Press Releases

Mr. Chairman, please let me recognize you for the hard effort and collegiality required to prepare this Fiscal Year 2016 Energy and Water bill. Special gratitude is extended as well to Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Lowey, and the dedicated members of our Subcommittee for their diligence and good attendance. Finally, to our exceptional subcommittee professional staff—Donna Shahbaz on the Republican side and Taunja Berquam on the Democratic side—all of us appreciate your indefatigable work ethic and very long hours devoted to this bill, largely unrecognized.

Thank you, Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Kaptur, and Chairman Rogers.

Later today I intend to offer an amendment to the Chairman's subcommittee allocations for the twelve appropriations bills we will consider this year. It is no secret that my Democratic colleagues and I opposed the House Majority's Budget Resolution and the discretionary allocation. That number is unrealistic to fund priorities that will grow our economy and give hardworking Americans opportunity to succeed.

Thank you, Chairman Dent, Ranking Member Bishop, and Chairman Rogers.

Thank you for yielding, Mr. Chairman. As you all know, this bill has a strong reputation for finding bipartisan common ground as members work together to fund the construction of military facilities and strive to improve the quality of life and care afforded to our veterans and military families.

2016 mark: $35.403 billion
2016 budget request: $36.036 billion
2015 enacted: $34.202 billion

The Committee recommendation provides:

Thank you, Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Kaptur, and Chairman Rogers.

Thank you Chairman Simpson and all the Members of our subcommittee, especially those who joined us this year—Ms. Herrera Beutler, Mr. Valadao, Mr. Honda, and Ms. Roybal-Allard. We also welcome Ms. Granger, the newest member of our Subcommittee.

This bill funds incredibly important programs that can unlock America's full economic potential, including:

Thank you, Chairman Dent, Ranking Member Bishop, and Chairman Rogers.

Next week our full committee will meet to vote on all twelve subcommittee allocations. As my colleagues are aware, the House Majority's budget resolution, which gives this committee its overall budget, was opposed by every Member on my side of the aisle. Quite simply, it was inadequate, and we much preferred the approach taken by the President calling for an end to the sequester and more reasonable and realistic budgeting that will grow our economy and give hardworking Americans opportunity to succeed.