Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., told Newsmax on Monday that it's "really shameful" how Democrats are "trying to scare" veterans by spreading false narratives that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is cutting veterans' benefits.
"We saw this on the campaign trail, we see it again now, and it's just simply not true," Mackenzie said on "Wake Up America." "We want to protect and honor our veterans, just like we do for so many other populations across our community that need our help and need our assistance. That's what government should be there for.
"So when you look at the concept of DOGE, it's actually about ending the waste, fraud, and abuse, and what we can do if we tackle those issues are then we can actually redirect the money to those that are in need and those that we should be helping, ultimately getting us back to a position of more fiscal responsibility. Because right now, we run annually a $1.8 trillion deficit – simply unsustainable."
The Pennsylvania congressman was also optimistic about the House GOP's odds of passing a stopgap funding bill in time to avert a partial government shutdown. If federal lawmakers fail to pass the bill by Friday, the shutdown would begin on Saturday.
"[I'm] very confident that we are going to get that passed tomorrow, because we cannot let the government shut down," Mackenzie said. "That is what the Democrats want. They want chaos. We see it in the House, we see it in the Senate. But ultimately, we're going to get it passed with Republican votes in the House, and then it's going to be up to the Senate."
"And so that's going to be on [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer [D-N.Y.], if he can get a small group of his members to vote to actually keep the government open. And we've heard so much about how they want to protect the federal government and federal government workers, well, this is their time to show it. So, we are actually the ones, the Republicans are providing the funding to keep the government open, so hopefully, we'll get some reasonable Democrats to join us in that fight."
As the co-sponsor of the "Sunshine Protection Act," which aims to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, Mackenzie said he thinks "the overwhelming majority of people want to stop the insanity of switching clocks twice a year."
"That's really an age old question of are you a morning person or an evening person?" he said. "Do you want that sunshine to be more in the morning or more when you come home from work and have time for recreation? So, that's the 50/50 part of it, and legitimately, I understand that. But again, I think people are firmly in the camp of ending the insanity of switching clocks twice a year."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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