Press Releases

House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY-17) today introduced new legislation to provide relief and recovery assistance for Americans affected by recent natural disasters. The $17.2 billion emergency supplemental builds on legislation the House passed in January. It includes an additional $3 billion to address urgent needs following flooding in the Midwest and tornadoes in the South that have occurred while the House-passed bill has languished in the Senate.

“Unless Congress and the President act soon, our country faces an imminent, $125 billion fiscal cliff that will force huge cuts to investments in America’s working families and deep damage to our national security. Averting the damage of these unworkable budget caps must be a top priority, which is why I am pleased to join Chairman Yarmuth to introduce the Investing for the People Act."

“This unprecedented action will clearly be a consideration as the Committee disposes the entirety of the Department’s budget request, including its current transfer authority"

“House Democrats first passed a comprehensive, emergency disaster supplemental in January. We are disappointed Senate Republicans have refused to take up this bill for more than two months, leaving millions of American citizens affected by recent hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires and other natural disasters without the assistance they desperately need."

"Congressman José Serrano is a distinguished leader and a dear friend. When he retires at the end of his term, he will be missed both in the New York delegation and on the Appropriations Committee."

“President Trump has somehow managed to produce a budget request even more untethered from reality than his past two. This irresponsible proposal slashes investments in America’s working families to unworkable budget cap levels, resulting in cuts of 9 percent to programs like early childhood education, job training, law enforcement, safe drinking water, and scientific and medical research. The recklessness of the Trump budget is underscored by its inclusion of $8.6 billion in border wall funding, an egregious waste of money that does nothing to make our country safer. Moreover, the use of a massive budgetary gimmick to hide the true cost of his defense spending request should outrage everyone who claims to care about fiscal responsibility."

“The President’s announcement to spend up to $6.725 billion in additional funding for construction of a border wall or barrier came at the end of bipartisan negotiations on an agreed-to funding level of $1.375 billion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 for border security,” the letter states. “However, important budgetary details of the plan have not yet been provided, including the specific funding sources and additional authorities that would be used and the programs, projects, and activities from which funds would be diverted.”

“While the President has issued a national emergency proclamation, our committees are still responsible for performing their constitutional oversight responsibilities,” the lawmakers wrote. “As such, given the speed with which we believe the Department of Defense may be acting in response to the emergency proclamation, we request that you produce the request documents and information no later than March 21, 2019.”