Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to thank my very good friends, Chairman Ed Royce, Ranking Member Eliot Engel, my fellow New Yorker, and the strong advocate, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. I want to thank them for advancing this very important resolution.

I rise in strong support of H. Res. 317, which I introduced with my friends, Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ted Deutch, and Ted Poe. This resolution calls for the unconditional release of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents being held on baseless charges by the Government of Iran.

Two of these prisoners, Siamek Namazi and Baquer Namazi, were previously my constituents when they last lived in the United States. I have had the honor of getting to know Babak Namazi, the courageous brother and son of these two prisoners, who has tirelessly worked to free them from unjust imprisonment.

While the Iranian Government continues to try and exact concessions with these prisoners from the United States, Baquer Namazi, an 80-year- old former UNICEF leader, suffers from increasingly poor health in Evin Prison. A man who spent his entire life serving the world's most vulnerable should not, cannot, spend his final years in such terrible conditions.

But this is just one prisoner's story. Each of the United States' citizen and legal permanent resident prisoners is suffering while imprisoned on trumped-up charges. Each has family members who worry, every hour of the day, whether they will ever see their loved ones again.

The United States must do all we can to ensure these prisoners return home. This resolution sends a strong message to the Government of Iran. These heinous attempts will not pay off. All of the prisoners must be released immediately. And Iran must fulfill its previous promises to locate and return Representative Deutch's constituent, Robert Levinson, a U.S. citizen missing in Iran since 2007.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank everyone who helped advance this resolution.

Mr. Chair, I yield myself 4 minutes.

Typically, the Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Energy and Water, and Defense bills would be debated and amended by the full House individually. Regrettably, we are debating this $790 billion so-called security minibus in only 2 hours for some reason other than necessity. Substantive amendments chosen at the discretion of the chairman of the Rules Committee will be debated for 10 minutes. We also expect $1.6 billion in border wall funding to be added through a rules gimmick meant to prevent an up-or-down vote on the wall.

The undemocratic maneuver by the Rules Committee to unilaterally remove Congresswoman Barbara Lee's amendment to debate a new AUMF, which received bipartisan support in the committee, is simply outrageous. All the promises of Republican leadership of returning to regular order have been broken.

I do, however, want to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen for conducting business in the Appropriations Committee markups fairly and collegially, as the minority offered amendments late into the night.

On top of the many procedural inequities, however, the majority's increased defense spending is a mirage. Shattering budget control caps would trigger automatic, across-the-board cuts of 13 percent to every defense account. Yet, the majority pretends the sequester, which would cut $72 billion in defense funding in this bill, isn't real.

I want to make it very clear that Democrats are ready to work with our Republican colleagues to raise the caps on defense, but we must also raise the caps on important domestic priorities. Playing politics with the bill that funds the troops by inserting the toxic border wall into it is really beyond the pale.

Why not include the FBI, or the entire Homeland Security bill? If the intention is to pass security-related bills, securing our homeland goes beyond the Department of Defense and our own budgets in the legislative branch.

The Republican approach to funding our government for FY18 all but guarantees a short-term, if not a full-year, continuing resolution-- just like every year. Democratic votes will be needed to enact appropriation law, and I really do hope we will soon start to work together again to invest responsibly in both defense and nondefense priorities to grow the economy, create jobs, and secure the country.

As I conclude, I want to thank our distinguished chairman, Mr. Frelinghuysen, and his outstanding staff, as well as my outstanding staff.

Mr. Chair, I yield myself an additional 1 minute.

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

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 6 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard) who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan), the distinguished ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Democratic leader.

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

I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentleman.

Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 6 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 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Labor, HHS.

Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer), the distinguished vice ranking member of the committee.

Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).

Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green).

Mr. Chairman, in closing, I want to reiterate that this bill is a departure from regular order, wastes $1.6 billion on Trump's border wall, uses fraudulent defense numbers, guts critical investments in clean energy, includes poison-pill riders, leaves the remaining spending bills with no path forward.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I think I closed prematurely without thanking you for your leadership. It has been really a pleasure working with you. I do hope that as we move the process forward, we will be able to have a final product that we can all be very proud of. Thank you again. You have been a very delightful person to work with.

