Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz Floor Remarks on the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024

WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-23), Ranking Member of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks on the House Floor in support of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024:

Mr. Speaker, as the MilCon-VA subcommittee Ranking Member, I support this minibus not only because we blocked nearly all the poison pill policy riders, but it includes major Democratic priorities.

We restored military construction funding to $2 billion above the budget request, dedicated resiliency and PFAS remediation funding, and boosted DOD housing oversight.

We held strong on our commitment to veterans by providing $121 billion for VA medical care, increased and protected funding for gender-specific care for women, and blocked Republican attempts to further restrict women’s abortion access and counseling.

I am also so pleased my friend Chairman Carter and I joined forces to end harmful VA animal research on dogs, cats and non-human primates within two years.

President Biden and Congress built a minibus that lowers costs, creates jobs, funds food and housing lifelines and fortifies America’s energy independence with cutting-edge climate research.

In other parts of this bill, I am also proud we fully fund Everglades restoration at the President’s budget request of $415 million level.

President Biden has delivered time and time again for Florida’s environment, and Everglades restoration specifically.

This funding allows restoration projects like the EAA Reservoir to continue to move forward so that we can save America’s Everglades. 

And finally, these bills provide millions of dollars for community project funding back home.

I secured more than $15 million in local projects headed towards Broward County, and communities across America will see similar assistance.

In my community, that means funding to house veterans, and help to raise local streets in Hollywood to mitigate climate change.

It means vital help for law enforcement to conduct more detailed digital investigations of human trafficking cases.

I was able to secure support for local reef preservation efforts, genetic disease research, and water, sewer and drainage upgrades, as well as help fix nagging local infrastructure repairs my constituents navigate every day. 

For all these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this minibus, and I yield back.

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