Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of bipartisan legislation that would increase transparency and congressional oversight of U.S. basic education programs around the world.

H.R. 601, the Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development-- READ--Act, which I introduced with my colleague, Representative David Reichert, would elevate the importance of education while improving USAID's efforts and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are well spent.

The challenge is clear. Nearly 60 million primary school-age children and 65 million adolescents are out of school around the world. Millions more are expected to never enroll. Women and girls are disproportionately out of school. The United States has a clear moral, economic, and security interest in promoting universal basic education as a fundamental human right.

The bill before us today enhances Congress' oversight of USAID's work with foreign governments, NGOs, and multilateral organizations to help nations develop and implement quality programs, address key barriers to school attendance, and increase completion rates for the poorest and most vulnerable children worldwide. It calls on USAID to develop a comprehensive strategy and appoint a senior coordinator tasked with ensuring that our programs expand access to millions of children who are not in school and improve the quality of education for millions who are.

These efforts will not only help students read and write, they will ultimately help protect vulnerable children from poverty, disease, hunger, and even extremism.

There is no greater force multiplier than education. An education is the fundamental tool with which girls and boys are empowered to increase their economic potential, improve their health outcomes, provide for their families, address cultural biases, participate in their communities, and contribute to democratic societies.

First introduced in 2004 and passed by the House last year, the bill before us today represents many years of hard work to elevate the importance of global education, bipartisan compromise, and the support of over 30 nonprofit and advocacy organizations, including RESULTS, the ONE Campaign, the Basic Education Coalition, the Global Campaign for Education, Global Citizen, the Malala Fund, and many other vital partners.

In closing, I thank Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, their hardworking staff--Joan, Jessica, Janice, and Mark, and, of course, Marin Stein, who has been working around the clock on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank them all. We have been working on this bill a very long time. I, again, thank Chairman Royce for his leadership and Ranking Member Engel. Their diligent efforts to bring the READ Act before the House today is so vital, and I urge immediate passage. In closing, thanks again to Marin Stein.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of today's bipartisan measure. There are no shortcuts to peace. Only the Israelis and the Palestinians can resolve their complicated differences through direct negotiation. That is why it has been longstanding policy to defend our ally Israel against one-sided U.N. Security Council resolutions seeking to impose solutions.

Last year, Congresswoman Granger and I led a letter to President Obama signed by 394 Members of this body

cautioning against one-sided U.N. initiatives that dangerously hinder the prospects for resuming direct negotiations. I believe the administration's abstention is a stain on our country's long and consistent record.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Maura Breen, who is retiring from her position as Chairwoman of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA).

Ms. Breen has had a remarkable tenure as Chairwoman of CCFA. Using her extensive experience in the areas of innovation and business development, she has lead CCFA as it improved access to treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)--the collective terms for Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis--and mobilized patient advocates across the country to raise awareness of IBD.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud Ms. Maura Breen for her lifelong dedication to improving the lives of so many people affected by IBD. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating her for her tremendous leadership and exemplary efforts as Chair of CCFA, and wish her success in her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge this House to immediately take up and pass the bipartisan negotiated clean funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security.

By defeating the previous question on the pending rule, we can immediately make in order the bipartisan, clean, negotiated Homeland Security bill and stop the theatrics over the President's use of executive orders.

My colleague Ms. Roybal-Allard and I made a similar attempt yesterday, which was unfortunately defeated on a party-line vote. It is my sincere hope that my friends on the other side of the aisle have further discussed this issue amongst themselves and that they are now prepared to end this standoff.

Mr. Speaker, as of today, we are 135 days into what should have been the start of the fiscal year. The situation this House has caused is completely unacceptable.

We simply cannot wait 1 day longer--1 more day--to do the right thing, the responsible thing, and fund these critical agencies tasked with protecting this Nation.

As the ranking minority member of the Appropriations Committee, I was involved in bipartisan, bicameral negotiations on the omnibus spending bill that passed the House and the Senate and was signed by the President last December.

