Labor, HHS, Education

"Sadly, the Trump Administration has been undermining protections, unions, and workers. And the Trump-controlled NLRB has been taking every opportunity to dismantle workers’ rights to organize. Some of the Board’s most egregious rulings and regulatory efforts seek to deny labor protections for thousands of workers."

"With the recently enacted $8.3 billion emergency supplemental, the federal government can aid state and local health departments in assisting patients and mitigate the extent of the virus. However, due to the Administration’s failure to treat this threat seriously, initial faulty test kits, the Administration’s slow approvals for laboratories, and slow distribution of working kits, more people are likely to be infected. It is imperative that the federal government have a multi-agency approach to ensure tests are available for all who may need one without delay."

"The budget proposes to cut CDC funding by $693 million, or 9 percent, below the FY 2020 appropriation. And, despite the presentation of the President’s Budget, which claims that infectious disease, global health and preparedness were prioritized in CDC’s request, key programs would be cut: the Public Health Data Initiative, the Public Health Workforce program, and the Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Reserve Fund that allowed CDC to quickly respond to COVID-19. This subcommittee will not be pursuing the administration’s proposed cuts. To cut from our public health infrastructure during an outbreak is beyond consideration. Instead, I intend to invest in CDC and our nation’s public health system."

"To propose investing $2 billion for the wall while cutting $3.3 billion from the National Institutes of Health exposes the Trump Administration priorities for what they are: political rhetoric over public health."

"I am proud that the Congress has increased NIH funding by $11.6 billion, or 39 percent, over the past five years. Last year alone, the Congress provided an additional $2.6 billion increase over the fiscal year 2019 level for NIH. Unfortunately, the President’s budget would reverse this progress. The budget proposes to cut NIH funding by $3.3 billion, or 7.9 percent below the fiscal year 2020 level. This would result in NIH making nearly 1,800 fewer new grants to researchers, a reduction of 16 percent. This subcommittee will not be pursuing these cuts. I intend to move forward with continued, increased investments in NIH, to build off of the progress made in recent years."

"Let us also remember that poverty has a pernicious impact on the development of children. It is a lifelong scar. This subcommittee provides some of the largest sums of discretionary funds in the Congress for the wellbeing of children, especially those in poverty."

"You’d like us to believe this proposal empowers states and districts with flexibility, but the numbers don’t lie. You propose eliminating 41 programs and cutting education funding overall by $6.2 billion. The Department of Education’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. Secretary DeVos, your budget is clearly on a different mission—one that shirks accountability to our students and taxpayers."