Wasserman Schultz Statement at Subcommittee Markup of 2014 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act

July 9, 2013
Press Release
Wasserman Schultz Statement at Subcommittee Markup of 2014 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act

This Congress has a 6% approval rating, the lowest in history. While many of my colleagues see cutting our important legislative branch agencies as a way to buoy the public's opinion of Congress, this is the wrong approach.

Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Let me begin by thanking Chairman Alexander, the Members of the subcommittee, and our committee and personal staff on the majority and minority side for a collaborative process during the development of this bill.

As a former Chair of this subcommittee, I cannot emphasize enough that it is critically important that we meet the responsibility to rise above politics and take the long view for the future of the Legislative Branch of government.

The infrastructure must be maintained, the health and safety of our visitors must be prioritized and the needs of our staff must be met in order for us to be successful – these are the important responsibilities of this subcommittee.

Mr. Chairman, despite a low allocation, I believe that you have done the best you can under these circumstances to provide for these priorities.

I am most proud of the funding provided in this bill for the House Historic Buildings Trust Fund, at $70 million. We began this program in fiscal year 2010 "to begin to address known major building requirements to repair and upgrade the historic, iconic buildings and facilities of the U.S. House of Representatives."

Since then, the estimate to rehabilitate the Cannon House Office Building has come in at a staggering $752.7 million. Investing a little at a time in the trust fund is the most responsible way to fund these major projects, especially in these tight budgetary times.

The lessons learned while building the Capitol Visitor Center taught us that starting a major project without some savings creates pressures that are difficult to meet in such a small appropriations bill.

The bill also includes funding for the next phase of the Capitol Dome project at nearly $16 million. The Dome is a symbol of our great democracy and it is appropriate that as stewards of this institution, we do what is needed to ensure that it continues to stand for generations to come.

I know that Members on both sides of the aisle will appreciate that the Wounded Warrior program was also funded at the pre-sequester level of $2.5 million. This is an important program that provides opportunities to former members of our armed forces who were injured while serving our country.

I also would like to commend the Chairman on his decision to provide funding to shut down the Open World Leadership Center. As I have stated repeatedly over the years, this program, while good intentioned, is a square peg in a round hole.

Mr. Chairman, despite these positive highlights, the low allocation that you were provided by the majority has unfortunately resulted in the underfunding of several our legislative branch agencies.

While funding provided in this bill is proportionally better than the allocations received by the Labor, Health, Education and Interior, Environment subcommittees, this bill is inadequate when viewed on its own merits.

The Capitol Police are funded at $8.8 million, or 2.6% below the FY 2013 level.

While the Chairman's mark gives the Capitol Police some relief from sequester, there will still be strains on building access for visitors and staff.

The House Chief Administrative Officer, responsible for all administrative duties for the Member offices including information technology, payroll and benefits, and operating food services, is stretched very thin. The Office has been cut 11% since 2010.

In 2011, the office laid off 22 people and recently announced a Voluntary Separation offer to further shed staff.

The Office of Compliance will have a difficult time protecting staff and visitors from hazards as they struggle to do building inspections with the funding levels in this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I recognize that this may be the hand you were dealt - but at some point there is no "doing more with less," as our full committee chairman, Mr. Rogers stated - there is only less. We have reached that point.

This bill ensures that the Legislative Branch is leading by example in fiscal austerity, as stated in the Committee report. I agree with that assessment.

But I must ask, does this bill make a legitimate effort to ensure that the best and brightest want to work in the legislative branch?

This Congress has a 6% approval rating, the lowest in history. While many of my colleagues see cutting our important legislative branch agencies as a way to buoy the public's opinion of Congress, this is the wrong approach.

If we operate on a bare bones budget, we will produce what we pay for. We shouldn't be the weak link the chain of our democracy – we have a responsibility to fulfill our role as a coequal branch of government.

My hope is that we can improve the allocation of this bill through the conference process with the Senate, if not before.

Before closing, I would be remiss if I didn't express my regret and disappointment that up to $2.3 million of this subcommittee's resources were spent to defend the unconstitutional Defense of Marriage Act.

At a time when we are significantly cutting back constituent services, in addition to the 20% in cuts that we've sustained since 2010, it is simply unconscionable that much-needed funds were spent in defending an Act that was found unconstitutional in no less than 8 federal courts.

Fortunately, as we all know, the Supreme Court has agreed with the lower courts and we can move on with the business of using all of our limited resources to fund the core operations of the House.

Mr. Chairman, thank you again for a collaborative process.

I only hope that sanity replaces sequestration, allowing this Committee to write realistic bills that have a chance of being enacted.

113th Congress