And I thank the chairman, all my staff that has been so hardworking and

so cooperative. We couldn't do this without them on both sides of the aisle. I thank the chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Women's Enterprise Development Center (WEDC) based in Westchester County, New York, which is celebrating its 20th Anniversary on June 15th.

Since its establishment in White Plains, NY, in 1997, the Women's Enterprise Development Center has helped hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs start and grow their own businesses by providing them with training, advisory services, and access to capital. The more than 1600 graduates of WEDC's 60-hour Entrepreneurship Program have achieved business success in many fields ranging from accounting to moving organic food products to construction and landscaping to senior services. WEDC's clients include women who lack access to traditional business and financial resources. In 2015 alone, WEDC provided 1,666 motivated clients with the tools they needed to succeed.

The accomplishments of WEDC have not gone unnoticed, and over the years it has gained support from the federal, state and local governments as well as major corporations such as IBM, M&T Bank, MasterCard, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Verizon, and Wells Fargo. WEDC was recently designated as the New York Empire State Development Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP) Center for the Mid-Hudson Valley, and its work has been recognized by the County governments of Westchester and Rockland as well as the U.S. Small Business Administration, which named it a Women's Business Center in 2003.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have worked for the last two decades with Anne Janiak, a founder and the CEO of WEDC, and her team to support entrepreneurial women in New York's Hudson Valley. I urge my colleagues to join me in applauding their 20 years of service to the Lower Hudson Valley and congratulate them as they celebrate this important anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Reverend Dr. Louis E. Sanders, who is retiring this month from his position as Pastor of the St. Charles A.M.E. Zion Church in Sparkill, Rockland County, NY, in my District.

Throughout his life, Reverend Sanders has been deeply involved in the church and the philosophical questions surrounding religion. As a young student in North Carolina, he was active in the Mt. Hebron A.M.E. Zion Church before earning a BS degree in Social Science from North Carolina A&T, and MA and MS degrees from the City University of New York. He also received a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary and a Doctorate of Humane Letters from St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, NY.

For the past 49 years, Reverend Sanders has served the people of New York's Lower Hudson Valley. In 1968, he was hired by the Tuckahoe Board of Education in Eastchester, New York, where he taught Social Studies for 30 years. He began his church ministry in 1970 and preached at Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church in Mount Vernon, NY. He would go on to serve various roles at churches throughout the Hudson Valley before being appointed Pastor of the St. Charles A.M.E. Zion Church in 1981.

As Pastor, Reverend Sanders has increased church membership tenfold and extended its impact far into the community. He began a program to aid homeless children from Harlem in developing positive life attitudes, an SAT tutorial program for minority students, and an

HIV/AIDS awareness program that provided on-site testing and educational programs. He has been a major proponent of civil rights and hosted discussions on apartheid in South Africa and human rights in the former Soviet Union. As a result of these efforts, he was inducted into the Rockland County Civil and Human Rights Hall of Fame in 2009, one of many well-deserved awards he has received.

Mr. Speaker, Reverend Sanders has improved the lives of countless people in his community and across the Lower Hudson Valley. I urge my colleagues to join me in applauding his years of inspired leadership and dedicated service to the residents of Rockland County, the Lower Hudson Valley, and New York State.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friends, Chairman Ed Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel, and all those involved in advancing this important legislation.

I rise in support of H.R. 672, the Combating European Anti-Semitism Act, which was introduced by the co-chairs of the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism.

With the rising threat of anti-Semitism in Europe, this bill would require enhanced reporting to Congress on anti-Semitic incidents in Europe, the safety and security of European Jewish communities, and the efforts of the United States to partner with European entities to combat anti-Semitism. This bill also urges the Department of State to continue encouraging European governments and multilateral institutions to adopt a clear and comprehensive working definition of anti-Semitism.

