Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this epic failure of governing.

Nearly 3 months into the fiscal year, the Republican majority is advancing

its third temporary continuing resolution with no foreseeable path forward on enacting full-year appropriations and no evident urgency to address priorities that are critical to American families and communities.

Completely preoccupied with showering tax breaks on corporations and the wealthiest Americans, the majority has failed to clear the extremely low bar of charting a course to keep the government open and meet deadlines they have set for themselves.

In short, the Republican majority has made a complete mess of the very basics of governing. Now they want Democrats to bail them out by carrying a bill that neglects our priorities.

This continuing resolution should include the bipartisan Dream Act, protecting from deportation young people who were brought to this country as small children and only know the United States as home. But this bill tells those facing deportation that their plight is not our concern.

It should include a bipartisan reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program, providing long-term certainty for 9 million children and families who depend on the program. Instead, this bill tells children and families their medical needs are not our priority.

It should include an agreement to raise caps for defense and nondefense spending with parity so that appropriators can get to work on a full-year spending package that keeps America secure and prosperous. Instead, the bill tries to make an end run around solely the defense cap by slipping in nearly $5 billion in new spending for the Pentagon.

It should not clean up the mess the majority made triggering automatic reductions to Medicare because of their deficit-busting tax bill.

The majority wants to pass this bill and go home for the holidays, somehow content with its performance on behalf of the Americans they represent. In every sense, this bill fails to live up to our responsibilities as legislators and as Representatives. Given these failures, I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the ranking member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the ranking member of the Energy and Water Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Ohio an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from California an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the ranking member of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the ranking member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Connecticut.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the Democratic whip.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, once again, this is an epic failure of governing.

How many more times will we have to pass a continuing resolution, which not only denies certainty to men and women in uniform and all Federal employees, but is an inefficient waste of taxpayer dollars?

How many more times would the majority stumble from crisis to crisis, narrowly averting a shutdown?

It is long past time that the majority work with Democrats to increase the budget caps and write full-year spending bills. The Appropriations Committee stands ready to do our job. I hope that Republican leadership finally does its job and agrees to permit reasonable spending bills that invest in America's future.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

It is extremely regrettable that we find ourselves here today. Democrats have said all year that there must be a deal to raise statutory budget caps in a manner that allows responsible investments in both defense and nondefense priorities, because both are critical to our continued safety, security, and prosperity.

The majority failed to engage all year, choosing instead to pass partisan appropriation bills that can never be signed into law.

More than 2 months ago, President Trump and Democratic congressional leaders struck an agreement to avoid a government shutdown and buy time for negotiations on new spending caps that would make it possible to enact a responsible, bipartisan full-year spending law. Precious little has been accomplished since then.

Now here we are again with the majority asking support for a 2-week stopgap continuing resolution. So I ask the majority: What do you expect to accomplish in the next 2 weeks that we have been unable to accomplish in the last 2 months? I want to repeat that. I would really like to know what you expect to accomplish in the next 2 weeks, when we haven't been able to accomplish anything in the last 2 months.

The rationale to support a short-term stopgap continuing resolution is that the parties are engaged in good faith negotiations to develop a responsible, bipartisan spending package; negotiations are on a positive trajectory and additional time is simply needed to seal a deal. Can anyone in this Chamber claim that this is the case today?

The President continues to irresponsibly threaten a government shutdown and launch ad hominem attacks. Majority leadership is playing games with the contents of this and future continuing resolutions. Negotiations on new spending caps for defense and nondefense investments are stalled.

The majority is grasping for excuses as to why they have failed to protect 700,000 young Americans from deportation, reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program, or move expeditiously on critical disaster assistance.

Is there any evidence whatsoever that this majority intends to fulfill these vital responsibilities to the American people?

Given these failures, I believe it is incumbent on Members of Congress to say enough is enough. The American people are sick of the games. They want results.

It is time for the Republican leadership and President Trump to get serious, engage with Democrats. We stand ready and willing to help develop a framework for a responsible, bipartisan spending agreement and to negotiate the details of a full year's spending package.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the ranking member of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the ranking member of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the ranking member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I reiterate, the Democrats have said all year there must be a deal to raise spending caps in order to enact appropriation bills. Instead of heeding that advice, the majority is once again stumbling from crisis to crisis trying to fund the government 2 weeks at a time.

Without a path forward to keep our country secure and make investments to grow our economy, we should immediately lift the caps on defense and nondefense spending.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my longtime friend and colleague, Maurice Hinchey, who passed away this month at the age of 79.

