Chairwoman Lowey Statement at Subcommittee Markup of FY 2021 Financial Services and General Government Funding Bill

I congratulate Chairman Quigley and Ranking Member Graves for the bill before us, and I thank the staff for their dedication.

This bill would better protect our election system, bolster the small business community, and invest in financial services to underserved markets and populations by providing:

• $12.1 billion for the IRS, including $2.6 billion for Taxpayer Services;
• $500 million for election security grants to help states update election infrastructure;
• More than $37 billion in lending authority for SBA loans, and millions more for Entrepreneurial Development Programs such as the Women’s Business Centers; and

Additionally, the bill includes $61 billion in emergency funding for the FCC to expand availability of broadband to unserved areas, as well as multi-year funding for broadband mapping and the replacement of telecommunications equipment deemed to pose a national security threat to the United States.

Beyond funding, this bill includes important provisions on worker protections and would make DACA recipients eligible for Federal employment.  It would also prohibit the use of funds from the Treasury Forfeiture Fund for the President’s border wall and respects D.C. autonomy by allowing the District of Columbia to make its own decisions about using its own local funds, including respecting a woman’s right to choose.

I urge support for these vital priorities.