I find it hard to believe that in the 21st century European Jews worry about whether or not there is a future for their communities in Europe. But with increased anti-Semitic sentiments throughout Europe and many Jews becoming the targets of verbal, physical, and even deadly terrorist attacks, the security and quality of life for European Jewish communities has deteriorated. This is simply unacceptable.

Anti-Semitism is not simply a Jewish problem. Xenophobia and other forms of racism are never far behind when this pernicious threat rears its ugly head. The United States must remain a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism wherever it occurs to ensure that our commitment to ``never again'' remains a reality.

Finally, I want to express my appreciation to my fellow co-chairs of the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism, Representatives Smith, Engel, Granger, Deutch, Ros-Lehtinen, Veasey, and Roskam. The task force remains committed to working across regions, religions, and party lines to condemn all anti-Semitism and fight for the right of Jews to live freely without fear at home and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Mr. Sid Lapidus, who is receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation of New York.

Mr. Lapidus retired in 2007 after a long, distinguished career as a partner of Warburg Pincus LLC, a private equity firm in New York City. He previously worked at the Securities and Exchange Commission and today sits on the board of two publicly traded companies, Lennar Corporation and Knoll, Inc.

Outside of work, Sid has dedicated his time to charitable organizations. He has held numerous roles within UJA Federation, including serving as a board member, chair of the Network, Commission, and member of the Finance and Executive Committees. In addition, Mr. Lapidus is passionate about cultural artifacts and heritage, serving as a trustee and chair of both the Finance Committee of the Center for Jewish History and the Library Committee of the New York Historical Society.

Mr. Speaker, Sid Lapidus has had an exceptional career and has dedicated himself to improving the lives of others. I urge my colleagues to join me in commending him for receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from UJA Federation of New York.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Stephen Friedman, who is retiring after a decade as President of Pace University with campuses in New York City and Pleasantville, New York.

Mr. Friedman has dedicated more than 13 years of service to Pace University, where he first served as dean of Pace University School of Law for three years before being named president in 2007. Under his leadership, Pace has significantly increased its enrollment numbers while maintaining its commitment to providing education access and opportunities to students from all backgrounds. During his tenure, President Friedman has revitalized the Pleasantville campus in my district and led efforts to expand the university's academic program offerings, including study abroad and other international opportunities for students. Pace's international enrollment is at its highest level in 15 years, with students coming from more than 100 countries. Another initiative which he spearheaded to advance the university's motto of ``Opportunitas,'' has been the development of iPace, an online degree completion program for adult learners.

Before joining the Pace community, Mr. Friedman served as Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Capital Markets Policy at the United States Treasury Department, and a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. He has also lent his leadership to organizations such as the American Ballet Theatre, the National Museum of the American Indian in New York, and the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Friedman's numerous accomplishments have left a lasting impact on the communities he has served. I urge my colleagues to join me in applauding his years of leadership and service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Mary and David Boies, who will be honored by United Way of Westchester and Putnam with the Spirit of Caring Award for their leadership, commitment to community, and willingness to help others.

Mary Boies has had a successful career in law and currently serves as Counsel to Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, where she specializes in antitrust and corporate commercial litigation. Her prior positions include General Counsel of the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board, Assistant Director of the Domestic Policy Staff at the White House, and Counsel to the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. Ms. Boies was also a member of a non-partisan, professional Committee that reviewed federal judicial nominees. In each of these roles, she has always sought to do what is right and best for others.

Outside of her work in law, she has also worked to support children's educational software. She was the founder of MaryBoies Software Inc., which developed Top of the Key and Slam Dunk Typing. Both programs were recognized as some of the top pieces of children's educational software and have been translated into numerous languages for international distribution. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Board of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for International Studies, as well as the Board of Visitors that oversees the U.S. Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, the Air Force Research Institute, the Air War College, the National Security Space Institute, and the Air Force Institute of Technology.