A lifelong public servant, Congressman Hinchey was a steadfast champion for New York's Hudson Valley and never wavered in his commitment to the people he served, the communities he represented, and the causes in which he believed.

Over his 20 years in the Congress, Congressman Hinchey helped shape the course of his environmental movement and record, and as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, he always put the Hudson Valley and New York State first, ensuring that our priorities were reflected in the Nation's spending policies and securing New Yorkers' fair share of Federal resources.

Congressman Hinchey inspired and influenced not only a generation of public servants and community leaders, but also those of us who had the good fortune to serve alongside him in this body. We will miss him deeply.

My thoughts are with Congressman Hinchey's wife, Ilene; his children, Michelle, Reese, and Josef; and the countless people in the Hudson Valley and beyond whose lives he enriched.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, since Hurricane Harvey wrought historic flooding in Texas, 12 major disasters have been declared. From a hurricane that damaged large swaths of Florida, storms that annihilated Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and wildfires burning in the West, Americans deserve certainty the Federal Government will stand by them in their time of need. This is particularly important after the President threatened to abandon Puerto Rico in his latest Twitter this morning.

Congress cannot turn its back on recovery, no matter how reckless the President's outburst may be, as Americans are suffering and simply trying to survive. This package provides critical disaster relief, flood insurance aid, and help for communities devastated by wildfires.

Puerto Rico would be aided by provisions to address its liquidity crisis by facilitating recovery, not paying creditors, and providing additional nutrition assistance. Additionally, the bill would continue aid to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands from the Department of Defense.

However, more must be done to provide medium- and long-term investments, including rebuilding ports, coastlines, airports, roads, bridges, repairing the electrical grid and other infrastructure, and ensuring the health needs of American citizens are met.

I urge your support for this bill and your continued focus on ensuring the full recovery of American communities devastated by natural disasters.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano), the distinguished ranking member of the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee.

(Mr. SERRANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard), the ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the ranking member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

(Ms. McCOLLUM asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the ranking member of the Military Construction, Veteran Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), the ranking member of the Small Business Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the Democratic whip.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett), who I believe just returned.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Maxine Waters), the ranking member of the Committee on Financial Services.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here with my partner, our chairman, Mr. Frelinghuysen. I know that he understands, as we all do, this is not a Republican or Democratic issue. This is our responsibility, to face the tremendous challenge that we see: people are suffering, schools are closed, more than three-quarters of the island does not have any energy, no clean water, need for food, need for basic services.

I am very pleased to work with the chairman of the committee, Mr. Frelinghuysen, and I know that we will both be going to the island of Puerto Rico to actually see firsthand what has to be done, and it is clear it has to be done now.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I thank Ranking Member Yarmuth for the time to speak in opposition to the Republican budget.

As ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, I am really perplexed as to why the majority continues their assault on American excellence, following President Trump's lead and divesting from investments in American global leadership, science, and infrastructure.

This budget would cut $5 billion for domestic and international investments, while violating the Budget Control Act for defense spending and triggering a $72 billion sequester of all defense accounts.

My Republican colleagues might argue that slashing nondefense investments is necessary to reduce the debt, but this is a false choice. Why would the Republican majority give tax cuts to the very wealthiest if it means this country has to take a backseat to China in research and development or let our own workforce go without the training to fill 21st century jobs?

We know there is a role for government where the private sector has left voids. Many in the private sector believe we should be investing more in basic research, STEM programs, and public transportation. This budget and the appropriations bills that enact this budget have fallen short in these areas.

Given the budget is 6 months late and the appropriations process has actually moved before the budget, we do not have to guess the implications of the budget. We have seen what the Republicans would do under these draconian levels.

Just look, Mr. Chairman, at the Labor, Health, and Education bill that passed the House last month. That bill eliminated entire job training programs like apprenticeship grants, cut the Pell grant surplus, and eliminated Supporting Effective Instruction State grants, a $2 billion investment that reduces class sizes and improves classroom instruction. This cut would cost 8,500 teachers their jobs.

The transportation spending bill eliminated the Department of Transportation's major infrastructure grant program, TIGER, a direct contradiction to the President's promise to improve our Nation's infrastructure and which Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao confirms ``funds innovative projects that improve the safety of America's passengers and goods.''

Mr. Chairman, we can and should--we must--do better than this. I urge a ``no'' vote on the Republican budget.

