Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 47) directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of H.R. 6157, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Borough of Wanaque located in the County of Passaic, New Jersey, on the occasion of its 100th Anniversary.

The original occupants of Passaic County were the Lenape Indians, who were attracted to the land for its diverse natural resources and abundance of freshwater sources, which they utilized for fishing, hunting, and navigation. Wanaque is the name given to the valley by the Lenape and has been translated as ``valley of sassafras.'' In 1697, Dutch settlers began to settle within the region and included such families as the Beams, Sloats, Van Dines, Vreelands, Van Wagoners, Ryersons, and many others. Like the Native Americans, they were drawn to the region for its natural resources, and they established settlements along the Passaic River, which was navigable to Manhattan and was used as a trade route until the incorporation of the Erie Railroad in 1836. The growth of industry in Passaic County was directly connected to the presence of its rich natural resources. The activities of the early Dutch settlers centered on farming. Sheep were also raised and their wool was spun and woven into cloth. Timber was cut from the surrounding forest and hauled to newly constructed sawmills and gristmills to be made into lumber for houses.

The Boroughs of Wanaque and Ringwood were originally part of Pompton Township, a since defunct township. Pompton Township was originally formed in 1797, from portions of Saddle River Township and Franklin Township in Bergen County, and incorporated on February 21, 1798. When Passaic County was formed in 1837 it included Pompton Township. The borough of Pompton Lakes was formed in 1895 and was the first municipality to split from the township. The township was divided on February 23, 1918, into the three boroughs of Bloomingdale, Ringwood, and Wanaque, with the remaining portion passing to Pompton Lakes. This ultimately ended the existence of Pompton Township.

The early settlements in the Wanaque Valley were induced by the presence of rich mines of iron ore discovered in the early part of the 18th Century. For this reason, Ringwood has been referred to as the birthplace of the American iron industry. Cornelius Board, a Welsh miner who entered the Wanaque Valley in 1737, may have been the first to mine ore in the area. In 1740, he built a forge along the Ringwood River (the present-day Wanaque River), which marked the beginning of the Ringwood Iron Works. Later that year the Ogden family bought property from Board, built their first iron furnace, and established the Ringwood Company. The forests provided wood for the manufacture of charcoal, which was in turn sold to the iron mines.

After 1763, a dozen highly productive mines were opened in the area, and many forges and furnaces were located throughout the Wanaque Valley. Peter Hasenclever acquired the property for the London Company and made improvements to enlarge the ironworks. He added needed acreage around Ringwood and Long Pond and constructed a dam on Tuxedo Pond to provide waterpower. Hasenclever established Ringwood Manor as an iron plantation and imported over 500 mine workers from Germany and Britain. After a series of changing property owners, the iron mines were expanded during the mid-19th Century. However, the iron industry in Ringwood did not continue for very long; by 1880, the iron ore from the region was being replaced by ores from the Mesabi Range in Minnesota. The growing railroad network across the country enabled the transport of ores from elsewhere in the country, and the market for locally available ores diminished. By 1893 iron production at Ringwood ceased, and the facility closed its doors.

In the late 1800s, the Wanaque Valley had turned further toward industrialization, and before the century's close, four blacksmith shops, a feed mill, a grist mill, a tannery, and a bobbin factory were located there. A paper industry was established in Borough of Wanaque, and the grist mill, which stood near the present location of the Wanaque Dam, became the Wanaque River Paper Company in 1892. The paper mill was owned by local resident Robert D. Carter who employed many of the area's residents. In the 1920s the Wanaque River Paper Company was lost to the impending construction of the Wanaque Reservoir.

Another major industry in the Wanaque Valley prior to the reservoir's construction was the

production of gunpowder. The American Smokeless Powder Works was established in the Borough of Wanaque in 1894 through 1895 with Laflin and Rand Powder taking over the company several years later. The DuPont Company soon acquired the explosives plant and became a major employer in the community. During World War I, over 7,500 were employed at the explosives plant, and a section of the community, known as Haskell, became a company town, housing DuPont employees and their families. Although the DuPont Company was a major employer of Wanaque and Ringwood prior to and during World War I, by 1926 the company ceased operations because of the impending reservoir construction project, and a major employer was lost from the community.

The first railroad into the Wanaque Valley area was begun in 1865, and the first station was established at the Ringwood Avenue crossing. In 1872, Midvale was listed as a stop on the Montclair Railroad, and by the time the railroad was operated by the New York and Greenwood Lake Railway, there were two stations in Wanaque--one in Midvale and one in Haskell. The New York and Greenwood Lake Railroad was responsible for bringing many new settlers to the Wanaque area, and excursion trails carried passengers to Greenwood Lake from Jersey City.

