congress, he will not be so lucky.
01:38Tick-tock. Get ready, asshole, because we're coming.
01:45All right. I'm introduced from New York, excuse me, from California, Mike Thompson.
01:52I asked my colleagues, we're losing this space in a little less than 10 minutes,
01:54so keep it to one minute, please. That's a tough one to follow. I'm very proud to be
01:59here with these incredible patriots today. I'm proud to serve with some of them. And
02:04I'm excited that the new members are here and are going to carry this fight forward.
02:09I'm a proud veteran, served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in combat. And I'm a very
02:17disappointed and very disgusted American at what this leadership has done today. The biggest
02:24cut to veterans programs in history. This is despicable, what they have done. And to do
02:32it on Veterans Day is even worse. We've got some big problems. And everyone who has spoken
02:38has talked about the different types of leadership that Hespeth has shown. Let's be clear, he is
02:45not a leader. If I followed him, it would be out of blind ignorance and blind curiosity as to where
02:55he's going. He has not charted a good course. He's put our service members in jeopardy. And he's made
03:02our country less safe. He has got to go. And this illegal war has got to stop. No more forever
03:11wars.
03:12And it's my honor to represent or to introduce Kate Connolly from New York.
03:18Thanks, sir.
03:21Good afternoon. I'm Kate Connolly, representative elect from New York 17th district. And it is a
03:26privilege to be here today alongside my fellow brothers and sisters in service to honor America's
03:32veterans. America is the home of the brave. Over the last 20 years, I spent in uniform from the
03:38hallowed halls of West Point to six tours overseas combat zones like Iraq and Afghanistan protecting
03:44this country. I've had the firsthand experience of seeing our brave men and women in action,
03:50their bravery, their honor, their selflessness in a fight to this country.
03:54These courageous men and women give all of themselves in defense of America,
03:58swearing an oath to our Constitution to put country before any person or party
04:03and a willingness to make that ultimate sacrifice if necessary. They are the best of us,
04:09and they deserve a hell of a lot better. Right now, what we're seeing is a betrayal
04:15of those who've put their lives on the line for this country.
04:19They deserve a government that will deliver for them, not just with lip service,
04:24but with the services that they have earned. That means a VA that functions. That means mental
04:29health care and job opportunities and retraining programs and lower cause so that when they come
04:34home, they don't just survive, they thrive. And we have to put an end to these endless reckless wars
04:41to make sure that our veterans, the lives that they are putting on the line are honored and not
04:47treated as something disposable or dishonored with recklessness that we're seeing from Pete Hegseth
04:51and this Congress. As my colleague just said from North Carolina, while Mike Johnson's 119th Congress
04:59continues to betray our veterans, Hakeem Jeffries, 120th will not. We're coming in to fight for the
05:06people who fight for us. And so for all the veterans out there, make no mistake, your Democratic caucus
05:12has your back, has now and always will.
