Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed so many vulnerabilities in our communities, our economy, and our healthcare system. None of us were prepared for the endless virtual meetings, school closings, and weeks spent in quarantine. Nor could we have been ready for the tragic loss of our neighbors and loved ones who were living in long-term care facilities across the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today about the grave impact the negligent policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic had on the most vulnerable in our communities.

Over the past nearly 2 years, we watched our grandparents in nursing homes and our family and friends in group homes struggling to maintain their health, dignity, and will to go on as they were left without the care and attention they deserved over long periods of isolation.

When I was sworn in to serve in the 117th Congress, one of the first bills I introduced was the bipartisan Essential Caregivers Act. This bill is a critical step to ensure that residents of long-term care facilities are not left to suffer in isolation during this or any future public health emergency.

While shut out from their family and loved ones in isolation, many long-term care residents began suffering from depression, extreme loneliness, and a major decline in mental and physical health. It is the injustice of this century that this is going unaddressed by Congress.

Since introducing the Essential Caregivers Act, we have started a coalition of passionate and tenacious fighters across the country. It is the Essential Caregivers Movement.

With me today, I have a book authored by Karla Abraham-Conley, an amazing constituent of mine who also was prohibited from providing the needed care for her mother because of negligent policies in place by our former Governor. This is her great book. It is absolutely beautiful. ``Protecting Them to Death'' is the title.

Folded into each page of Karla's book are harrowing stories from individuals who either lost a loved one in a long-term care facility or witnessed from a distance as their loved ones suffered from serious declines in their mental and physical health.

These are not just the stories of New Yorkers. These are accounts from all across the Nation as you go through each part of this book. I could flip every page of this book and tell you a story from every single State. They are heartbreaking. They are cruel. Most importantly, they motivate those with the power and responsibility to make a meaningful change for our future.

When I see this book, I see the ways our laws have failed our constituents. I see the pain, but I also see the opportunity on every page, a chance for this Congress to stand up on behalf of these hurting Americans and boldly say: I will act. I will defend your rights as an essential caregiver.

Before I close, I would like to share an excerpt from Karla's personal story. ``I was my mother's essential caregiver every single day prior to the lockdown. Suddenly, I wasn't there anymore, and she was incapable of understanding why.''

Karla continues by saying her mother ``was left to die alone in her bed, and not from COVID-19. She said to me via a virtual visit, `Get me outta here. They're going to kill me,' which is exactly what happened.''

When Karla was shut off from her mother, her mother's state of health rapidly declined. Karla's mother developed sepsis, renal failure, high sodium levels, swelling of the brain, and other symptoms that went unnoticed. After Karla fought tooth and nail to admit her mother to the emergency room, her mother passed away a week later.

Mr. Speaker, what you have heard is unacceptable by all standards, but it is just one of thousands of stories I wanted to share.

I thank Karla and so many essential caregivers, including our own VoicesForSeniors, another advocacy group in New York State, for sharing this dark chapter in their lives.

Not many people can turn grief into action and start a nationwide movement. Yet, in a time of incredible sadness and loss, so many strong men and women chose to stand up and do just that. I applaud their courage, their bravery, and their tenacity in this fight. I introduced the Essential Caregivers Act for each of them and their loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to lead this fight in Congress, but I am not leading it alone. I am joined by our colleagues from both sides of the aisle, including the bill's cosponsor and co-lead, Congressman John Larson of Connecticut. We are so grateful for his advocacy as well.

Mr. Speaker, I urge more of my colleagues to join us to pass this bill, to make it a reality and help these people who are advocating across the Nation to protect those who could be in this jeopardy in the future. I will remain committed to this fight for so many families who were forced to comply with the careless policies that prevented them from caring for their loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mohawk Valley Community College on its historic 75th anniversary this year.

MVCC first opened its doors to students in October of 1946. Back then it was known as New York State Institute of Applied Arts and Science. Since those early days, MVCC has grown tremendously and today boasts more than 6,000 full- or part-time students. MVCC was founded on the principle of adapting its programs to fit the needs of our region, and, boy, they have done that.

It has played an important role in developing our workforce and empowering students to achieve their goals and be of service to our community.

MVCC molds students into leaders and continues to be an incredible institution for our community. It is one of the great 11 colleges and universities in New York's 22nd District.