The construction of the Wanaque Reservoir had a profound impact on the Boroughs of Wanaque and Ringwood and its residents. To provide the necessary space needed to create such a massive structure, many homes and businesses were demolished. The loss of the DuPont plant and the paper mill in Wanaque, which provided major sources of employment for residents in the area, left hundreds of residents unemployed through the Depression years of 1929 through 1939. However, the onset of World War II brought an improved economy, and after the war, Wanaque and Ringwood experienced a construction boom of housing and public buildings.

Today, the Borough includes neighborhoods known as Wanaque and Haskell, each of which has their own ZIP code and is served by their own separate post office. As of the United States 2013 Census, the borough population was 11,208. Wanaque is a close knit family community, with an outstanding school system, library, many recreation programs, and a beautiful, new municipal building.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in congratulating the Borough of Wanaque, on the occasion of its Centennial Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1059, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 5895) making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present the conference report for H.R. 5895.

This conference report includes the Energy and Water Development, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch Appropriations bills for fiscal year 2019. It is a product of months of negotiations between the House and the Senate.

This conference report is a responsible compromise that addresses shared priorities: funding for programs that benefit all Americans, including national security, energy development programs and water resources infrastructure, care for veterans, and operations of the legislative branch. Critically, this conference report represents the next step toward fully funding the Federal Government for fiscal year 2019.

This is the first time since fiscal year 2017 that Congress will have passed any Appropriations bill before the end of the year and the first time in over a decade--since fiscal year 2007--that Congress will be sending more than one Appropriations bill to the President's desk before September 30.

We have done our best to repair a broken appropriations process. This is a welcome and long overdue return to regular order and fulfills our promise to the American people to deliver results.

Passage of this legislation also provides certainty to the Federal Government--most importantly, for our troops and their families, who rely on military infrastructure to sustain their quality of life and accomplish their missions, and for our veterans, who deserve full access to their benefits and healthcare.

It is my sincere hope that we will continue this progress with the consideration of additional conference reports.

The Energy and Water portion of the report provides $44.6 billion for Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Defense's nuclear programs.

Investments in national security programs help our Nation maintain its strongest possible nuclear deterrence posture, support our Navy's nuclear-powered fleet, and keep nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists.

And the bill also targets an array of energy programs that support our goal of energy independence and directs much-needed funds to water resources infrastructure across the country.

The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs portion of the report totals $98 billion in discretionary funding. This includes the largest dollar amount ever for the Department of Veterans Affairs, $86.5 billion, a substantial investment that will improve access to and quality of care for veterans.

Importantly, this also includes additional funding for the VA MISSION Act and will support ongoing care for our veterans through community care centers, caregivers, and other medical services. This funding is provided within the existing discretionary spending caps.

Also, the bill provides strong investments for our defense infrastructure and military installations. This will support the rebuilding of our Armed Forces, help counter threats and aggression abroad, and support our troops and military families.

The third portion of this conference report includes the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. This legislation continues the operations of Congress and its support agencies, ensuring that Members of Congress are best able to serve the American people.

Within the total of $4.8 billion, provided for both the House and the Senate, funding is prioritized for security and safety within the Capitol complex, including increases for the Capitol Police.

The legislation helps the legislative branch improve its functions. Of note, for the first time, we hav included dedicated funding for paid internships, which will allow more young Americans and students from all backgrounds to serve Congress.

I want to express my deep gratitude to the chairs and ranking members of the three subcommittees who spearheaded this legislation--Energy and Water Chairman Simpson of Idaho and Ranking Member Kaptur of Ohio; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Chairman Carter of Texas and Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz of Florida; and Legislative Branch Chairman Fortenberry of Nebraska and Ranking Member Ryan of Ohio--along with all our conferees.

I also want to especially thank Ranking Member Lowey for her service, support, and friendship throughout many years on the Appropriations Committee.

Lastly, I would like to thank our committee's hardworking professional and associate staff. Over the past months, they have been working without a break to complete negotiations and get this conference report and other reports to the floor. They are a

remarkable group of men and women, and I salute them.