Mr. Boies has also had a distinguished legal career with recognition from many including as one of the ``100 Most Influential People in the World'' by Time Magazine. Currently Chairman of Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, he previously served as Chief Counsel and Staff Director of the United States Senate Antitrust Subcommittee and held similar roles on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He was Special Trial Counsel for the United States Department of Justice in its antitrust suit against Microsoft and lead counsel for Vice President Al Gore in litigation following the 2000 Presidential Election. Mr. Boies served as co-lead counsel for plaintiffs in Perry v. Brown, which established for the first time the federal constitutional right for gay and lesbian citizens to marry.

Mr. Boies is a member of Phi Beta Kappa; a Fellow of the American College Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers; and a Trustee of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York University Law School Foundation, and St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to their truly remarkable careers in law, Mary and David Boies have also contributed their time, talents, and financially in service of others. I commend their outstanding work, and I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating them on the Spirit of Caring Award.

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

I am pleased to be here with Chairman Frelinghuysen to complete the fiscal year 2017 appropriations process. Bipartisan negotiations resulted in a bill. The product of compromise makes important investments such as: increasing biomedical research at the NIH by $2 billion; increasing investments in early childhood and education programs such as Head Start, Title I, IDEA, and afterschool programs; making college more affordable by increasing Pell grants and making them available year round; providing robust funding for public broadcasting and community service; and investing in transportation, housing, first responders, and providing our military with the tools to deter and defeat threats abroad.

It would also: ensure American citizens in Puerto Rico continue to have access to health care; permanently extend health insurance benefits for retired mine workers; increase funding to combat the opioid epidemic; preserve Planned Parenthood's eligibility for Federal funds; provide $1.1 billion in disaster assistance for regions affected by storms and flooding, including North Carolina, California, Louisiana, West Virginia, and more.

It is imperative to note what this bill does not contain: not one cent for President Trump's border wall or additional fencing; no poison-pill riders that would have prevented so-called sanctuary cities from receiving Federal grants, undermined the Affordable Care Act, or harmed the FDA's ability to regulate tobacco products.

While I am pleased we reached this agreement, we should not celebrate coming to a full-year agreement in May for a fiscal year that began 7 months ago.

Last year, our committee was negotiating in good faith until the Trump transition team interfered, insisting on a CR until late April. This unnecessary and costly delay, combined with the President's proposed cuts for the FY17 and FY18 spending bills, do not bode well for our work in the coming months.

So, while I support this bill, I am under no illusions and expect this President will again insist on draconian cuts that will harm hardworking families and interfere with our ability to negotiate.

Just yesterday, the President irresponsibly tweeted: ``Our country needs a good `shutdown' in September. . . . `' Perhaps the President needs a history lesson. The Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse. I hope the President is watching and that he will learn that good things happen when we work together for the American people.

Of course, our good bipartisan work on this bill would not have been possible without our excellent staff, and I want to personally thank all the minority and majority Appropriations Committee staffers, especially our Democratic Staff Director Shalanda Young; and Deputy Staff Director Chris Bigelow; and their majority counterparts, Nancy Fox and Jim Kulikowski.

Again, I appreciate the opportunity to work with Chairman Frelinghuysen, and I appreciate the work of all our committee members, all our ranking members, and their personal staffs as well.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano), who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.

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

Mr. Speaker, I just want to clarify that Democrats support a strong military and defense of our country, but we are very proud of the work that we are doing together in a bipartisan way to support the National Institutes of Health, afterschool programs, Head Start, and a full year of Pell grant that will help our young people get a college education. So I am proud of that work.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), who is the ranking member of the Committee on Agriculture.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished minority whip.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the distinguished ranking member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), my friend with whom I have served on the Committee on Appropriations forever, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), a distinguished member of the Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Meng), an outstanding new member of our Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez).

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the minority leader.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Frelinghuysen for his efforts to bring an omnibus to the floor. He came into the chairmanship having to finish FY17 and must quickly pivot to FY18. This is a package that Members of both parties can support. It came through bipartisan and bicameral negotiations and offers compromises for both parties.

This kind of cooperation best serves the American people. I thank the chairs and ranking members of the subcommittees who did most of the heavy lifting to produce this bill, and I again thank the committee and personal staff on both sides of the aisle for their hard work. It shows we can do our basic job keeping the government open without the threat of a shutdown.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), the distinguished chairman.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Dr. Cliff L. Wood, who will retire from his position as President of Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, this June.

