Press Releases

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

I want to congratulate the Chairman on putting together this bill under very difficult circumstances. Next week our full Committee will meet to consider the allocations for all twelve appropriations bills. It is no secret that my Democratic colleagues and I opposed the House Majority's Budget Resolution and the discretionary allocation given to the Committee. This number is unrealistic and threatens the success of the Appropriations process, and the consequences in this first draft bill are just the tip of the iceberg. This bill could be a "high water mark" among the bills when it comes to funding priorities that will grow our economy and give hardworking Americans opportunity to succeed.

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.

Thank you Mr. Chairman

I want to congratulate Chairman Dent on making it through his first hearing cycle as Chairman and on his first subcommittee markup. I would like to thank you for the cooperative tone you set from day one. I believe the Chairman has worked very hard to get us to this point. I pleased several aspects of the bill. For example, the bill maintains the tough but fair reporting requirements for Electronic Health Records endeavor. The bill continues to prioritize the elimination of the claims backlog, and it includes steps to keep the Board of Veterans Appeals ahead of the curve. I think these are all positive steps to making the VA function better. Furthermore, this bill does not contain any policy riders.

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), the Ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, today delivered the following opening statement at a Subcommittee hearing on the Department of Homeland Security's budget request for Fiscal Year 2016. The hearing's witness was Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), senior Democrat on the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee today called for more funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She also highlighted the agency's proposal to better monitor the amount and impact of sports-related head injuries. The opening statement below is as delivered before the Committee. The exchange on sports-related head injuries can be viewed here, beginning at about 1:21:00.

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), the Ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, today delivered the following opening statement at a Subcommittee hearing on the U.S. Coast Guard budget request for Fiscal Year 2016. The hearing's witness was Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Paul F. Zukunft.

"Admiral, welcome to your first appearance before the Subcommittee as the Commandant of the Coast Guard. This morning, we will discuss the Coast Guard's budget request for Fiscal Year 2016, which totals $8.1 billion in discretionary funding – a cut of $238 million, or 2.8 percent, from the current year appropriation.

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), senior member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee made the below following statement at today's hearing on the National Labor Relations Board's Fiscal Year 2016 budget request. It can also be viewed here.