Democracy and Me

Rep Tom Barrett Newsletter, 11 May 2025

Tom Barrett Newsletter, "The Barret Briefing" May 11, 2025

Getting To Work For Veterans

"It’s been a busy week in Washington, and I’m proud to say we are making some great progress towards delivering more results for veterans in mid-Michigan. Just the other day, the House Veteran Affairs Committee unanimously passed my bipartisan ASSIST Act to help disabled veterans pay for the vehicle modifications they need to travel safely and live independently. It took us less than three months to get to this point, so I’m confident we can get this bill on the House floor soon and will keep you updated! But our work didn’t stop there. In total, our committee advanced 18 bills to the full House of Representatives that will put America’s Veterans first. These bills will ensure veterans receive high2/6 quality health care, have access to economic opportunities to achieve their dream, no longer have to deal with legal jargon when applying for VA benefits, and much more."

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"On The Floor Meanwhile, I was proud to join my colleagues in the House to pass 13 bills to support our veterans, stand up to China, and defend human rights around the world, including:

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Representative Barrett, 12 May 2025

In your newsletter of 11 May 2025 you wrote of what you consider your major accomplishments. As one of your constituents, I find these accomplishments at best meaningless and at worst working against America's interest.

You wrote of measures you took to improve the VA but nothing about Trump's plan to eliminate 80,000 VA workers or his funding cuts that will destroy cancer research, among other medical necessities in the VA. See here: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-veterans-affairs-budget-staff-cuts-jeopardize-cancer-research.

Your newsletter says nothing about these severe attacks on the institution you claim to be championing. I'm afraid your voters will not be fooled by your tiny "accomplishments" in this face of this widespread destruction of the VA.

You boast of passing HR 881, a bill that accomplishes almost nothing. Most of what it does has already been done previously by other measures. All it does is arm the government with broad powers to continue its attacks on higher education, a hallmark of authoritarian regimes. See this: https://www.aau.edu/key-issues/aau-associations-send-letter-opposing-hr881-dhs-restrictions-confucius-institutes-and.

American higher education has been the envy of the world, it cannot be moved overseas, and it generates enormous wealth for the country. Trump is destroying it and you are helping him. Considering how many of your constituents are involved with Michigan State University, it is clear your believe serving Trump is more important than serving your voters. We will remember this come election time.

The "Gulf of America" vote is simply pathetic jingoism. You should be ashamed of yourself.

John Jackson