That package could have contained all 12 annual spending bills because all 12 were negotiated in conference and every one of them was ready to go. We thank Representative Price for his role in negotiating the Homeland Security bill last Congress.

But an unfortunate decision was made by the leadership of this body to omit the Homeland Security bill--not because there were outstanding issues or continued disputes. That bill was stripped from the omnibus because some in this body were upset by the President's executive order on immigration.

They even admitted the President's actions had little to do with the Homeland Security Appropriations bill, yet that was the choice that was made on how to proceed.

The Homeland Security Appropriations bill was forced to operate under a continuing resolution instead of having a full-year bill. Ironically, it meant the Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement--two of the agencies tasked with defending our borders and enforcing our immigration laws--had to do without the nearly $1 billion increase they would have gotten under the full-year bill.

Delaying the full-year bill limits the Department's ability to advance the Secretary's unity of effort initiative designed to improve coordination in our security missions, limits the ability of the Secretary to move ahead with the Southern Border and Approaches Campaign, creates uncertainty regarding ICE's capacity to detain and deport dangerous criminals, complicates the Department's ability to deal with another influx of unaccompanied children at our border stations, delays implementation of the new security upgrades at the White House and hiring increases of the U.S. Secret Service, and delays terrorism preparedness and response grants for State and local public safety personnel.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle feel quite strongly about the President's use of executive orders on immigration policy, but I am compelled to remind those colleagues that they have every tool at their disposal to pass legislation changing the President's proposal.

This stunt has gone on too long. It is time to admit these immigration policy decisions have little to nothing to do with the appropriations process. The Homeland Security bill should never have been held hostage in this fight.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I put a statement by Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson into the Congressional Record because I thought it was so important for my colleagues to read.

In it, the Secretary laid out the consequences of operating under a continuing resolution and summed up the dangerous situation we face with a sobering message.

``Border security is not free.''

I couldn't agree more.

Yesterday, as a result of the party-line vote in the House on bringing up a clean bill, many of my majority colleagues insisted it was the Senate's turn to act, but it is clear for all those watching that the Senate cannot pass a Homeland Security bill with the House's extraneous riders attached. Further, the President has made it abundantly clear he would veto the bill if these riders remained.

I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle: What now? Hasn't this gone on long enough? Isn't it time we abandon the failed strategy and pass a clean bill funding the Homeland Security Department?

To that end, I urge this whole House to join me today in defeating the previous question so that my colleague Mr. McGovern can offer an amendment to provide a clean, full-year appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge this House to immediately take up and pass a clean funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. By defeating the previous question on the pending rule, we can immediately make in order a clean Homeland Security bill and stop the theatrics over the President's use of executive orders.

Madam Speaker, as of today, we are 134 days into what should have been the start of this fiscal year. The situation this House has caused is completely unacceptable. We simply cannot wait one more day to do the right thing, the responsible thing, and fund these critical agencies tasked with protecting this Nation.

As the ranking minority member of the Appropriations Committee, I was involved in the bipartisan, bicameral negotiations on the omnibus spending bill that passed the House and the Senate and was signed by the President last December. That package could have contained all 12 annual spending bills because all 12 were negotiated in conference, and every one of them was ready to go.

An unfortunate decision was made by the leadership of this body to omit the Homeland Security bill, not because there were outstanding issues or continued disputes. That bill, negotiated by my good friend from North Carolina (Mr. Price), was stripped from the omnibus because some in this body were upset by the President's executive order on immigration. They even admitted the President's actions had little to do with the Homeland Security appropriations bill. Yet that was the choice that was made on how to proceed, so the Homeland Security appropriations bill was forced to operate under a continuing resolution instead of having a full-year bill. Ironically, it meant Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement--two of the agencies tasked with defending our borders and enforcing our immigration laws--had to do without the nearly $1 billion increase they would have gotten under the full-year bill.