I want to personally thank President Randy VanWagoner for his leadership and wish MVCC the greatest successes over the next 75 years.

I am grateful to MVCC for all they have done, and for being a college near my neighborhood.

Congratulating Canastota Girls Field Hockey Team

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the Canastota Girls Field Hockey team, for becoming the New York State section III class C champions after a win this weekend. Way to go girls.

The Canastota Raiders prevailed 3 to 1 against Vernon-Verona-Sherrill in a dramatic battle for the class C championship.

Chance Jaquin, Kory Matteson, and MacKenzie Snyder all scored goals for the Raiders, sealing the victory. The Raiders have now won 11 straight games and will face off against Little Falls for the State playoffs this week.

I am wishing them all the best as they prepare for the championship game this week. I also want to congratulate Vernon-Verona-Sherrill on what I know was a hard-fought season. I wish the best of luck to the girls.

Honoring the Life of Majeedah Razzaq

Mr. Speaker, today, I recognize a Binghamton woman who was a larger than life, a fixture at community events, a staple in the very communities that needed her most, and the adopted grandma of kids who looked up to her for advice through adolescence and well into adulthood.

As a life skills coach, Majeedah Razzaq used her own mix of street psychology with a strong dose of rule enforcement, consistency, and most of all, accountability. In her work with Greater Opportunities for Broome, Ms. Razzaq was a fighter for local issues, someone who encouraged and worked for new investments in local communities, investments in the children who needed it most.

As a staple at the city of Binghamton's Community Development Advisory Committee, Ms. Razzaq had a unique ability to sort through the fluff, then address the real issues. Ms. Razzaq lived an amazing life which, unfortunately, was cut short this past winter by COVID-19.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to please join me and the citizens of Broome County, New York, in remembering and honoring Majeedah Razzaq for her years of community service. Binghamton and the Southern Tier were lucky to have such a beautiful person advocating on their behalf.

May God bless her soul.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask where is the administration? It is certainly not at our southern border. The crisis at the border continues to go unaddressed.

In September, more than 192,000 illegal immigrants were apprehended by our Border Patrol agents. That is a 233 percent increase over last September, and DHS has warned this month we could see as many as 400,000.

Mr. Speaker, I ask: Where are my Democrat colleagues on this crisis?

Under the leadership of the other side of the aisle, this House has not considered a single piece of meaningful legislation to address the issue. The strategy appears to be pretend as if the problem doesn't exist. Meanwhile, a record 1.2 million people have been caught trying to cross the border illegally this year. Imagine how many tens of thousands have evaded capture--who might be dangerous to our local communities--and made it into this country.

Rather than solving this crisis, this body is instead considering legislation that will pave the way for mass amnesty. It is irresponsible.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to step up, come to the table, hold real bipartisan discussions and focus on this crisis.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Velazquez and Ranking Member Luetkemeyer, as well as Representative Phillips and Representative Meuser, the cosponsors of H.R. 4481, the Small Business 7(a) Loan Agent Transparency Act, for their work on this bill.

The Small Business Administration's 7(a) loan program leverages the private sector and community banks to expand capital to small businesses at affordable rates. Throughout my district, this program has provided countless small businesses the resources they need to expand their operations and hire additional employees. Small businesses still dominate in my district.

Today, these loans have taken on even more importance, allowing employers to stay solvent through the pandemic. Overwhelming bipartisan majorities in Congress have voted to increase the size and loan limit of the program because of its vital importance.

These past 2 years have also shown us there is still room for improvement. While the SBA can currently track loans originating from lenders, it cannot do the same for loans originating from loan brokers or agents. That lack of transparency must be addressed.

That is why I support H.R. 4481, the 7(a) Loan Agent Transparency Act. The bill will correct this shortcoming and protect the 7(a) loan program and taxpayer funds. As an outspoken advocate for transparency and New York taxpayers, I am pleased to see this legislation move forward.

This bill will allow SBA to evaluate the performance of loan agents, permitting businesses and policymakers to see who is most effective in helping employers secure financing. It will also make it easier for SBA to spot fraud and track bad actors who abuse taxpayer resources.