Support for this conference report today indicates that Congress is willing and able to get its work done on behalf of the American people on time, under regular order, and within our set budget limits.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this conference report, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson), who is the chairman of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), who is the chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter), chairman of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

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

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 would like to thank Mrs. Lowey for our close working relationship of well over 24 years.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the ranking members who put this package together here, the remarkable men and women who make up our professional staff on the Appropriations Committee, and our personal staff who dedicated most of their August, part of July, and certainly this part of September to doing the work of

the people. I am enormously grateful to all of them for their hard work and their dedication.

Mr. Speaker, I salute my colleague, Mrs. Lowey, and all members and staff for their work.

Particularly, I'd like to thank:

Nancy Fox, Maureen Holohan, Shannon O'Keefe, Jason Gray, Marta Hernandez, Tammy Hughes, Rachel Kahler, Parker Van de Water, and Tom Doelp in the Front Office; Angie Giancarlo, Loraine Heckenberg, Perry Yates, and Amy Murphy on the Energy and Water Subcommittee; Sue Quantius; Sarah Young; and Kiya Batmanglidj from the MilCon/VA Subcommittee; Jenny Panone and Tim Monahan from the Legislative Branch Subcommittee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 46) directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of H.R. 5895, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 5 o'clock and 48 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until Monday, September 17, 2018, at 1 p.m.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 85th Anniversary of Martin's Tavern located on Wisconsin Avenue and N Street, NW in Washington, D.C.

In the late 1890s, William S. Martin traveled from Galway, Ireland to America. Forty years later in 1933, William S. Martin and his son, William G. Martin, opened Martin's Tavern on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and N Street NW in Georgetown. Since then, the warm atmosphere of Martin's Tavern has welcomed neighbors and world travelers looking for great food, service and years of history within its walls. In the late 19th century through the early 20th Century, Georgetown remained a blue collar laborers' port, transporting goods in and out of the Washington region. The Martin family was at the heart of the community, familiar with the many that resided, labored and traveled in Georgetown, setting the tone and spirit of their tavern.

This Georgetown landmark has hosted countless political icons--most notably has been every president from Harry Truman (Booth Six) to George W. Bush (Table 12). Over the last eighty-five years, some of the most significant conversations and events would unfold over the tavern's Irish-American fare.

In the 1930s, Benjamin Cohen and Thomas Corcoran, of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, met in an extension of the tavern's main room called, ``The Dugout.'' Roosevelt's brain trust would hammer out countless New Deal legislation including: the Tennessee Valley Authority, Securities Exchange Act, the Federal Housing Administration, Securities Exchange Commission, the Public Utilities Holding Company Act, Rural Electrification Act, and the Fair Employment Act among other New Deal legislation.

During World War II, Martin's Tavern witnessed the creation of many plans to gain intelligence and eventually assist the allies in winning the war. The Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor of the modern Central Intelligence Agency, held planning meetings and agent briefings in The Dugout.

While they were dating, Martin's Tavern was a favorite spot of then Senator John F. Kennedy and Miss Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. On Wednesday, June 24, 1953, Jackie returned from covering the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II for the Washington Times Herald. That

night he popped the question to her in Booth Three and she accepted.

One evening in 1954 in Booth Two, five Supreme Court Justices deliberated on the landmark case, Brown vs. the Board of Education. Shortly thereafter on May 17, 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren read the unanimous decision of the Court. The Supreme Court Justices who ruled on Brown vs. the Board of Education were: Chief Justice Earl Warren, Hugo Black, Stanley Forman Reed, Felix Frankfurter, William O. Douglas, Robert H. Jackson, Harold Hitz Burton, Tom C. Clark, and Sherman Minton.

These are just a few of the many moments Martin's Tavern has witnessed in our nation's history. While the regular patrons have changed, many Members of Congress from the House and Senate continue to visit, and great food and service remain a staple. Today, my friend and fourth generation owner, Billy Martin, Jr., continues the tradition of Washington's oldest family owned restaurant.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in congratulating Martin's Tavern, on the occasion of its 85th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the County College of Morris located in the Township of Randolph, New Jersey on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary.

The County College of Morris (CCM) opened its doors to students in 1968 after Henderson Hall, the first building on campus, was completed. The first class consisted of 592 full-time and 703 part-time students. Enrollment grew quickly, and by the fall of 1969 five additional buildings were under way: the library, later named the Sherman H. Masten Learning Resource Center, after CCM's first president; Sheffield Hall, named after one of its first trustees; the Physical Education Building; the Student Community Center and a service building; all completed by 1970.