Delaying the full-year bill, my colleagues: limits the Department's ability to advance the Secretary's Unity of Effort initiative, designed to improve coordination in our security missions; limits the ability of the Secretary to move ahead with the Southern Border and Approaches Campaign; creates uncertainty regarding ICE's capacity to detain and deport dangerous criminals; complicates the Department's ability to deal with another influx of unaccompanied children at our border stations; delays the implementation of the new security upgrades at the White House and of the hiring increases of the U.S. Secret Service; and delays terrorism preparedness and response grants for State and local public safety personnel.

I understand that many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle feel quite strongly about the President's use of executive orders on immigration policy, but I am compelled to remind those colleagues that they have every tool at their disposal to pass legislation changing the President's proposal.

This stunt, my friends, has gone on too long. It is time to admit these immigration policy decisions have little to nothing to do with the appropriations process. The Homeland Security bill should never have been held hostage in this fight.

Madam Speaker, just this week, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson issued a sobering statement about the consequences of operating under a continuing resolution. Quite simply, ``Border security is not free.''

I couldn't agree more.

Madam Speaker, I would like to enter Secretary Johnson's statement in the Record.

[Department of Homeland Security Press Release, Feb. 10, 2015]

Statement by Secretary Jeh C. Johnson on the Consequences to Border

Security Without a DHS Appropriations Bill

I continue to stress the need for a DHS appropriations bill

for FY 2015, unburdened by politically charged amendments

that attempt to defund our executive actions on immigration

reform. The President has made plain that he will veto a bill

that includes such language.

At present, the Department of Homeland Security is

operating on a continuing resolution that expires on February

27. As long as this Department is funded by a continuing

resolution, there are a whole series of activities vital to

homeland security and public safety that cannot be

undertaken. The public must be aware of the real impacts to

homeland security as long as DHS is funded by a continuing

resolution, or, still worse, if Congress were to permit our

funding to lapse altogether and the Department of Homeland

Security goes into government shutdown.

Last week I issued a statement noting the impact on DHS's

grant-making activity to states, local and tribal governments

as long as we are on a CR. Basically, we are prevented from

funding all new non-disaster assistance grants.

The public must also be aware of the impact on our ability

to secure the borders as long as we operate on a CR. As part

of our executive actions to reform the immigration system,

the President and I have emphasized increased border

security. Added border security is also a key component of

the President's FY 2015 and FY 2016 budget submissions to

Congress. But, as long as this Department is on a CR, and not

a full-year appropriations bill, our ability to strengthen

border security, to include maintaining the resources we put

in place to respond to the surge in illegal migration into

south Texas last summer, is constrained.

Here are some concrete examples of things we need to do,

but cannot, without a full-year DHS appropriations bill for

If my colleagues are finally serious about these programs and priorities, I urge them to join with me today. Defeat the previous question so that my colleague, Mr. Hastings, can offer an amendment to provide a clean, full-year appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday evening, a commuter train struck an automobile at a grade crossing in Valhalla, New York, resulting in the deaths of six people and many others injured.

I stand on the House floor today with my colleagues to call for a moment of silence to honor those who lost their lives in this tragic accident and offer sincere condolences to the families of the victims, pray for the full recovery of those injured, and thank our first responders for quickly arriving at the scene to help others.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Edmund Francis La Gamma for his receipt of the ``Mentor of the Year'' Award from the Eastern Society for Pediatric Research in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the care and treatment of our most vulnerable citizens--our newborns.

For almost four decades, Dr. La Gamma has committed himself to improving our understanding of diseases which affect premature babies and advancing their care. He has served as a Professor of Pediatrics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at New York Medical College and Director of both the Division of Newborn Medicine and the Neonatal- Perinatal Fellowship Program at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital. In these roles, he has been responsible for the care of infants at over 10 regional affiliate hospitals which span an area the size of the state of Delaware. In that time, he has transformed neonatal intensive care at Westchester Medical Center into one of the state's most recognized neonatal intensive care units, earning New York's highest designation of care and national admiration.

