Lowey Floor Remarks on Continuing Resolution Through December 20

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey today delivered the following remarks on the House Floor in support of an amendment to H.R. 3055, a continuing resolution to fund the government through December 20:

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. While the House did its work and passed 12 appropriations bills through committee and 10 appropriations bills off the floor, delays in the Senate mean the appropriations process is behind.

With just days until current stopgap funding expires, we must pass a continuing resolution to keep government open and fund key priorities as we negotiate subcommittee allocations and then finalize individual appropriations bills.

This legislation avoids controversial policies and instead contains provisions that reflect shared priorities, including:

• Bipartisan language to fully fund a fair and accurate 2020 Decennial Census;
• A 3.1% pay raise for our military; and
• Language to prevent a rescission of $7.6 billion in highway funding.

In addition to these provisions, the CR includes a package of extenders that will keep health programs critical to American families up and running.

By extending these programs and government funding through December 20, this CR will allow additional time to negotiate and enact responsible long-term funding for priorities that make our country safer and stronger and give working families a better chance at a better life.

Mr. Speaker, even as we pass this CR today, American families, businesses, and communities need the certainty of full-year funding.

To complete the appropriations process, we must first settle allocations with the Senate Republicans.

Only by coming together in good faith can we enact responsible, full-year spending bills that invest For the People and give every American a better chance at a better life. 

I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.