In the fall of 1973, two additional academic buildings, Cohen and DeMare halls, along with a planetarium, were completed. Through the 1970s, enrollment continued to grow as CCM established itself as one of the premier community colleges in New Jersey. In 1982, the college reached its highest enrollment of 12,012 credit students, with thousands of additional individuals enrolled in certificate programs.

After two decades of leadership, President Masten retired in 1986 and Dr. Edward J. Yaw became the second president of CCM. Under Yaw's leadership, the college continued to grow on its 222 acre campus. In 1989, Emeriti Hall was added and in May 1993 the college completed a 20,000 square-foot expansion of the library. The expansion contained television and audio production studios, additional library seating areas and a 45-seat conference room.

Expansion of the campus continued in 1994 with the construction of two additions that joined the three academic buildings. The 20,417 square-foot expansion added classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, student lounges and an expanded cafeteria. In 1997, the college added a six-lane aquatic facility to the Health and Physical Education Building that is used by the college and local high schools.

In 2004, the college broke ground for the renovation and expansion of the Student Community Center. By the 2005 Fall Semester, the building was open for students to enjoy.

Following completion of that project, the college renovated Henderson Hall, CCM's oldest building. The renovation, completed in the spring of 2008, houses most of the administrative functions of the college, plus four general purpose classrooms and two corporate business training rooms. That same year, the college celebrated its 40th anniversary. In those 40 years, CCM had graduated more than 40,000 students who were employed in all sectors of the county, most notably half of the Morris County Sheriff's police force and half of the county's nurses.

In 2012, the college purchased a one-story commercial building on Route 10 in Randolph as its first major expansion in nearly four decades. The 15,500 square-foot building located at 675 Route 10 East allowed the college to increase classroom space to meet growing academic needs and provided for a new access road to and from Route 10.

In 2014, the college completed an extensive renovation to the Masten Learning Resource Center (LRC), which included consolidating the library on the second floor, a major expansion of the college's gallery and the addition of a cafe. Also in 2014, Rutgers entered into a partnership with the college to offer bachelor degree programs on campus.

In 2015, the Media Center, located within the LRC, was renovated and renamed in honor of late Assemblyman Alex DeCroce.

In early 2016, the college opened its Music Technology Center, a state-of-the-art facility that houses the digital media technology, drama, media technology, music and music recording academic programs. The facility includes an experimental theater laboratory, theater in- the-round, that serves as a large hands-on classroom with a recording studio.

After serving as president for 30 years, Dr. Yaw retired in 2016 and Dr. Anthony J. Iacono became the college's third president.

In 2018, as part of the college's 50th Anniversary celebrations, CCM launched a historic $2.1 million ``FORWARD'' capital campaign focused on funding programs and facility upgrades, including the Paragano Family Foundation Medical Simulation Center, a Cyber Security Suite, an enhanced Culinary Arts Training facility, a new Manufacturing and Engineering building, student scholarships and the Faculty Innovation Fund. Also in 2018, the college developed two new academic programs in animation and virtual reality to meet the demand for employees in these rapidly growing areas.

Today, the college offers more than 45 associate degree programs, along with a full slate of certificate and workforce development programs. The college holds more than 200 transfer agreements and its graduates annually transfer to the state's and nation's best four-year institutions.

CCM also provides multiple opportunities to be engaged in an active student life program. In particular, there are more than 50 student clubs and organizations, an award-winning student newspaper and literary magazine, and

nine intercollegiate athletic sports programs for men and women.

Included among its distinctions, CCM is the only community college in New Jersey to be named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security. Along with a strong STEM foundation, the college is known for the quality of its liberal arts, performing arts, health science, and culinary and hospitality programs.

CCM is fully accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Its other accreditations include Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs, Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, New Jersey Board of Nursing and Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care and the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology.

Looking ahead, the college plans to construct an Engineering and Manufacturing facility, establish a virtual hospital for its health science departments and expand program offerings in those areas. In addition, it plans to build upon its technology and cyber security offerings to provide more students with the opportunity to take advantage of these high job growth areas.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in congratulating the County College of Morris, its administration, faculty, and Board of Trustees, on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Suburban Propane headquartered in the Township of Hanover, New Jersey on the occasion of its 90th Anniversary.

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. is a nationwide distributor of propane, fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity, proudly celebrating 90 years of innovation, growth and quality service.