In addition, his work as a scientist has contributed greatly to the field of neonatology. Working with some of the most prominent doctors in his field, Dr. La Gamma has expanded our understanding of neonatal development and improved our ability to treat deadly diseases in newborn infants. Moreover, throughout his career he has remained focused on ensuring his research be shared with the scientific community to advance neonatal care, and has published over 150 peer- reviewed research articles, including 25 book chapters. From this work, neonatologists across the country have benefitted from his insights on caring for premature and critically-ill newborns.

As head of one of the largest neonatal fellowship programs in the nation, he has helped shape the future of pediatric and neonatology through his mentorship of students, junior pediatricians, junior neonatologists and academic faculty. He has directly mentored almost 100 fellows in his career, and he has also shared his knowledge in hundreds of invited lectures around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. La Gamma for his lifelong dedication to newborn health, his over 15 years of dedication to neonatal intensive care in my district, New York State, and the nation. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating him for his well- deserved ``Mentor of the Year'' award, and applaud his tremendous accomplishments.

I thank the distinguished ranking member.

Madam Speaker, I am totally puzzled. I came to the floor thinking that we were going to be focused on creating jobs, putting people to work, helping our young people go to college, and reducing student loan debts. Where is the regular procedure that my friends on the other side of the aisle were going to bring to the House? Where did this bill come from? Did it come from the committee process? No.

Let me make this very, very clear. I knew Henry Hyde. I worked with Henry Hyde. The Hyde amendment is the law of the land. There is no public money for abortion.

This is a radical bill that restricts women paying for private insurance with their own dollars. Millions of women would lose comprehensive health care. I just don't understand it.

As an appropriator, we still have not brought the Homeland Security bill to the floor. As a resident of New York, I am concerned by possible attacks.

Let's do our work. Let's move on.

To my friends on the other side of the aisle, this bill just came to the floor without serious discussion and when there is no public money for abortion today as a result of the Hyde amendment.

I look forward to bringing a Homeland Security bill to the floor. As I began to say, as a New Yorker, I am concerned about potential threats to our country.

Let's get to work. Let's create jobs. Let's do the work that our citizens--our constituents--brought us here to do. I don't understand this bill. And in closing, there is no public money for abortion.

Mr. Chairman, the 114th Congress started 1 week ago with Republican leadership saying they wanted to work together and govern maturely. Well, it only took a week for Republican leadership to fold to its rightwing. Instead of compromise, we see confrontation.

Make no mistakes. The amendments being debated this morning would stop the bill, would kill the bill, hurt those who were brought here as children and know no other country than the United States, prevent the Department of Homeland Security from prioritizing the deportation of national security threats and dangerous felons, and are little more than a collection of political sound bites.

If you don't agree with the President's enforcement actions, which are legal and similar to steps taken by several Republican Presidents, then let us have a serious debate about comprehensive immigration reform, then bring an immigration bill to the floor.

Mr. Chairman, the President's executive actions will grow the economy by $90 billion to $210 billion over the next 10 years and raise average wages for U.S.-born workers by $170 a year. The House Republican proposal would not only eradicate these gains, but harm numerous security initiatives. After the tragic events in Paris, it is appalling that some would jeopardize our national security by adding these irresponsible amendments.

Let's vote against these poison bills and move forward with a solid, bipartisan Homeland Security bill supported by Democrats, Republicans, the House, and the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to submit the text of an op-ed in The Journal News I wrote commemorating former New York Governor Mario Cuomo.

[From The Journal News, Jan. 2, 2015]

Rep. Lowey: Mario Cuomo Was My Mentor and Inspiration

(By Nita Lowey)

Mario and Matilda Cuomo and their five children were our

neighbors in Holliswood, Queens. Mario's parents, Andrea and

Immaculata, lived around the corner.