Mr. Chairman, first I would like to join my colleague in sending our thoughts and condolences to the DeLauro family.

Ranking Member DeLauro's mother, Luisa, passed away this weekend at the age of 103. The family is together this week in New Haven, Connecticut.

Luisa DeLauro was an inspiration to her daughter, Rosa, to the city of New Haven, and to us all. Luisa was the longest serving member of the New Haven Board of Aldermen in the city's history, serving 35 years.

She set an example for women everywhere as she fought to ensure that women's voices were heard in the male-dominated arena of politics.

As Rosa has said, her mother understood that politics was an avenue for change, a way to help people who were struggling, and she dedicated her service to issues involving seniors, the working poor, and her beloved neighborhood of Wooster Square, which she helped to designate as New Haven's first historic district.

Luisa was a beloved local leader with an open-door policy, who developed friendships that lasted a lifetime, but she was also well known as a strong-willed fighter for issues she believed in, and it is clear that her dedication and fierce passion will live on in her daughter, our friend, Rosa.

Even though Luisa DeLauro passed away at 103, for Rosa and her family, it still feels like she was taken too soon. My thoughts are with my good friend, Rosa DeLauro, and the entire DeLauro family.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I, too, appreciate the chairman's comments, and I do hope, during this process, we will respond to this important request.

I rise in support of this amendment.

The underlying bill cuts the Department of Labor's Youth Employment Program, which provides funding to all 50 States, by $42 million, a shortsighted proposal that ignores the needs of millions of young people.

In the United States, there are roughly 5.5 million teenagers and young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither working nor in school. This translates to one in seven teens and young adults. The youth program helps prepare out-of-school and low-income youth in your communities for employment and postsecondary education. These youth represent extraordinary potential for our Nation's economy. Investing in them has a ripple effect on future generations of low-income children and families, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in opposition to this amendment. This amendment would truly decimate the ability of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education to meet the needs of Americans by indiscriminately transferring $351 million to the spending reduction account.

This does nothing to improve the bill, which is already underfunded. The majority has imposed more than a $5 billion cut to the Labor-HHS bill below the 2017 omnibus level. Further cuts are completely unnecessary, and that is not all. The committee's allocation was approximately $5 billion below the nondefense level allowed under the Budget Control Act.

We have the resources available, yet the majority refuses to allocate them to the essential programs funded through this bill.

This amendment would not encourage the agencies to do more with less. Simply put, it would force the agencies and our constituents to do less with less.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to rise in support of Mr. Sablan's amendment which would improve enforcement of workplace safety standards in the territories. I would note that, adjusted for inflation, OSHA's enforcement budget has been cut by more than 20 percent since 2010, and OSHA's safety inspections declined by more than 20 percent during that time.

It is a sad commentary that we are placing less value on an American worker's safety at the workplace than we did a decade ago. We should be supporting workplace safety in the territories, and we should be supporting workplace safety in the 50 States as well.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support Mr. Sablan's amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of my friend Ms. Meng's amendment which would restore the Women's Bureau to its FY 2017 funding level. Women now comprise almost half of the Nation's workforce, and their contributions are vital to the country's economic prosperity. But there continue to be barriers to women's full and equal participation in many careers and industries. Women continue to earn less than men in the same positions, which means the research and policy advocacy supported by the Women's Bureau continues to be as important as ever.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support Ms. Meng's amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise as the designee of the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), and I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, nearly 1.7 million children, including more than 87,000 in my home State of New York, rely on afterschool programs supported through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers to provide a safe, enriching environment to learn. Yet this bill would cut funding for afterschool programs, leaving tens of thousands of students without educational programs as well as drug and violence prevention counseling, arts, music, recreation, and more.

We should invest more, not less, in our children. This amendment would restore funding to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program so our students can have access to the safe afterschool enrichment they deserve.

Mr. Chairman, I urge support for my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's kind and thoughtful words about afterschool programs.

There are over 18 million children whose parents want to take advantage of afterschool programs, but they lack access in the area where they live. That is why we work to fund our national network of afterschool programs through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I just want to say to the distinguished chair that I appreciate his positive comments about this program. I look forward to a better allocation as the process moves forward, and I look forward to having him and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle join me in supporting this very important program.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman from Oklahoma yield?

I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding to me. Again, I look forward to working with him and the other members of our committee as we expand the budget.