Since the concept of using propane as a portable heating source was born in 1928 by its visionary founder in a small New Jersey town, Suburban Propane and its predecessor companies have been committed to delivering outstanding customer service to the communities served. In 1945, under the name Suburban Propane Gas Corporation, Suburban Propane became the first stock exchange listed public propane distributor in the United States. After several transformations, Suburban Propane again emerged as a publicly-traded Master Limited Partnership (``MLP'') listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1996, and today is one of the oldest existing MLPs. Throughout its now nine decades of serving customers nationwide, Suburban Propane has maintained its high standards for safety, integrity and customer satisfaction.

From its roots as a small neighborhood business, Suburban Propane has grown into a nationwide distributor with a vast network of more than 650 locations in 41 states. Today, Suburban Propane is the third largest retail propane provider in the United States, serving the energy needs of approximately 1.0 million residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers.

The more than 3,200 employees of Suburban Propane are proud members of every community they serve. Suburban Propane's long-term commitment to giving back to its local communities led to the creation of an in- house initiative called SuburbanCaresTM, which encourages and supports Suburban Propane's employees in their efforts to serve their customers and communities. Since 2012, Suburban Propane has partnered with the American Red Cross as a national sponsor volunteering time, and donating blood and much needed supplies to support the American Red Cross and their lifesaving endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in congratulating Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., on the occasion of its 90th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio located in the Town of Lenox, Massachusetts, on the occasion of its 20th Anniversary.

Estelle ``Suzy'' Frelinghuysen and George L.K. Morris were an extraordinary couple and prolific abstract artists, who were deeply involved with national and international art throughout their lifetimes. As collectors and artists themselves, Frelinghuysen and Morris created a Berkshire home that they designed after the Bauhaus and filled with their expansive collection of art. Today, they are being widely rediscovered and praised as important figures in the history of American art.

Suzy Frelinghuysen, of Newark, New Jersey, was a trained opera singer who performed for the New York City Opera. She sang the leading roles of ``Tosca'' and ``Ariadne auf Naxos'' as a dramatic soprano. She married Morris in 1935 and by 1938 she became the first female artist to have a painting placed in the permanent collection of A.E. Gallatin's Museum of Living Art in New York City. Suzy was also a founding member of the American Abstract Artists. Her work can be viewed in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Carnegie Institute.

George L.K. Morris of New York traveled to Paris in 1929 with his cousin, A.E. Gallatin, where he met Picasso, Braque, and Brancusi. He further studied in the studio of Fernand Leger and Amedee Ozenfant. Later, he became one of the founders of the American Abstract Artists. He was passionate about Cubism and abstract art, which led him to become an editor and art critic for the Partisan Review. His work can be viewed in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Carnegie Institute.

Before her death in 1988, Suzy established the Morris Foundation and left instructions for their home, studio, and art collection intact and be used for educational purposes. Her nephew Kinney Frelinghuysen and his wife Linda have transformed their home into the Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio.

The 46 acre estate opened for visitation in 1998. Visitors can walk through their house with all of its original furnishings and see not only Suzy and George's own work, but also the work of their famous colleagues and contemporaries including Picasso, Braque, Leger, and Gris. As Kinney notes, ``The integration of living quarters with the immediacy of a concentration of works of art is a pleasurable and unexpected way to propel visitors into early 20th century art.'' Kinney and Linda have also completed several restoration projects over the past twenty years to preserve the iconic house.

Kinney dreams that the Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio will achieve National Historic Landmark status and believes that his Aunt Suzy would be pleased with their work to preserve her legacy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in celebrating the Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio's 20th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call 375, I am not recorded.

Had I been present, I would have voted Nay on Roll Call No. 375.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall 374, I am not recorded. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 374.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order on the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of my point of order.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation before us contains two important Appropriations bills: the Interior and Environmental bill and the Financial Services bill.

The first of these two bills, the Interior bill, funds important programs that protect and promote our Nation's resources. This includes vital funding to fight wildfires that threaten our communities across the Nation. The bill also invests in critical infrastructure that ensures American families have access to clean and safe drinking water; and, yes, this bill streamlines our Federal Government, returning the EPA to its core mission and cutting back regulatory red tape.

The second bill, the Financial Services bill, helps make our Nation a safer place to live and helps our economy grow. The bill also targets resources to programs that will boost economic growth and opportunity, particularly for America's small business people, as well as protects consumers and investors.

In addition, the Financial Services bill helps enforce our laws providing necessary funding to support the Federal Court system, stopping financial and cybercrime, and fighting the opioid epidemic.

Funding these Federal programs is a responsibility given to Congress by our Founding Fathers as part of the Constitution.

