Floor SpeechUrgent2025-05-15

REPUBLICANS' ASSAULT ON AMERICAN ARTS, CULTURE, AND PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE

HealthcareTaxesInfrastructureAgriculture

Context

On 2025-05-15, Representative Julie Johnson (D-TX-32) delivered a floor speech titled "REPUBLICANS' ASSAULT ON AMERICAN ARTS, CULTURE, AND PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE" in the House.

Full Text

REPUBLICANS' ASSAULT ON AMERICAN ARTS, CULTURE, AND PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 82 (Thursday, May 15, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 82 (Thursday, May 15, 2025)] [House] [Pages H2060-H2061] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] REPUBLICANS' ASSAULT ON AMERICAN ARTS, CULTURE, AND PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE (Ms. Johnson of Texas was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today we are seeing a full scale assault on the arts, culture, and public knowledge in America by Trump and Republicans in this Congress. The administration has made it clear: They are not just trying to defund NPR, PBS, or make changes to the Library of Congress, they are trying to dismantle every institution that informs, educates, and inspires the American people. From Sesame Street to the Smithsonian, from symphony halls to small- town libraries, Republicans are waging a culture war on anything they cannot control. Their goal is simple: Erase facts, silence independent voices, replace them with partisan noise, and use them as propaganda machines to spread disinformation and continue to divide our Nation. The latest example is President Trump's removal of Dr. Carla Hayden as Librarian of Congress, a respected public servant with decades of experience, and his illegal installation of personal attorney, Todd Blanche, in her place. He is not a librarian or a scholar but only a Trump loyalist. It doesn't stop there. Republicans have repeatedly pushed to zero out funding for NPR, a lifeline for rural news and local journalism. They have attacked PBS, which brings educational programming to children who don't have access to cable or broadband. For decades, American children have learned from Big Bird and Elmo. These aren't just TV characters. They have become part of the joys of growing up in this country, and Republicans want to deny our kids the joy and the opportunity to learn for generations in the future. These cornerstones of our civic life belong to the public. Arts and culture should not be partisan. They are how we tell our stories. They are how we learn. They are how we connect across communities, across cultures, and across language. They are worth defending. Congress must protect these institutions. We must safeguard NPR, PBS, and the Library of Congress from being turned into propaganda tools. We must make clear that knowledge, truth, and creativity are not the enemies of democracy, but instead, they are its very foundation. Mr. Speaker, Republicans in this House are proposing a budget that includes devastating cuts to Medicaid. [[Page H2061]] These are cuts they know will negatively impact their constituents, just like they would mine in north Texas. This isn't about balancing a budget, responsibly cutting spending, or making government more efficient. This is about trying to balance the books on the backs of working families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities. In Texas, these healthcare cuts will be catastrophic. We already have the highest uninsured rate in the country, with nearly 5 million people in Texas lacking health coverage. Mr. Speaker, one in four Texas children rely on Medicaid or CHIP, and more than one-half of Texas births are covered by Medicaid. These cuts would gut funding for rural hospitals, eliminate access to care for thousands of Texans with disabilities, and put even more pressure on emergency rooms that are already stretched very thin, causing hospitals to close and making it even harder to find care. It is cruel. It is reckless. It is part of a broader agenda that prioritizes tax breaks for Trump and his friends over healthcare for the people who need it the very most. Instead of expanding Medicaid like we should have done over a decade ago, Republicans are trying to dismantle this basic-needs program altogether. I won't stand by while they try to take healthcare away from Texans who need it most. I will fight tooth and nail to protect Medicaid, to protect our hospitals, and to make sure no Texan is left behind simply because they are sick, struggling, or don't make enough money to exceed the meager income limits for Medicaid. Republicans should be working with us to build a stronger, more equitable health system instead of destroying the one lifeline millions of Texans rely on. Mr. Speaker, Medicaid is the foundation of our healthcare system. It is good for business. It is good for our economy, and it is good for the American people. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join Democrats in defense of this vital program. ____________________

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REPUBLICANS' ASSAULT ON AMERICAN ARTS, CULTURE, AND PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 82 (Thursday, May 15, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 82 (Thursday, May 15, 2025)] [House] [Pages H2060-H2061] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] REPUBLICANS' ASSAULT ON AMERICAN ARTS, CULTURE, AND PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE (Ms. Johnson of Texas was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today we are seeing a full scale assault on the arts, culture, and public knowledge in America by Trump and Republicans in this Congress. The administration has made it clear: They are not just trying to defund NPR, PBS, or make changes to the Library of Congress, they are trying to dismantle every institution that informs, educates, and inspires the American people. From Sesame Street to the Smithsonian, from symphony halls to small- town libraries, Republicans are waging a culture war on anything they cannot control. Their goal is simple: Erase facts, silence independent voices, replace them with partisan noise, and use them as propaganda machines to spread disinformation and continue to divide our Nation. The latest example is President Trump's removal of Dr. Carla Hayden as Librarian of Congress, a respected public servant with decades of experience, and his illegal installation of personal attorney, Todd Blanche, in her place. He is not a librarian or a scholar but only a Trump loyalist. It doesn't stop there. Republicans have repeatedly pushed to zero out funding for NPR, a lifeline for rural news and local journalism. They have attacked PBS, which brings educational programming to children who don't have access to cable or broadband. For decades, American children have learned from Big Bird and Elmo. These aren't just TV characters. They have become part of the joys of growing up in this country, and Republicans want to deny our kids the joy and the opportunity to learn for generations in the future. These cornerstones of our civic life belong to the public. Arts and culture should not be partisan. They are how we tell our stories. They are how we learn. They are how we connect across communities, across cultures, and across language. They are worth defending. Congress must protect these institutions. We must safeguard NPR, PBS, and the Library of Congress from being turned into propaganda tools. We must make clear that knowledge, truth, and creativity are not the enemies of democracy, but instead, they are its very foundation. Mr. Speaker, Republicans in this House are proposing a budget that includes devastating cuts to Medicaid. [[Page H2061]] These are cuts they know will negatively impact their constituents, just like they would mine in north Texas. This isn't about balancing a budget, responsibly cutting spending, or making government more efficient. This is about trying to balance the books on the backs of working families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities. In Texas, these healthcare cuts will be catastrophic. We already have the highest uninsured rate in the country, with nearly 5 million people in Texas lacking health coverage. Mr. Speaker, one in four Texas children rely on Medicaid or CHIP, and more than one-half of Texas births are covered by Medicaid. These cuts would gut funding for rural hospitals, eliminate access to care for thousands of Texans with disabilities, and put even more pressure on emergency rooms that are already stretched very thin, causing hospitals to close and making it even harder to find care. It is cruel. It is reckless. It is part of a broader agenda that prioritizes tax breaks for Trump and his friends over healthcare for the people who need it the very most. Instead of expanding Medicaid like we should have done over a decade ago, Republicans are trying to dismantle this basic-needs program altogether. I won't stand by while they try to take healthcare away from Texans who need it most. I will fight tooth and nail to protect Medicaid, to protect our hospitals, and to make sure no Texan is left behind simply because they are sick, struggling, or don't make enough money to exceed the meager income limits for Medicaid. Republicans should be working with us to build a stronger, more equitable health system instead of destroying the one lifeline millions of Texans rely on. Mr. Speaker, Medicaid is the foundation of our healthcare system. It is good for business. It is good for our economy, and it is good for the American people. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join Democrats in defense of this vital program. ____________________