Lowey statement at full committee markup of FY 2019 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill

Thank you, Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Kaptur, and Chairman Frelinghuysen for your work on this bill.

As we begin the third full committee markup, I’m frustrated that, once again, the majority has departed from what had been long-standing committee practice of examining allocations for each subcommittee.  This is far from regular order. 

Democrats are focused on investments to create jobs, grow the economy, help hardworking families, and provide for our security. When Republicans fail to govern responsibly and instead keep us in the dark on a complete set of allocations, we cannot adequately judge how our priorities may fare or how this bill fits into the larger picture. 

This is especially concerning when House Republican leadership has announced that we will soon consider the Trump rescissions package on the floor that would limit our ability to reinvest in vital bipartisan initiatives.

Failing to have 302(b)s, allowing leadership to dictate a rescissions package without committee consideration, and not even knowing if any of these bills will be debated individually on the House floor erode any illusion of regulator order. We can and must do better.

Turning to the bill before us today, the Fiscal Year 2019 Energy and Water bill builds on the important work done in the fiscal year 2018 omnibus, which was an important step toward addressing the water infrastructure backlog in our country. It made significant investments in science and technology that will grow the economy, create jobs, and ensure our security.

This bill continues on that path with a significant increase for the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. Together with the supplemental funding passed earlier this year, we have given the Corps a big shovel to start digging out of its $96 billion backlog, including many projects in New York.

Likewise, the Chairman’s mark makes increased investments at the Department of Energy, including for the Office of Science and to secure and modernize our electric grid.

Unfortunately, despite a healthy allocation the Majority has gone out of its way to cut Democratic priorities and add poison pill riders, a step backward from the omnibus. DOE initiatives that drive innovation and safeguard our national security, such as energy efficiency and renewable energy, nuclear nonproliferation, and ARPA-E are cut from the 2018 enacted level. The bill also includes funding for a new nuclear weapons capability called for in the Nuclear Posture Review that has not been fully debated by this committee.

And controversial and harmful policy riders, including – allowing firearms on Army Corps of Engineers land, repealing the Waters of the United States rule, blocking National Ocean Policy implementation, and prohibiting funding for operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System, make this bill impossible to pass in a bipartisan manner.

The Majority knows full well that many of these riders were stripped out of the final FY18 spending agreement and cannot be included in a future bill that requires bipartisan support to pass.

I look forward to working together to improve this bill as the process moves forward.