Mr. Chairman, I want to say to the distinguished gentleman who spoke before, I grew up in the Bronx, New York. I was fortunate to have my mother not working at the time. She was able to supervise me. I had many wonderful play dates.

I would like to say to the distinguished gentleman, in my community where this program is so essential, many of these people are working two, three jobs. The mother is working two or three jobs; the father is working two or three jobs. For some of these families, there is only one parent.

Perhaps you can come visit my district. I would like you to come to Port Chester, New York. This was one of the first afterschool programs I was fortunate to be able to support with this account. I would love you to come and visit and see what these programs do, which is provide important support for their parents who want to help and want to be supportive of their children, but sometimes these jobs do stand in the way.

These programs are so very important, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in providing more funding.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the amendment.

Knowing, Mr. Chairman, of the gentleman's commitment to families, and I know that the gentleman's family is committed to their children, I am totally shocked that this amendment will be addressed tonight on the floor of the House.

This amendment, my friend, would cut personnel. Mothers and fathers will be directly affected by this. This amendment will cut the personnel whose responsibility it is to ensure the safety and health of our Nation's coal miners.

The proposed amendment, my friend, would cut the Mine Safety Health Administration coal enforcement personnel by 10 percent, would result in the Mine Safety Health Administration being forced to violate Federal law because it would be unable to fulfill its statutorily mandated duty to inspect underground coal mines every 3 months. We have seen what happens, my friends, when mandatory inspections are cut back and the number of experienced mine inspectors are reduced to coal miners that cut corners on safety.

Following the massive explosion in 2010, at Upper Big Branch, which killed 29 coal miners in the worst coal mine disaster in the country in four decades, investigators found that mine management had consistently violated basic safety standards such as ventilation and rock dusting intended to prevent coal dust explosions. The number of violations at this mine were among the highest in the Nation.

The ultimate responsibility, my friends, for that disaster lays squarely at the feet of mine management, including its CEO Don Blankenship, who was criminally convicted of a misdemeanor and served the maximum of 1 year for conspiring to violate mine safety standards.

It is also clear from the internal review that due to budget cuts during the Bush administration, MSHA, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, became severely short staffed. There were too few inspectors to meet the requirement for mandatory inspections. You cannot underfund mine safety and health and expect to adequately protect the lives of miners. We know what happens when safety takes a back seat to profits. People die.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the distinguished ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee.

In closing, this amendment would irresponsibly cut staffing by 10 percent at an agency responsible for the safety and health of our Nation's coal miners. Mr. Chairman, lives are at stake.

Mr. Chairman, I strongly oppose this amendment, I urge my colleagues to reject it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to address a closing remark to my good friend from North Carolina, and I know that my good friend and I have worked together, Mr. Chairman, on many important issues.

I would just like to say again that whether there are 1,000 miners or 50 miners, and I understand the gentleman's concern about the closing of mines, but we have a responsibility to those who are still working in those mines to make sure that they are safe.

I would ask my colleagues to vote against this amendment because it is absolutely vital that we protect those outstanding workers who are supporting their families and make sure they are safe.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes, and I rise in support of providing critical emergency relief to respond to the catastrophic damages wreaked by Hurricane Harvey and the expectation of damages from Hurricane Irma.

And I also want to acknowledge the cooperation and the good will extended to us by Chairman Frelinghuysen. It is a pleasure for me to work with him as well.

My thoughts and prayers remain with all those whose families, lives, homes, and businesses have been upended by these disasters. This Congress and the American people are with you in your time of need.

I am pleased this package provides a temporary suspension of the Federal debt limit to prevent a catastrophic debt default and a continuing resolution extending Federal funding through December 8. As in 2013 and 2015, when faced with government funding deadlines and impending sequestration, we must use the time until the CR expires to develop a new budget agreement with realistic caps on defense and nondefense discretionary spending.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider), who is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Torres), who is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this amendment. I do support the en bloc amendment, and I appreciate the chairman's inclusion of amendments from Democratic Members as well.

I am very pleased that the en bloc includes a procedural amendment to allow me to discuss the deportation status of Mr. Jakiw Palij, a former Nazi guard. I had filed an amendment that would have directly addressed the deportation status of Mr. Jakiw Palij, but it was ruled out of order by the Rules Committee.

The U.S. State Department must ensure that justice is served and that Mr. Palij is held accountable for his crimes. He served as a guard at the Nazi Trawniki camp. This camp was the site of untold atrocities, including the death of thousands of blameless victims at the hands of the Nazi regime. Mr. Palij's role at the Trawniki camp served the Nazi regime by trapping men, women, and children in inhumane conditions, where they waited for their untimely deaths.