When Mario, an attorney and law professor who gained

prominence by successfully mediating thorny housing disputes

in Corona and Forest Hills, first ran for Lieutenant Governor

of New York in 1974, Steve and I promptly jumped into his

campaign. He lost. But Gov. Hugh Carey, recognizing Mario's

extraordinary talents, appointed him as Secretary of State.

(His parents famously asked: ``Mario--you're a lawyer and a

teacher. How come you took a job as a secretary?'')

My first job in public service was in 1975 as an assistant

to Mario Cuomo, working as a

community relations officer in the New York metropolitan

region. I worked closely with Mario, as he took charge of New

York's anti-poverty programs following their devolution by

the federal government through block grants to the states. He

pursued housing, education, health, community development,

and senior citizen initiatives, among others.

He was indefatigable and inspirational. A profound thinker

and eloquent speaker, no wonder that he was elected

lieutenant governor in 1978 and then governor three times.

Nobody articulated the ideals and values of public service

better than Mario Cuomo. He aptly captured the essence of his

brilliant career: ``You campaign in poetry, but govern in

prose.''

During an event in 1984, when I was a New York state

assistant secretary of state and Mario Cuomo was governor,

Mario told me, ``Now listen to me and you'll be OK.'' I

listened, I learned, and I am doing OK.

I was honored when Gov. Cuomo spoke on my behalf at a

ceremony celebrating my election to Congress in 1988. As we

mourn his loss, I am confident that Mario Cuomo's legacy will

continue and endure with the re-election of Gov. Andrew

Cuomo.

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

At the outset, I want to thank Chairman Carter and Ranking Member

Price for their very hard work in putting the original bill together, which was negotiated by the House and the Senate and could be law right now.

As my colleagues are aware, our committee has not officially organized for the new Congress, which means we technically do not yet have a ranking minority member for the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.

Again, I want to say to my colleagues that we could have completed action on this bill in the last Congress with the other 11 appropriations bills considered in the omnibus package. Unfortunately, the House majority kicked the can down the road and put these important programs under a continuing resolution in a misguided attempt to protest the President's executive order on immigration.

Today, instead of putting a clean bill on the floor, my majority colleagues have decided to further inject partisan politics into the appropriations process. We all know the outcome of this very dangerous game. The legislation in this form will not be enacted.

All we are doing is further delaying the enactment of a very good full-year bill. I am deeply disappointed that Republicans insist on making Congress play out this farce at the expense of our Nation's security. It has taken less than 2 weeks for the Republican Congress to prove that it cannot govern responsibly.

The Republican majority has already delayed this bill enough. With more than a quarter of this fiscal year already gone, we continue to play games with the funding for an agency that was created to protect the Nation from terrorist attacks.

Last week, terrorists brutally murdered 12 people at the office of a French satirical magazine, a police officer, and four individuals at a kosher grocery store. That is a tragic example of the kind of out-of- the-blue attack that the Department of Homeland Security, along with its other law enforcement partners, is working hard to prevent here in the United States.

Partisan games on immigration will delay grants to States and major urban areas, funding that is critical for supporting local first responders in our defense against homegrown terrorism and for fusion centers, where the Department of Homeland Security gathers, shares, and analyzes threat information with its State and local law enforcement partners.

The failure to enact a full-year bill will slow down efforts for the Secret Service to begin addressing problems with security at the White House.

The Department will be limited in its ability to move forward with the Secretary's Unity of Effort initiative to make the Department more strategic and improve coordination among its components.

Resources to detain truly dangerous criminal aliens and to manage another rapid influx of unaccompanied children and families across the southwest border are in jeopardy.

Acquisition of the final National Security Cutter and other Coast Guard assets will be delayed, as will construction of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my Republican colleagues to give up the partisan games that threaten our national security and allow the House to act today on the clean bill--again, that was negotiated by Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate, a good bill--funding the Department of Homeland Security. We have already wasted enough time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, before I yield to the next speaker, I want to make it very clear that the bill that was negotiated by the Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate, would pass immediately today, and then we could look forward to a debate on comprehensive immigration reform.

