Ranking Member DeLauro Statement at Full Committee Markup of 2025 Legislative Branch Funding Bill

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks at the Committee's markup of the fiscal year 2025 Legislative Branch funding bill:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you Chairman Valadao, Ranking Member Espaillat, and the majority and minority staff for your work on this bill, especially Faye Cobb and Raquel Spencer.

As I said when we marked this bill up in subcommittee, the bill before us today is not far removed from a bill that I would support. It builds upon our investments in the Legislative Branch that have enabled us to better serve the American people.

But unfortunately, the majority has included harmful policy riders that undo the sensible, historical restrictions in statute on compensation for outside work for certain Members of Congress, hurt our ability to attract and retain diverse and talented staff, and unwind important measures that ensure we are doing our part to protect the environment.

The bill includes a provision that creates loopholes for medical and dental professionals serving in Congress to receive compensation for outside work in addition to their congressional salary, opening the door to changing the rules we all must follow when it comes to external professions, unfairly benefiting certain Members, and potentially creating conflicts of interest.

This body considers legislation touching every single facet of the economy, including health care – we should be focusing on helping people, not doing the job of authorizers or the Ethics Committee to amend current law.

Other partisan policies in this bill hurt our ability to attract and retain talented staff – and every one of us knows that it is our staff that keep our names on the door.

The bill would create a license to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people and block diversity and inclusion programs, and I remain frustrated that we continue to bar DACA recipients from employment in the Legislative Branch. These policies all make it harder for us to build a Congressional workforce as diverse and talented as the country they serve.

A strong and well-functioning Legislative Branch is essential to ensuring the House of Representatives can do the work Americans sent us here to do. If we cannot create an environment where all staff feel safe and welcome, we will not be able to serve people in the ways that they expect and deserve.

The bill’s reasonable funding levels are proof that the majority is capable of writing bills that can get bipartisan support and have a path to becoming law – if they could simply abandon their obsession with partisan riders which they know will be removed from the final agreement.

I hope my Republican colleagues make these simple, necessary changes so we can pass this bill with strong support from both Democrats and Republicans.

But at this time, I cannot support this bill. I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will reconsider their strategy, and join us at the table to support our staff, our constituents, and workers and families around the country. Above all, it is time to govern.

Thank you, and I yield back.

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