After the Holocaust, Mr. Palij came to the United States, where he omitted his service at the Nazi camp, and eventually he became a U.S. citizen. When his crimes during the Holocaust came to light, the United States stripped him of his citizenship, but he continues to reside in New York, as Poland, Germany, and Ukraine have each declined to take him.

I believe that it is time for Mr. Palij to be held accountable for his crimes. So, again, I thank the chairman for including this in the en bloc amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate my colleague's effort to boost funding for a successful assistance program such as the Merida Initiative. The flow of drugs into the United

States is a serious concern and more emphasis should be put on both the demand and supply side of the issue. However, I cannot support an amendment to take from another very successful program such as the Fulbright Program.

The Fulbright Program is our flagship public diplomacy program. It has run for over 70 years and boasts more than 370,000 alumni that are now in leadership positions and have a positive connection with the United States. These alumni include 37 current or former heads of state, 57 Nobel Laureates, 82 Pulitzer Prize winners, 29 MacArthur Fellows Foundation, 16 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, and thousands of leaders across private, public, and non-private sectors.

There are 1,300 U.S. institutions that actively participate in the Fulbright Program, either receiving or sending students to become global citizens, a requirement in today's interconnected economy.

In our challenging times, Mr. Chairman, we cannot hinder such an effective diplomatic tool as the Fulbright Program.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment.

I agree with the gentleman's sentiments to put greater emphasis and engagement with our Southern neighbors.

The United States can and should be very involved with the issues in our own backyard, especially those involving crime and drug smuggling. However, to fund this increased engagement, this amendment takes a further cut from the contributions to the international organizations account, which funds our assessed contributions to the U.N. and other international bodies. This account is already $188 million below our current enacted level and will put us in further arrears to our international partners.

I also think it is important to note that the offset proposed by the gentleman's amount would also come at the expense of our support to regional partners, such as the Organization of American States, the Pan American Health Organization, and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chair, there is bipartisan consensus that our foreign assistance should be as effective and efficient as possible. That is why I am deeply concerned that several amendments offered by myself and my colleagues to address the destructive policies facing women's health were blocked from consideration on this bill.

We know the disastrous effects of the global gag rule, which force reproductive health providers to choose between receiving U.S. funds or providing comprehensive healthcare. But this bill would exponentially increase the damage of the global gag rule by expanding its application to all global health assistance.

It is unconscionable to insert abortion politics into lifesaving programs that prevent pandemics, lower rates of maternal and child deaths, and treat those suffering from malnutrition, HIV, AIDS, and malaria.

Since May, organizations have been trying to ensure compliance with unclear guidance. Most do not yet know the impact on their programs or whether they will be able to find new partners in hard-to-serve areas.

Expanding this policy without knowing the impact is senseless and will jeopardize lives. The bill also prohibits funding for UNFPA, a primary U.S. partner ensuring women fleeing violence have safe maternal care.

The United States neither can nor should conduct programs in every country. We currently conduct bilateral family planning programs in 34 countries. By contributing to UNFPA, we can help women in nearly 100 additional countries get access to needed services.

This bill ignores the fact that family planning is the most effective way to prevent abortion and unwanted pregnancies, and it decimates the effectiveness of our global programs for millions.

Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), my colleague on the State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee who has been an effective, aggressive advocate on a whole range of issues and an invaluable member of our committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, the comments of a single individual should not be an excuse to eliminate funding for an entire institution. My understanding is that individual has already offered her resignation.

The United States Institute of Peace is one of the best tools the United States has to bring people together--government officials, civil society practitioners, and defense experts--to creatively solve problems that are some of the world's thorniest issues. Congress created USIP for this purpose in 1983.

USIP applies practical solutions directly in conflict zones and provides analysis, education, and resources to those working for peace. USIP has specialized teams of mediators, trainers, and others in some of the world's most dangerous places, including Iraq and Afghanistan, equipping others with the skills necessary to prevent or resolve their own violent conflicts before they threaten the United States.

In 2015, USIP facilitated a local Sunni-Shia accord and decree that averted bloodshed and let 380,000 internally displaced persons return home.

In Burma, they trained civic leaders, government officials, and police to help achieve a peaceful 2015 election for a more democratic government during a delicate transition from autocratic rule to democracy.