I am very pleased to yield 9 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, who worked so hard with the Republicans in producing this outstanding bill. Unfortunately, the bill is very different with the additions that were added just in the last week.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

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

I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

I am pleased to yield another 30 seconds to the distinguished minority whip.

Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the House minority leader.

Mr. Speaker, on January 6, 2015 I missed recorded votes #1-7 as I was attending the funeral of Governor Mario Cuomo in New York.

I would like to reflect how I would have voted if I were here and sworn into office:

On Roll Call #1 I would have voted present (Quorum Call).

On Roll Call #2 I would have voted for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker.

On Roll Call #3 I would have voted ``no'' (Motion to Table).

On Roll Call #4 I would have voted ``no'' (Previous Question).

On Roll Call #5 I would have voted ``yes'' (Motion to Commit).

On Roll Call #6 I would have voted ``no'' (Passage of House Rules Package).

On Roll Call #7 I would have voted ``yes'' (Passage ``Hire More Heroes Act'' H.R. 22).

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

At the outset, I want to thank the gentleman from Kentucky, Chairman Rogers, for the cooperative way he has guided this committee. It has truly been a pleasure for me to work with him and his staff.

As we all know, Mr. Speaker, funding to keep the government operating expires at midnight tonight. It is my sincere hope that we can avoid the antics of last year, when a vocal minority in this body was able to hold the entire government hostage for reasons they

couldn't articulate. It wasn't fair to the American people, and I hope we never have to go through it again.

Throughout this process, my goal has been to avoid another costly shutdown and make adequate investments to grow the economy, enhance our security, and protect the most vulnerable among us.

I remain disappointed, Mr. Speaker, that the House majority decided to leave out the agreement reached on the Department of Homeland Security. The decision reflects their political calculation on immigration policy.

I believe my chairman was right when he rebuffed efforts to restrict the President's executive orders on immigration on a must-pass appropriations bill. But forcing these important agencies--Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Transportation Security Administration--into a 2-month continuing resolution was unnecessary and unfortunate. The short-term CR creates uncertainty and will limit the Department's ability to make important decisions on procurements, hiring, and on new initiatives we all support.

I will now enter into the Record a letter from Homeland Security Secretary Johnson outlining the problems with funding the Department through a CR.

U.S. Department

of Homeland Security,

Washington, DC, December 5, 2014.

Hon. Nita Lowey,

Ranking Member, Committee on Appropriations, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Lowey: As the United States Congress

addresses the FY 2015 appropriations for the Federal

Government, I ask for your support for a full annual

appropriation for the Department.

As you know, a Continuing Resolution is not the most

effective way to fund the government. Short-term funding

measures are disruptive, create uncertainty, and impede

efficient resource planning and execution. They inherently

slow down day-to-day operations, force leadership to make

short-sighted versus long-term decisions, and adversely

impact operations in a manner that is hard to overcome if

full funding is provided later in the year. Additionally, the

disruption to acquisitions, the slow-down of our business

processes, such as contracting and hiring, and the effect of

many other elements driven by short-term funding have a

direct impact on effectiveness of the Department.

While a short-term Continuing Resolution has impacts across

the Department, I wanted to highlight some specific areas

that are most concerning.

Securing our Borders--Investments to strengthen border

security with new border surveillance technology for the Rio

Grande Valley would not be available.

Grants Funding--State and local municipalities would not

receive key preparedness grant funding, such as the State

Homeland Security Program and Urban Areas Security Initiative

grants.

National Security Cutter--the U.S. Coast Guard will not

have funding to award the contract for NSC #8, the

centerpiece of the Coast Guard's Fleet, supporting the

maritime homeland security and defense missions. This could

result in the expiration of the agreed upon offer by the

prime and sub-contractors, subsequently leading to a delay of

delivery of NSC #8 and most likely resulting in increased

costs.