I urge my colleagues to stand with small business owners and taxpayers today and pass the bipartisan 7(a) Loan Agent Transparency Act.

Madam Speaker, for the past several months, my colleagues across the aisle have struggled to advance their budget reconciliation bill. The reason is simple: It is a disastrous piece of legislation that the American people simply don't want now that they are starting to find out what is actually in it.

When I served in Albany, we called these bloated budget bills, and ones just like this the ``Big Ugly,'' and ugly this is.

I rise today to urge my colleagues to oppose our national ``Big Ugly,'' which will raise corporation taxes, and that includes small businesses and family farms, to 26.5 percent, one of the highest rates in the world, and higher than the Communist Party of China charges their corporations.

Despite assurances from the administration, low- and middle-income taxpayers--and that includes, again, our small businesses and family farms, which are the heart of our communities which drive our economy-- they will bear the brunt of this bill's $2 trillion-plus increase in taxes.

Meanwhile, elite universities, left-leaning media outlets, and families earning more than $800,000 per year will receive major tax benefits or breaks. This bill also allocates billions of dollars to Green New Deal policies while raising taxes on America's domestic energy producers.

As we approach winter in upstate New York--and it is cold, trust me-- my constituents are facing some of the highest heating costs in recent memory. This bill's tax hikes on American energy producers are an insult to New York families who will be left struggling to pay their energy bills, especially those who are seniors on fixed incomes.

The point is simple: The Build Back Better plan is an endless list of progressive priorities that will add trillions of dollars to our national debt and worsen skyrocketing inflation, which is nothing more than a tax on the people who can least afford it: people on fixed incomes, people struggling to make a living.

Dictators from Russia to China, Putin to Xi, are counting on us to support our national ``Big Ugly,'' the Democrats' Build Back Better plan, the budget reconciliation plan, that will secure Putin and Xi's economic and energy dominance for decades to come. This will irreparably hurt Americans across the board.

I urge my colleagues to vote against this. Come up with a better plan that actually empowers American businesses, and especially the small businesses who create most of the jobs and drive our economy, and again, our family farms which are the tradition and heart of our communities, especially in upstate New York.

Mr. Speaker, in the words of Saint Teresa, ``Death is nothing else but going home to God, the bond of love will be unbroken for all eternity.''

I rise today with great honor to recognize the extraordinary life of Attorney Donald Snyder of West Winfield, New York, who passed away last month.

Don was a gem of a man and a wonderful servant to our community. Don was also admired by his peers.

I remember Don being a very close friend of my father, the late Honorable Justice John R. Tenney, who always spoke so highly of Don as a person to model your career and your gift of service on.

Don served our Nation in the Army, and he returned home to start a country law practice in little West Winfield, New York, in Herkimer County.

Don was a wonderful servant who served on the board of Herkimer College for over 22 years and the chair for 12.

Don was involved with so many organizations and schools and church organizations, but he was also a very dedicated husband to his wife, Mary Theresa Higgins, and a dedicated father of four and grandfather of 12.

Nine people in Don's family are attorneys. They were all sworn in on the very same day by the U.S. Supreme Court, which made the front page news in our little town. Don was very proud of this.

Don was a man who devoted his life to service, to happiness, and he couldn't have been a kinder person to me and a better friend and mentor for me as an attorney when I first started out many years ago.

I can't express enough my deepest condolences to his family, his friends, and our community. This is truly the loss of a great man. I wish them all the best, and it was an honor to call Don Snyder my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Thomas

Strayer Nelson of Ilion, New York, who turns 100 years old today.

Mr. Nelson is one of the last living survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He joined the Navy right out of high school and was assigned to the USS Wasmuth, a Clemson-class destroyer that was docked in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He left the Navy as a first class electrician's mate.

On that fateful day 80 years ago, 19-year-old Thomas Strayer Nelson was lying in his bunk aboard the ship docked in Pearl Harbor when the alarms sounded. Sensing trouble, Tom made it topside where he saw several Japanese planes bombing American ships. He quickly assessed that this was not a drill.

Tom quickly jumped on his .50 caliber machine gun and successfully helped defend the Wasmuth and its crew on that fateful day.

The wreckage was devastating. Nearly 20 U.S. ships were damaged or sank at sea, and more than 2,400 Americans, including civilians, were killed.

