Lowey Floor Remarks on FY 2020 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey today delivered the following remarks on the House Floor in support of H.R. 3351, the fiscal year 2020 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill. 

House Democrats are fighting to ensure that America is safe, strong, and moving forward. The investments in this bill to fund financial regulators and small businesses improve the financial security of every family. And with the inclusion of funding for election security, we can safeguard our democracy.

This bill would provide $12 billion for the IRS, including $2.56 billion for Taxpayer Services and $290 million for Business Systems Modernization. These increases are particularly important to secure sensitive data housed at the IRS.

Small businesses are the foundation of our economy, and this bill gives them and their employees a better shot at success. A nearly 40 percent increase to the Small Business Administration includes a 14 percent increase for Entrepreneurial Development Programs like Women’s Business Centers.

To combat the attacks on our democracy by foreign powers, the bill would provide $16.2 million for Election Assistance Commission operating expenses, a 76 percent increase, and $600 million for election security grants.

Other important measures would make DACA recipients eligible for Federal employment and prohibit the use of funds from the Treasury Forfeiture Fund to construct the president’s ill-conceived border wall.

What’s not in this bill is also noteworthy, starting with objectionable riders from previous years that threatened home rule for D.C., such as the ban on D.C. using its own local funds to support abortion services, needle exchanges, and the legalization of marijuana. The bill would also eliminate three riders related to the SEC and FEC aimed at thwarting transparency in disclosures of political contributions.

This bill would invest in a future that supports the security of our data and our elections while setting our communities up for success. I urge support.

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