National Rio and Agro Defense Facility--Awarding the final

segment of the construction contract for the National Bio and

Agro Defense Facility could be problematic. Uncertainties in

the appropriations process have introduced risks to Kansas

providing the gift funds to support the May 2015 award date.

Appropriation of the final $300 million is necessary for

Kansas to provide the $202 million in gift funds.

In closing, I would like to thank the Congress for the

continued support provided to the Department. However, I must

also stress the need for an annual appropriation based on the

FY 2015 President's Budget and the Committee markups

accomplished earlier this summer.

Identical letters have been sent to the Chairman of the

House Appropriations Committee, and to the Chairwoman and

Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Should

you require further information, please do not hesitate to

contact me or the Department's Chief Financial Officer, Chip

Fulghum.

Sincerely,

Jeh Charles Johnson.

My colleague from North Carolina, David Price, the ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, was unsuccessful in his attempt at the Rules Committee to restore full- year funding for this bill. I authored an amendment to strike two very controversial provisions--one to strike a rider related to swaps under the Dodd-Frank law, the other to strike a provision raising contribution limits to political parties. These provisions are divisive and unnecessary. They should be removed.

The 11 other spending bills included in this package are a mix of wins and losses. I was very pleased that most of the worst riders were dropped, including those on the Affordable Care Act, the Clean Air Act, and those preventing full implementation of new reforms to the Federal school lunch program.

Statutory budget caps essentially kept all discretionary programs at a hard freeze, but I am pleased we were able to prioritize a few key items, such as the National Institutes of Health and food safety at the Food and Drug Administration. Another very modest but very important increase is provided for afterschool programs, many of which suffered steep cuts under sequestration and have still not made up those shortfalls.

I am also pleased the final agreement provides $500 million for the Department of Transportation's TIGER program to fund major surface transportation projects, including bridges, transit, and passenger rail.

To keep firearms out of the hands of those who shouldn't possess them, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System will receive an increase of $14.5 million. This important investment was achieved because Members on both sides of the aisle recognize how crucial this money is for States to improve their submission of records into the background check system.

The appropriations package includes much of the administration's request to respond to the deadly Ebola crisis, $5.4 billion. We must ensure that all of those tasked with being on the front lines fighting this disease, from local hospitals to Federal agencies, have what they need. We all recognize how the ease of international travel has changed the way we must respond to contagious diseases. I have confidence in our health care system, the Centers for Disease Control, and the fantastic hospitals that stepped up to take and treat the patients with Ebola. But we should do whatever we can to stop the disease where it is the most deadly. The funding provided will allow research to ramp up to treat and hopefully develop a vaccine for Ebola.

Before I close, I would like to thank the committee staff for their tireless work, particularly David Pomerantz and Lesley Turner, who worked closely with Will and the entire Appropriations staff.

I am very pleased the Appropriations Committee was able to come together on a package to fund 11 of the 12 spending bills. But, again, I wish it had been on all 12 bills and only dealt with issues related to appropriations.

I will reiterate that the funding contains many things I wish had had a different outcome. I fought throughout the conference, for example, to get rid of the swaps language. It does not belong on an appropriations bill. The Reid-Boehner provision to increase by tenfold the limits on contributions to political parties is excessive and also does not belong on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano), the distinguished ranking member of the Financial Services Subcommittee.

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

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished ranking member, and I want to make it clear that I agree with the gentleman from New York, the ranking member of the Financial Services Subcommittee, and our colleague, the Delegate from D.C., that the language in the bill does not block either decriminalization of marijuana or the referendum on legalization.

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

I yield the gentlewoman an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this package explicitly rejects attempts to prohibit clarifying the definition of navigable waters of the U.S.

However, the CR/Omnibus does contain language relating to core permitting for certain ranching, farming, and silviculture practices. To be clear, this provision does not change current law and preserves the current scope of agricultural exemptions.