USIP works on the ground with local partners on the root causes of conflict that all too frequently result in America's military gains of diplomatic and development investments going to peace.

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my colleague from New York's amendment. TB is the biggest killer of people worldwide, yet the current strategies for combating the disease are not keeping pace with the burden and complexity.

In an increasingly connected world, TB will increase its threat to U.S. citizens directly. Without investments in new technologies and building the systems to diagnose and treat active infections, we risk failing even further. Already, scientists estimate 2 million children have been infected with multidrug-resistant TB. We can and should be doing more to fight this known disease.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I thank my good friend, who has certainly worked with many women, and women who focus on the needs of women around the world, and I thank her very much for this very important amendment, and that is why I am rising in support of my colleague's amendment.

One of the deficiencies of the fiscal year 2018 State and Foreign Operations bill we are considering is the treatment of international organizations that serve U.S. interests and help our own resources reach farther and deeper. My

colleague raises the important contribution of UN Women and of U.S. support for its work.

UN Women ensures that the critical role of women is part of the international dialogue and that the effects of policies are considered on both women and men before they are implemented.

UN Women works in complex environments like Afghanistan with the treatment of women and their involvement in the economy and political systems.

There are these reasons and so much more as to why I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and UN Women. I really am urging my friends on the other side of the aisle, as this process continues, that we look to renew the funding.

Mr. Chairman, I want to express my appreciation to my colleague who is always there to speak out against injustice and to help respond to the tremendous challenges we have. I was as shocked as the gentleman had been, frankly, on the recent actions in Burma or Myanmar, and I look forward to addressing that with him as well.

The reports from the ISIS-controlled areas are truly horrific, especially for the women and children who have been most vulnerable to the horrors of ISIS control. In these cases, support for the emotional and mental recovery of victims is as important as the standard humanitarian assistance of food, shelter, and water.

I look forward to continuing to work with the gentleman to address these issues because we have to speak out and act and respond to these horrors.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the devastation in Texas and Louisiana from Hurricane Harvey warrants swift congressional action. I am pleased we are here today to ensure that FEMA can continue to support the States affected by this disaster.

The $7.4 billion for FEMA and $450 million for the Small Business Administration in H. Res. 502 are only a first step in a long process that will require a long-term Federal presence.

I represent areas, Mr. Speaker, affected by Superstorm Sandy and understand, firsthand, the need for Federal intervention when storms overwhelm State and local capacity. Following Sandy, the last administration requested and Congress approved funding for resiliency to ensure that future generations can mitigate the damage from storms that have grown in intensity.

We can argue about the effects of climate change on storms, but we must all agree that our communities must receive much-needed mitigation funding to protect lives and livelihoods in future storms and to prevent more costly damage.

Despite the fact that some of the Representatives for areas affected by Hurricane Harvey heavily criticized and voted against the assistance provided in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, I wholeheartedly support the funding in this resolution and expect a much larger request from the administration, including funding to mitigate damage from future storms.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green).

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), who we know was struggling with her fellow Texans and trying to be as helpful as she could during this horrible, horrible disaster.

Mr. Speaker, before I yield to our next speaker, I would just thank Mr. Culberson. I just want to thank you, Mr. Culberson, because, of course, we are all totally supportive of this aid package, but I remember that you were the only Member from the majority in Texas who supported our Sandy package. I just wanted to, at this time, thank you again for your generosity and your warm heart for every American.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green).

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard), a very distinguished ranking member from the Homeland Security Subcommittee on the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett), who understands the impact of a disaster of this kind not only in her district, but in other areas where there has been so much suffering.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), the chairman of the Democratic Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), who has been right there helping, reaching out to all of those families who are in desperate need.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 8 minutes.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this bill, which would turn back the clock on American excellence, following President Trump's lead on divesting from education, health, foreign assistance, science, and infrastructure.

The process for this bill has been outrageous, and this debate, frankly, is an utter waste of time. Just hours ago, Congressional leadership and the President agreed to pass a package including Hurricane Harvey assistance as well as a debt limit extension and a continuing resolution to keep government running until December 15. We should be working to pass that measure now so that we can work toward a bipartisan budget agreement instead of wasting days on a bill that undercuts economic growth and priorities on which families rely, and is so hyperpartisan it will never earn the Democratic support needed to be enacted.

