Statements
Recent Activity
Displaying 366 - 370 of 1165
Aside from being built on a house of cards, the bill before us today makes irresponsible investments that weaken our national security and harm the Homeland Security workforce. It will not get control at the border. My Republican colleagues are once again proposing to waste billions of dollars on a useless and ineffective border wall – rather than focusing resources where we need them most, like combatting fentanyl entering through our ports of entry, supporting the Homeland Security workforce, discouraging the flow of migrants from Central America, helping our border communities, advancing our cybersecurity posture, and protecting our communities from violent extremism and foreign adversaries.
After removing rescissions, the Agriculture bill provides a total funding level so insufficient that it was last seen in 2006. It is a sham proposal built on $8 billion in alleged savings that will likely not be available next year. The cuts in the bill are harmful, including slashing the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program by $500 million, cutting the Renewable Energy for America Program by $500 million, gutting investments in rural electric co-ops for clean energy and energy efficiency by $3.25 billion, eliminating loans that serve as a financial lifeline that has already helped more than 20,000 distressed farmers from keeping hardworking farmers from going into foreclosure, it’s an issue that is relevant to rural farmers, and taking food out of the mouths of veterans, children, seniors, and people with disabilities who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Let me emphasize: the House Republicans have pledged to cut critical programs by $142 billion. And by the majority’s estimate, the bill before us today cuts more than $250 million from the Legislative Branch. Because we have not been given information about the cuts being proposed by Republicans, that means the other appropriations bills still must bear – $142 billion in cuts; this is simple math, Mr. Chairman. And it means that the across-the-board cuts of at least 22 percent to nondefense programs that would be required to meet their target and that would mean it would be will actually be much steeper for the bills that they are still holding back. Simply put, the Republicans’ plan is a house of cards.
However, in light of the recent attack on two Congressional staffers in Virginia, I am severely disappointed that this bill does not increase security enhancements for our constituents and the staff who serve them. Considering this event, we must include additional resources for the Sergeant at Arms’ District Office Security Program and expand its scope so that Members can use this program for more than just one district office. Moreover, this bill does nothing to continue the progress Congress has made in terms of expanding Capitol Hill diversity, continuing bold investments towards our crumbling infrastructure, or increasing chances to serve our constituents effectively.
As part of the Republican’s Default on America bill they just passed, they included no protections for veterans funding, despite making promises their proposed cuts would not impact veterans. Verbal promises clearly mean nothing when they could have included these protections in law – ensuring veterans funding would not be subject to political funding battles – and they made the conscious choice not to do so. On top of that, Republicans voted to immediately rescind $2 billion for veterans for claims processing and appeals, healthcare both within and outside of VA, research, and education and training for veterans. The bill before us today continues the Republican’s disturbing trend that does not protect veterans.