Tom remembers crying that day during the aftermath, but Tom's heroism did not stop there. Nearly 1 year later, in December 1942, the Wasmuth was escorting a convoy when it was knocked off its tracks and two mines exploded below the ship. The Wasmuth sank, but 134 crew, including Tom, were rescued due in large part to Tom's efforts.

Tom came back home and was an electrical inspector for over 27 years in his hometown of Ilion, New York, where he has resided for nearly his entire life. I had the great honor of meeting Tom this past weekend. At the age of 99, now 100 today, he was full of life and very engaging, and he also had a wonderful sense of humor. I also had the pleasure of meeting his daughter, Janice, with whom he has been living the past 2 years and who provides great care for him, and his son, John, who is also providing loving care to Tom. John is a former State trooper who has now taken on the mantle of also being an electrician in his father's legacy.

I just want to say also about the wonderful family from this small community, Tom's late wife, Gladys Cooley, passed away in 2015. He also had a daughter who passed away and a son, Tom, who died very young from rheumatoid arthritis.

I just wanted to take this special time to recognize and thank someone who is part of our Greatest Generation from my community, one of the last survivors of Pearl Harbor who actually was there when this occurred. I want to thank his family and everyone for hosting me, greeting me, and giving me the real unique opportunity to meet with this great hero of our country.

I want to say thank you again to Tom for his heroism, his service, and his bravery. I wish him another 100 years of good health and good cheer. I look forward to seeing him again when I return to my hometown.

Here's to many years ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Lee Center Fire Chief Kenny Baker, who passed away recently after a long-fought battle due to complications of a brain tumor.

Ken was known by all as a noble, caring, and loving man. He joined the Lee Center Volunteer Fire Department at the age of 30 and served for 48 years straight. For 28 of those years, Ken was the chief, the longest tenure in the department's history.

Ken also served in the U.S. Navy and was the former president of the Oneida County Fire Chiefs Association.

But most importantly, Ken was known for his tremendous family and his love for his family, particularly his wife, Patti, who was his guiding light. His son, Joseph Baker, succeeded him as the fire chief, and Ken's granddaughter, Ashley, and grandson, Tyler, followed their grandfather into the fire service with the Lee Center Fire Department.

I considered Ken a great friend. He was a courageous, principled, and tenacious man. He was a hometown hero and a role model for many, including me. And, boy, was he fun.

Ken, I just want to say thank you to you for your friendship and your profound legacy of service to our community. May you rest in peace.

God bless his family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my former Congressman, Sherwood Boehlert, affectionately known by everyone as Sherry.

Sherry was a devout public servant who passed away last week at the age of 84. After serving in the United States Army, his love for his community and State led him to begin his career in public service. He was elected as the Oneida County Executive in 1979. He was then elected to represent our community in the House of Representatives in 1983 and served for 24 years, until 2006.

Throughout his time in Congress, Sherry was committed to representing our region to the best of his ability. He returned home whenever he could. In 2001, he was elected chair of the House Committee on Science, a coveted position that built on his love of nature

and our environment. He actually led the charge to tackle the issue of acid rain and had tremendous success.

He is remembered by his colleagues as a remarkable individual and never lost sight of the reason he was elected: to fight for all of us in upstate New York.

Sherry was born in 1936. He spent his childhood in my hometown of New Hartford, New York. Prior to elected office, Sherry Boehlert graduated from Utica College, a local favorite. He went on to serve as chief of staff to former Congressman Alexander Pirnie and then also served under former Congressman Donald Mitchell before he actually served as county executive and later as Congressman. He married his lovely wife, Marianne, and was immensely proud as a father to his four children.

I just wanted to share a few reflections on Sherry. I obviously had the honor of working with him while I was a staffer for the Assembly. I do live in our former Congressman's home, Alexander Pirnie, and while Sherry was his chief of staff, he often commented to me about what I have done with the house. Where I was, what I have done with it, how much time he spent there and how he knew every corner of it, working with our former Congressman.

I also have a funny story about our family business. Our newspaper, the Mid-York Weekly, and also the Pennysaver were located in the district, and I had the occasion to invite Congressman Boehlert to visit us and to see our operations. It was quite a fun day.

