Lowey Remarks on Conslidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act

December 11, 2014
Press Release

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As we all know, 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 the 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.

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 Administration; the Transportation Security Administration – into a two 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 ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from Secretary Johnson outlining the problems with funding the department through a CR.

My colleague, 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 relating 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 eleven other spending bills included in this package are a mix of wins and losses. I was very pleased 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 Institute of Health and food safety at the Food and Drug Administration. Another very modest, but very important increase is provided for after-school 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 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. 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 Center 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.

I am pleased the Appropriations Committee was able to come together on a package to fund eleven of the twelve spending bills, but I wish it had been on all twelve 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 to get rid of the swaps language; it does not belong on an appropriations bill.  The Reid Boehner provision to increase by 10-fold the limits on contributions to political parties is excessive and also does not belong on this bill.  
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

113th Congress