Dr. Wood has dedicated more than 50 years of service to community college education, having served in senior management positions at five institutions. In his 13 years as President of Rockland Community College, Dr. Wood has spearheaded several important initiatives including a subsidized childcare center for students and teachers and a new technology center, and has overseen growth in the College's enrollment, community involvement and workforce development. His tireless efforts at the College have helped improve the lives of thousands of students.

In addition to his work at Rockland Community College, Dr. Wood has volunteered his leadership to many organizations, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Rockland Holocaust Museum & Study Center, Rockland Business Association, and Rockland Economic Development Corporation. He served as President of the New York Community College Association of Presidents, and is a member of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Wood's many accomplishments in higher education, economic development and civic involvement have had an undeniably positive impact on the communities he has served. I commend him for his outstanding work, and I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating him for his five decades of dedicated service.

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

At the outset, I want to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen. It has been a pleasure for me to work with him. I am cautiously optimistic that we will complete this process. Although overdue, we will get our work done.

This is the third continuing resolution during fiscal year 2017. We should be voting today on a bipartisan omnibus appropriations act, not another stopgap bill to keep the government running. After all, we are 7 months into the fiscal year.

Federal departments and agencies have been operating on outdated funding levels and policies for more than half of the year. This is unacceptable, and it cannot continue. Assuming we get to a solution that lasts the remainder of the fiscal year, I do hope Chairman Frelinghuysen will help avoid this outcome in the future.

The continuing resolution we are considering today is a simple date change to continue government funding through next Friday and to extend health insurance for miners through the same day.

The backdrop of this continuing resolution is ongoing negotiations on an omnibus appropriations act. Democrats continue to work in good faith to develop a bipartisan omnibus that provides sufficient funding for critical priorities and rejects divisive poison pill riders. For many months, Democrats have been clear that we will not help pass an omnibus that fails to meet these basic standards, and that remains the case.

As if this process weren't difficult enough, it occurs as the majority is seeking to strip health insurance from 20 million Americans and repeal protections against insurance company discrimination for millions more. Meanwhile, President Trump continues to tweet false and damaging comments about the omnibus negotiations.

It is my hope that these games will end so that we can come together to support investments that create jobs, improve infrastructure, provide a quality education for every student, and invest in technology and biomedical research that will benefit hardworking Americans.

To achieve this, we must make progress on eliminating poison pill riders and advancing shared priorities in an omnibus appropriations act. Next week, we must not consider a fourth continuing resolution, but instead have a positive, bipartisan bill after this unnecessarily lengthy process.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the Democratic whip.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to David Pomerantz, the retiring Democratic Staff Director of the House Appropriations Committee, who reflects the best of public service and the institution of Congress.

The Appropriations Committee has historically been a body more interested in substance and policy than politics. Democrats and Republicans fight strongly for what we believe in, and at the end of the day, we try to work together to produce good legislation that funds

important services and investments, helps Members of Congress address local challenges, and provides sound guidance to federal agencies as they administer federal law,

But Members of the Appropriations Committee could not accomplish any of these goals if not for the hard work and support of dedicated staff, like David.

His retirement is bittersweet. Since 2011, David has led our House Democratic staff and supported the Members of our Committee with wisdom, calm, and occasionally boisterous laughter. David and I have had more emergency meetings, late night conference calls, and strategy sessions than either of us care to remember. His steady hand has been an asset during some of the most contentious funding debates with which the federal government has ever had to grapple.

While we already miss his depth of knowledge, expertise, and good humor, we are delighted for him to begin this new chapter in his life.

Having grown up on the West Coast, the son of a successful professional in the entertainment industry, David's return to his family's roots on the East Coast and his pursuit of a long career in federal service may have seemed counterintuitive. Prior to his distinguished career on Capitol Hill, Dr. Pomerantz was an Assistant Professor of Political Philosophy at SUNY Stony Brook. He began his service to the U.S. House of Representatives with the Democratic staff of the Rules Committee in 1983. He joined the Appropriations Committee in 2001, where he served as Professional Staff, Clerk of the Commerce, Justice, State Subcommittee, and Director of the nonpartisan Surveys & Investigations staff under Chairman and Ranking Member David Obey and finally as Democratic Staff Director for Ranking Member Norm Dicks and myself.