Breaking from longstanding tradition that enables Members to advance amendments in an open process, the Rules Committee required amendments be submitted 12 days ago during the District work period and reported a restrictive, structured rule for relatively few of them so far.

The majority denied consideration of many amendments that would address timely, high-profile challenges, some of which cut to the core of our democracy, and would have been allowed under an open rule. In one of the most egregious examples, the majority blocked an amendment to provide safeguards to ensure the integrity of government reports on violent domestic extremism, the likes of which erupted in Charlottesville in recent weeks, resulting in the death of a young woman exercising her right to freedom of speech.

Not only were amendments to address the President's revocation of DACA deemed out of order, in an affront to the Appropriations Committee and to this institution, the majority removed a bipartisan amendment passed in committee that would have allowed DREAMers to work for the Federal Government.

My friends, we have a responsibility to pass the DREAM Act now. It is absurd that, after years of receiving bipartisan majority support, Republican leadership has refused to allow a vote.

The Rules Committee should make in order amendments to protect the integrity of our elections and the independence of the special counsel's Russia investigation.

This bill also fails on the merits. The nondefense bills are below sequestration levels set in law, slashing funding for teacher training, apprenticeship grants to help young adults train for good jobs, law enforcement grants that help keep our communities safe, environmental protections that ensure we drink clean water, breathe clean air, highway and transit grants that improve the quality of life for our constituents, and a number of scientific and research programs that are important for global competitiveness.

This bill is littered with riders with deep-rooted opposition, like cutting funding for Planned Parenthood. If the majority is serious about governing, loading must-pass spending bills with these policy riders is a surefire way to fail.

Turning to the State and Foreign Operations division of the bill, I want to thank Steve Marchese, Erin Kolodjeski, and Matt Washington with the subcommittee; Liz Leibowitz and Dean Fischer from my office; Craig Higgins, Susan Adams, Clelia Alvarado, David Bortnick, Winnie Chang, Lacy Kilraine, Megan O'Donnell, and Alex Pinson with the majority.

Diplomacy and development efforts are critical to protecting our country's national security and building stronger and more stable communities around the world. That is why cuts in this division are so deeply troubling.

As demonstrated through both the President's unworkable request and the subcommittee's unsustainable allocation, the majority does not fully embrace the vital role diplomatic and development activities add to our national security and economic interests abroad.

On the positive side, the bill sustains our bipartisan and unwavering support for our close ally and partner Israel, as well as Jordan. And I do appreciate Chairman Rogers protecting resources for basic education, water, sanitation, democracy, and some vital women's programs, which provide communities the foundations for inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction.

While he rejected the most extreme proposals in the President's budget, the allocation is insufficient to respond to global challenges. We must reverse dangerous and shortsighted cuts for programs such as multilateral cooperation, international family planning, and climate change, as well as the expansion of the Global Gag Rule to all global health programs, and the prohibition on U.S. contributions to UNFPA.

The Rules Committee should have made in order amendments I submitted to strike the expansion of the Global Gag Rule and the ban on funding for the United Nations Population Fund, and to restore essential funding for international development and diplomacy.

Despite the administration's professed hope that other nations will fill the gaps created by cuts in this bill, we are at risk of that void being filled by those who oppose our values and interests, leaving the world far different from what we want for our children and grandchildren.

It is time for the majority to set aside its most extreme proposals, including the border wall and interior immigration enforcement, and work with Democrats to write bipartisan legislation that could actually be enacted.

Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``no'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies.

Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished Democratic whip.

Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the ranking member of the Committee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.

Mr. Chairman, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), who is the outstanding ranking member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Defense.

(Mr. VISCLOSKY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard), ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

Mr. Chairman, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), ranking member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

(Ms. McCOLLUM asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Maxine Waters), the ranking member on the Financial Services Committee.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 426.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I wish we were considering bills under regular order, but I hope that in the weeks ahead we can work together to raise the budget caps and enact bipartisan bills we can all support.

I thank Chairman Frelinghuysen, my friend; and Kay Granger, the chair; and, of course, Pete Visclosky for your hard work on this bill.

However, this is not the regular way to proceed. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill which would waste $1.6 billion on Trump's border wall, use fraudulent defense numbers, gut critical investments in clean energy, include poison pill riders, and leave the remaining spending bills with no path forward.

Mr. Chairman, as I conclude, I thank again all of the Members, all of my hardworking staff on both sides of the aisle. On this bill, I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Vacating Demand for Recorded Vote on Amendment Offered by Mr. DeSantis