Press Releases
"The president seems determined to ensure this budget request is discarded even more quickly than his last one.
"While the President and his OMB Director live in budget fantasyland, I will be in the real world negotiating a responsible, bipartisan Appropriations package that invests in American families and communities."
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"Four months into the fiscal year, the Republican majority is introducing its fifth Continuing Resolution. As Democrats have said for many months, this is a perversion of good government and the polar opposite of regular order. It is a truly shameful display of incompetence.
"Even now, the majority displays a lack of urgency regarding reaching a budget agreement and enacting Appropriations law, choosing instead to advance partisan measures that fail to lift unmanageable budget caps for both defense and nondefense.
The House of Representatives will consider the FY2018 Defense Appropriations Act this week, for the third time. The bill is nearly identical to the Defense bill contained within the National Security Consolidated Appropriations Act (HR 3219) passed by the House on July 27th, which Democrats opposed by a vote of 187-5.
Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, today issued the following statement on the Republican majority's second government shutdown in five years:
"Since President Trump's draconian budget was released, Democrats have warned Republicans that a bipartisan budget agreement was needed to adequately invest in American families and communities. Without a budget agreement, programs as diverse as Head Start, job training, and terrorism prevention grants are in danger of inadequate funding at best. Yet, Republican leadership and the White House have no appropriations strategy other than endless Continuing Resolutions. Mr.
On Monday, December 18th, the House majority introduced a third disaster supplemental following hurricanes and wildfires of summer and fall 2017.
The package totals $81 billion, with the vast majority directed toward FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund ($27.5 billion), Community Development Block Grants ($26 billion), and Army Corps of Engineers repairs and resiliency ($12.1 billion).
While some funding levels are robust, this package is not the product of bipartisan negotiation and compromise.
"Puntagon" Spending Package:
Summary and Key Points
"The Republican majority continues to lurch from crisis to crisis of their own making. This partisan and irresponsible package fails to advance the safety and prosperity of American families and communities and leaves no path to accomplish urgent and bipartisan priorities by the end of the year."
Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY)
Ranking Democrat, House Appropriations Committee
"In recent months, hurricanes battered Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and destroyed homes, businesses, infrastructure, and communities, as did raging wildfires in California.
"I have heard directly from representatives of these states and territories, who have conveyed the massive scale of the devastation and the need for robust disaster assistance to help communities recover and rebuild. This request does not come close to what local officials say is needed.