DeLauro Floor Remarks on Government Funding Extension: “Let this be our last Continuing Resolution.”
WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) delivered the following remarks on the House floor:
First, let me step back and wish the Chair of the Appropriations Committee a happy birthday. Happy birthday, Ms. Granger.
I rise in support of this continuing resolution – which I hope is the last of the fiscal year 2024 Appropriations process.
This continuing resolution keeps the government open while the Appropriations Committees in the House and the Senate continue bipartisan negotiations on final 2024 funding bills that are in line with the agreement we have had since last June. I am encouraged by the conversations that have taken place since the topline numbers were reaffirmed in the Schumer-Johnson agreement, and I appreciate the good faith and the respectful four corner negotiation that took place to put forward this continuing resolution. I hope the current pace and tone will result in swiftly finalizing all 2024 funding bills in a bipartisan fashion. I might add, the Senate just voted a short time ago 77 to 18, overwhelmingly to move forward with the Appropriations bills.
House Republicans wasted the entire duration of the first continuing resolution, and most of the second, arguing over 2024 funding levels they agreed to last summer.
However, I believe we have finally moved on from that charade, and there is now a mutual understanding that the only way to finally end the saga of 2024 funding is to write Appropriations bills that can earn the support of both Democrats and Republicans in the House and in the Senate – bills that will likely need to pass under suspension of the rules, like the bill we are considering today.
While there may be a Republican majority on paper, more than 200 Democrats will be needed to keep the government's lights on and ensure that the American people have uninterrupted access to the services and programs that help their families stay healthy, boost our economy, and keep us safe and secure. That is why Democrats in both chambers have also made clear that the final funding bills cannot include any poison pill riders.
In addition to negotiating and passing the twelve Appropriations bills, Congress still must respond to President Biden's supplemental requests for our urgent national security needs.
We must quickly provide additional support to Ukraine in their fight against Russian tyranny. We cannot allow Vladimir Putin to be rewarded for perpetuating a pointless, bloody war. We cannot allow Russia to bully sovereign nations into ceding their territory to a tyrant. We know Putin believes, quote, "Russia's borders do not end anywhere." He is profoundly mistaken, and we must prove him definitively wrong.
We must also support Israel's efforts to defeat Hamas, while ensuring we do everything possible to protect innocent life and provide humanitarian aid.
Finally, we must work in good faith to resolve the very difficult and critical issues at our southern border. We have to come to a bipartisan compromise and show the American people Congress is still able to address urgent crises.
Congress must avoid a shutdown. We must enact full-year spending bills and emergency assistance for Ukraine, for Israel, and for the civilians caught in the crossfire, as well as for our border, and for the American people as soon as possible.
To those ends, let this be our last continuing resolution. Thank you, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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