David reflects the best of this institution. He served the Appropriations Committee, the Rules Committee, and the U.S. Congress with integrity and skill. His time and talents were essential in solving some of the greatest challenges before the Congress, particularly in recent years when we faced government shutdowns and gridlock over appropriations and budget matters. In addition to his expertise of agency and program budgets, his knowledge of parliamentary process is unparalleled. His vast institutional knowledge of the House is second to none, and he will be sorely missed. Members of the Committee, staff, and the full Democratic caucus are deeply indebted for his tireless service and dedication.

It is a testament to David's leadership that our Committee remains so well prepared to address the great challenges we face, and his lasting imprint will be an unyielding commitment to fighting for Democratic ideals and an excellent staff who will carry forward his legacy.

I wish David the best as he begins this new and exciting chapter in his life.

Mr. Speaker, today House Republicans and President Trump will try to keep a political promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act, despite the plainly obvious and harmful impact this bill would have on hardworking Americans.

It is really sad that, after 7 years, my friends on the other side of the aisle still don't have a bill that they are publicizing, that we can read, that we can carefully analyze. It is sad that we can't work together on this.

This Republican bill would raise premiums while increasing out-of- pocket costs, forcing Americans to pay more for less coverage, attack women's health, threaten retirement savings, force those over age 50 to pay thousands more because of the age tax, and cause 14 million Americans to lose health insurance next year.

Mr. Speaker, In my district alone, 76,700 would lose coverage, including nearly more than 5,000 children and nearly 18,000 adults with employer-sponsored coverage.

This isn't health reform. It is a political game. Lives are at stake. I hope we vote ``no'' on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen, Chairwoman Granger, and Ranking Member Visclosky for their hard work and cooperation. Today's bill is the product of good faith bipartisan and bicameral negotiation.

Each Member of this body will need to determine whether positive aspects of this bill outweigh uncertainty about the prospects of 10 other critical funding bills languishing without a clear path forward. Unlike the Defense Appropriations bill passed by the House last June, this bill keeps faith with existing caps on discretionary spending. It does not use a budget gimmick to create a mid-year shortfall in funding, which would have affected salaries and mission support for men and women serving bravely in harm's way.

I thank the chairman for increasing cybersecurity operations by nearly $1 billion; fully funding the European Reassurance Initiative in response to Russian aggression; investing in the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance resources combatant commanders clamor for; and assisting men and women in uniform by increasing pay by 2.1 percent, adding $25 million for sexual assault prevention and response, and providing $33.8 billion for the Defense Health Program.

Despite these positive attributes, I would be remiss not to remind this body that the 2017 appropriations process can be described as nothing but a failure that continues to this day, more than 5 months into the fiscal year. The Defense bill that we consider today could have and should have been finished in September 2016. The majority chose to punt the deadline for this and 10 other appropriations bills until April for entirely political reasons.

All Americans know we must ensure our Armed Forces are staffed, trained, and equipped to meet the challenges they face. We must fulfill that responsibility without neglecting the critical services and investments funded through the 10 other unfinished appropriations bills.

I am very concerned that the House Republican leadership is proposing to

move one bill forward without any indication that the other 10 will see the light of day.

Madam Speaker, I hope the women of America are watching. Let there be no doubt about the actions of congressional Republicans and the Trump administration. They will oppose your right to make your own health decision and limit access to your reproductive health care at every available juncture.

Rather than work to create jobs, House Republicans are helping State officials block women from getting contraception and other reproductive health services.

Today's bill would particularly harm the neediest Americans, as it could deny them the opportunity to visit the health provider of their choice, which in many instances may be the only provider available within hours of their home.

Sadly, this will be just one of the many assaults on women's rights in the 115th Congress.