If you needed a permit before, you will need to get a permit under this provision; if you didn't need one before, you won't under this provision. I am pleased again that as with most riders, this provision maintains status quo.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), the ranking member of the Commerce-Justice-Science Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Pastor), the ranking member of the Transportation-HUD Subcommittee.

(Mr. PASTOR of Arizona asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the minority leader of the House.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the ranking minority member of the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), a very distinguished ranking member of the Appropriations Committee who is planning to retire. We will miss him greatly, and we wish him good luck in his future endeavors.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished minority whip.

I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time is remaining?

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), a distinguished ranking member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

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

Mr. Speaker, our most important responsibility is to fund government operations. This bill does that, but it also contains a number of objectionable items that have no place in a spending bill.

I would like to thank Jim Moran, Ed Pastor, Bill Owens, Frank Wolf, Tom Latham, and Jack Kingston. Your friendship and expertise will be missed.

I am pleased that, after weeks of negotiations, we have a package that funds 11 of the 12 bills. I hope that in the next Congress we avoid such a contentious process and pass bills we are proud to support under regular order.

Mr. Speaker, I will insert the President's statement in support of this bill in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I am voting for this bill, and I urge your support.

I yield back the balance of my time..

Statement of Administration Policy

H.R. 83--Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015

(Rep. Rogers, R-KY, Dec. 11, 2014)

The Administration supports House passage of H.R. 83,

making appropriations for fiscal year (FY) 2015, and for

other purposes. The Administration appreciates the bipartisan

effort to include full-year appropriations legislation for

most Government functions that allows for planning and

provides certainty, while making progress toward

appropriately investing in economic growth and opportunity,

and adequately funding national security requirements. The

Administration also appreciates the authorities and funding

provided to enhance the U.S. Government's response to the

Ebola epidemic, and to implement the Administration's

strategy to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant,

as well as investments for the President's early education

agenda, Pell Grants, the bipartisan, Manufacturing Institutes

initiative, and extension of the Trade Adjustment Assistance

program.

However, the Administration objects to the inclusion of

ideological and special interest riders in the House bill. In

particular, the Administration is opposed to the inclusion of

a rider that would amend the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform

and Consumer Protection Act and weaken a critical component

of financial system reform aimed at reducing taxpayer risk.

Additionally, the Administration is opposed to inclusion of a

rider that would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act to

allow individual donors to contribute to national political

party committee accounts for conventions, buildings and

recounts in amounts that are dramatically higher than what

the law currently permits.

Furthermore, the Administration is disappointed that the

bill would fund the Department of Homeland Security through

February 27, 2015, at last year's levels. Short-term

continuing resolution funding measures are disruptive, create

uncertainty, and impede efficient resource planning and

execution.

The Administration urges the Congress to enact

comprehensive full-year appropriations legislation for all

Government functions free of provisions that have no place in

annual appropriations bills.

I want to thank all of the authors of this bill for your important work, and I appreciate your bringing these issues once again to the attention of my colleagues and to all of those who are watching us this evening.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act.

During a period of tremendous turmoil in the Middle East, the passage of this important legislation sends a strong signal to our steadfast ally that the United States Congress remains fully committed to its security.

This bill, which I cosponsored, supports greater U.S.-Israeli cooperation on a number of fronts, including energy, cybersecurity, homeland security, and agriculture. It also extends the authorization for U.S. weapons to be stored in Israel in case they are needed by either of our countries to respond to an emergency.

Additionally, this bill provides for the greater congressional oversight of Israel's qualitative military edge over its neighbors, a status that remains absolutely critical to Israel's ongoing security needs. Lastly, this bill encourages Israel's inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program and supports a greater engagement with Israel on meeting the program's requirements.

I remain committed to making it easier for young Israelis to travel to the United States. As I have said before, our visa policies should reflect the unbreakable bond between our nations and people.

Supporting Israel, our strongest ally and the only democracy in the region, remains a vital component of protecting U.S. national security interests.

As ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, I will continue to fight to provide Israel with the resources it requires to secure its borders and protect its citizens.