Mr. Speaker, our committee has exercised the power of the purse through robust debate over the past 2 days, and now it is time to move forward with this legislation.

Passage of this legislation will put us one step closer to completing all of our Appropriations bills as we promised in a timely fashion.

Mr. Speaker, these are solid bills. They are worthy of your support. I urge my colleagues to reject the motion, and vote ``yes'' on the underlying bill.

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

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

Mr. Chair, before we can conclude our debate, I wanted to thank Chairman Calvert and Ranking Betty McCollum of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee for their work; and also the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee Chairman Tom Graves and Ranking Member Mike Quigley for the great job they did; and for the men and women behind them that make up the professional and personal staff of the Appropriations Committee.

As of today, all 12 appropriations bills have been released. With the passage of this legislation, the full House will have halfway done all of our bills on the floor.

Mr. Chairman, we continue our momentum by passing H.R. 6147. I guess that will be tomorrow, and I urge support of the bill.

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

Announcement by the Acting Chair

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the consideration of H.R. 6147, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 6147, the fiscal year 2019 Interior, Environment, and Financial Services and General Government appropriations bills. This package continues the House's important work on our annual government funding legislation. With the passage of this bill, the House will be halfway done with our fiscal year 2019 bills through the floor.

I want to thank, and I am sure Ranking Member Lowey thanks both Chairman Calvert and his ranking member, and Chairman Graves and his ranking member for their work with their colleagues.

These bills fund vital programs across the Federal Government, including those that make Americans safer, protect our Nation's resources, and create jobs. In addition to providing this necessary funding, the bills ensure that the Federal Government is working efficiently and in the best interest of the American taxpayers. This includes streamlining Federal agencies, reforming financial policies, and reducing burdensome regulatory red tape.

Both bills reflect American priorities. I would like to highlight just a few of these. The Interior and Environment appropriations bill, authored by Representative Calvert of California, provides $35.3 billion for the EPA, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Department of the Interior and other programs that promote our natural heritage.

Within this total, the bill prioritizes funding to fight in preventing devastating wildfires, fully funding the 10-year average for suppression costs. The bill also targets critical resources to major infrastructure that will improve the lives of Americans, boosting funding to ensure communities have access to safe drinking water, and accelerates the cleanup of Superfund sites. This is especially important as we have more than 1,300 national priority sites awaiting urgent attention to address hazardous materials threatening the health of Americans across the country. I appreciate Chairman Calvert's efforts in this area.

The Interior bill continues funding for other programs that manage our national resources and cultural heritage, like the National Park Service, the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, the Chemical Safety Board, and the Smithsonian Institution.

Beyond these important investments, the bill rightsizes regulatory programs to ensure that the government is working to support American families and their communities.

This also includes addressing EPA's regulatory agenda and supporting the administration's proposal to reshape its workforce. This will enable the agency to focus on its core duties, while reducing unnecessary spending.

The second bill in this package also works to reduce waste across government. The Financial Services appropriations bill, authored by Representative Graves of Georgia, totals $23.4 billion which, like the Interior bill, is equal to fiscal year 2018 levels.

This bill prioritizes effective programs that improve our national security and expands economic opportunity while finding efficiencies, governmentwide, and while stopping harmful overregulation.

This bill also supports America's small businesses by providing loans and resources that will help us grow and thrive. It also provides stability for our financial system, and protects consumers, and investors.

This bill also improves accountability of the American taxpayer by directing the Internal Revenue Service funding towards customer service and stopping the misuse of funding within the agency.

Another priority is law enforcement. This bill also provides funding to fight the opioid abuse epidemic, protects our financial institutions from cyber crime, and supports our Federal courts.

I would like to commend all the committee members on the Appropriations Committee who led the drafting of these bills, particularly Chairman Graves and his Ranking Member, Mike Quigley, and Interior Chairman Ken Calvert and his Ranking Member, Betty McCollum, along with their subcommittee members and their professional staff that did a remarkable job.

I am pleased that the House is taking the next step forward on our appropriations bill this evening.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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Madam Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), the chairman of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations.

Madam Chair, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman from California.

Madam Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Graves), the chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Appropriations.

Madam Chair, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Jenkins), a member of the committee.

Madam Chairwoman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), the chairman of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, for the purpose of a colloquy.

Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), who is the chairman of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, for the purpose of a colloquy.

Madam Chair, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I am pleased the House is taking the next step towards our Appropriations bills today. These bills maintain vital Federal responsibilities and reflect common American values.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 5895) making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and request a conference with the Senate thereon.