We got to the back--in the newspaper business, as many know, we have an inserting operation where we put our flyers in the back of the newspaper, and it tended to be filled with a lot of retired farmers and a lot of people from our community, particularly a lot of very energetic senior citizens--and Sherry got back there and was really excited to meet them all.

One of them put him to the challenge to see if he could actually do the job. And so Sherry, without hesitation, took off his business coat, rolled up his sleeves, sat down and started inserting newspapers in our business. They loved him for that. It was really a fun moment, and I think he had a really great time with our seniors and with a lot of our staff.

We are always grateful for him for coming to our newspaper. And also for his annual support of a publication, a special publication we put out each February honoring our Presidents, our Vice-Presidents, our First Ladies, and of course our First Dogs, and Sherry was always so supportive of us for that.

We are just so glad that we are able to honor him this week with so many great reflections and so many people reaching out to me in Congress. Over the last week, it was really heartwarming to get those messages from Members of Congress, and I might add on both sides of the aisle. I have seen many tributes, even on the Senate side. He will always be fondly remembered by all of our colleagues, Republicans and Democrats.

Earlier this week, I had the distinct honor of participating in his funeral service alongside previous elected officials from our region, also other Congress Members. It was a solemn occasion honoring his life, but also a joyous one to celebrate all that he achieved for our community.

Today, my thoughts and my prayers are with Sherry's family, especially his wife, Marianne, who is also a devoted public servant.

I ask that you please join me now in remembering Sherry with a moment of silence in this great Chamber where he served so many years. Thank you, all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of two of my amendments that are included in this en bloc.

Amendment No. 333 authorizes a long-overdue China watcher program within the Department of State. This program aims to monitor and combat Chinese malign influence across economic and political sectors in certain high-priority countries.

The People's Republic of China is challenging the United States at multiple levels and remains a threat to our vitally important interests across the globe. The threats posed by the PRC demand greater resources, which is exactly what this amendment delivers.

My second amendment, No. 343, establishes a program for the Department of the Air Force to develop a proof-of-concept quantum network testbed. This will support the incredible work the Air Force is doing around the country, including the information directorate in Rome, New York, which is in the heart of my district in New York.

The establishment of this program will deepen the military's expertise in cutting-edge quantum computing. It will enable the United States to compete globally with our adversaries, dominate the virtual battlespace, and counter emerging threats.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Rogers for the work they put into shepherding this bill through Congress and rejecting partisan cuts to our Nation's military that were proposed by the administration.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this en bloc.

Madam Speaker, I am strongly opposed to H.R. 4. When our Founders created this self-governing constitutional republic, they vested the power to administer time, place, and manner of elections with our State legislatures. They knew the sacred right to vote would be better preserved by democratically elected, accountable State and local officials rather than unelected Federal bureaucrats. This principle has endured for two centuries. However, this principle is now under attack here in the people's House.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle argue that democracy is somehow in peril. And their solution to this problem is to relinquish total control of our elections, again, to Federal, unelected bureaucrats--a complete opposite of democratic concepts; bureaucrats with the power to prosecute based on political views and party affiliations.

These are the same officials who were absent when now-disgraced former Democrat Governor Cuomo unilaterally altered New York election laws last year in violation of New York's constitution, which chaotically overstressed the system and compromised the guarantee of a free, secure, and fair election.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, in 1994, a senior U.S. Senator was asked by a constituent how he felt about taxpayer-funded abortion. The Senator responded, ``I will continue to abide by the same principle that has guided me throughout my 21 years in the Senate: Those of us who are opposed to abortion should not be compelled to pay for them.''

That Senator is now the President of the United States. Yes, those were the words of President Joe Biden on April 7, 1994.

Only 2 years ago, in 2019, then-candidate Biden reaffirmed his support of the Hyde amendment. A campaign statement reiterated that ``his position on the Hyde amendment has been consistent.''

Since 1976, Congress' position on the Hyde amendment has also been consistent. The bipartisan Hyde amendment has prevented taxpayer funding for abortion.

But, for the first time in decades, House Democrats have stripped this provision from the Federal spending bills we are considering this week. Years of bipartisan consensus have been thrown out the door.

The Hyde amendment is a commonsense provision that most Americans support. In a recent poll, nearly 60 percent of Americans expressed their support for the Hyde amendment, while only 38 percent voiced support for taxpayer-funded abortions.

