February 2018 The Hastings Monthly Report

February 8, 2018 Carma Henry National News 0

February 2018 The Hastings Monthly Report

Dear Friend,

Earlier this week, President Donald John Trump delivered his first State of the Union address. I was very disappointed that the President did not take the opportunity to move beyond the divisiveness of his first year in office. The President’s speech to Congress more closely resembled a pep-rally for his political base. Under the guise of patriotism, he took cheap shots at black activists and took credit for President Obama’s economic successes.

The President highlighted the need for healthcare reform, while simultaneously cheering the elimination of one of the core elements of the Affordable Care Act. His claims of a “new American moment” gave way to nativist immigrant bashing and insulting DREAMers.

The President’s policies speak for themselves. His $1.5 trillion deficit-exploding tax plan padded the pockets of his millionaire friends and stacked the deck against middle class and working poor Americans. We are just four months into the fiscal year, and yet, the Republican-run Congress and the President have needed four short-term continuing resolutions to keep our country running. The President sees himself as infallible, even as his policies jeopardize the wellbeing of the most vulnerable Americans. Congress must prevent another Republican government shutdown in just one week, protect DREAMers and recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and provide gravely needed disaster relief. These critical issues were all notably absent from the President’s speech. The clock is ticking, and we cannot afford to delay any longer.

New Office Hours at the VA Medical Center The Palm Beach County Congressional Delegation made history last month, working together to open the first shared-space with the Department of Veterans Affairs at the Medical Center in West Palm Beach. This is the first agreement to share VA space with Congressional offices in the country, and it will ensure that veterans have better access to their Congressional representatives. It is my sincere hope that this arrangement sets a precedent for future partnerships between the VA and Congressional Representatives so that we can better serve the veteran community. The shared-space is located on the first floor of the Medical Center in room 1A-366. My office will hold office hours between 10 p.m. and 2 p.m. every Thursday.

Sincerely,