But this issue is not about the polling or the politics; it is about life. It is estimated that the Hyde amendment has saved more than 2.4 million lives. For over 40 years, these very precious lives have been respected, valued, and saved because of this bipartisan provision.

The survival of millions more precious lives is at stake. That is why I implore my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to reconsider their decision to strip the Hyde amendment from the spending bills we are considering this week. As a society, we must value the unborn and protect the sanctity of life.

Congressman Henry Hyde fought to ban taxpayer-funded abortions, he said, because he believed firmly in the sanctity of life. As he said, the ``little, almost-born infant struggling to live is a member of the human family,'' and ``abortion is a lethal assault against the very idea of human rights and destroys, along with a defenseless little baby, the moral foundation of our democracy.''

The late Congressman Hyde was right. This is a moral question. That is why I agree with President Biden's statement when he was in the Senate many years ago: Those who disagree with abortion should not now be forced to pay for it.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together, just as we have for nearly five decades, to support the Hyde amendment and stand up and defend life.

Mr. Speaker, I am here today with the support of seven of my House colleagues to introduce an amendment to section B of H.R. 4502.

This amendment will restore the principle of good governance, preventing precious, hard-earned taxpayer dollars from going to the Civilian Climate Corps, which is an unauthorized program.

As Members of the people's House, we have an obligation to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent effectively and that spending is held to the highest standards of accountability.

Yet, tucked away in the House Democrats' spending bill is funding for the so-called Civilian Climate Corps. The Democrats transferred $5 million, initially set aside for invasive species management, and directed it to this new program to fund bureaucrats.

But there is a problem. The Biden administration and Members of Congress have admitted they don't know how the program will function. From what we know about this program, it will be a new massive Federal slush fund focused not on sound climate policy but on advancing the partisan Green New Deal agenda.

Mr. Speaker, it is bad enough for government to fund a program that Congress hasn't authorized and can't effectively oversee.

Mr. Speaker, there are plenty of programs that are covered by this bill, including the 2018 farm bill with the mission and expertise to manage invasive species. The Civilian Climate Corps should be debated and considered in the House before it is funded; otherwise, this is just another bureaucratic slush fund.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House to support my commonsense amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I was in my mom's home county of Madison County last week to announce the details of my new bill, the Local Law Enforcement Protection Act, H.R. 4500.

I made this announcement standing alongside the respected men and women of our local law enforcement departments across the region, including our great Madison County sheriff, Todd Hood.

My bill protects those who protect our communities every day by prohibiting States and localities that roll back or eliminate qualified immunity from receiving certain Federal grants.

Law enforcement officers risk their lives to defend our homes, families, and our neighborhoods. They face real danger. In 2020, 264 police officers were killed tragically in the line of duty. As of July 2021, that number already stands at 148.

As the defund the police movement goes mainstream in liberal cities and State capitals, and failed progressive policies like bail reform make our streets less safe, it is more important now than ever to stand with our law enforcement officers.

Police should always be accountable to the communities they serve, but they should never be subjected to unfair attacks or harassment simply for doing their job. Efforts to remove qualified immunity are misguided and ultimately hurt honorable officers who serve with integrity.

That is why I introduced this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill.

Madam Speaker, for the past 40 years, community service block grants have been vital to providing communities the resources

needed to address poverty and expand opportunities for children and families. CSBG is a targeted program with strong oversight and a solid track record of success. And because no two communities are the same, CSBG gives organizations the flexibility to create new and locally tailored solutions.

CSBG is also bipartisan. This year, I was honored to join with more than 100 House Members from both sides of the aisle to advocate for an increase in funding to the program. More resources will allow great organizations in my community, like the Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency, to improve and increase their services.

For over 50 years, MVCAA has served the residents of Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison Counties providing important services, and supporting education, employment, childcare, and family needs. In 2018 alone, they assisted 9,210 individuals, including 3,649 children.

I am so grateful that the Committee on Appropriations met our fiscal year 2021 requests of $800 million for CSBG, which will ensure that even more families and children have access to the tools they need to realize their potential.

I thank my good friend, ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations, Tom Cole, as well as Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro for their leadership and commitment to this program.