News
July 11, 2017
Press Release
As you have already stated, this year’s mark includes $56.5 billion for vital transportation, housing, and community development programs at DOT, HUD, and related agencies. Unfortunately, this represents a funding decrease of more than $1.1 billion compared to the recently enacted omnibus.
July 11, 2017
Press Release
Today, we are marking up our eighth appropriations bill at subcommittee level. However, more than nine months into the fiscal year, the majority continues to flounder in passing a budget resolution, and the Committee has only just released its full slate of 302(b) allocations. This is a highly irresponsible way to operate and a perversion of regular order.
July 11, 2017
Press Release
An inadequate nondefense allocation results in a bill with damaging cuts to critical investments in clean energy, advanced energy research, and nuclear nonproliferation; as well as several divisive policy riders.
July 11, 2017
Press Release
The Agriculture bill’s insufficient allocation results in consequential reductions for food aid, and underfunding CFTC’s enforcement of consumer financial protections.
July 7, 2017
Press Release
I must oppose the bill before us today. With an overall funding level of $20.231 billion, which is $1.3 billion, or 6 percent below FY17, this bill does not adequately promote small business creation, consumer protection, or good governance.
June 29, 2017
Press Release
Inadequate funding remains only part of the story. Poison pill riders turn a bad bill into another example of the Republican Majority’s culture war. Attacks on women’s health care, efforts to block implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and an attempt to sneak 88 pages of the Financial CHOICE Act into this bill and effectively repeal Dodd-Frank are particularly shameful.
June 29, 2017
Press Release
I wish we could be here in other circumstances. After scorekeeping adjustments, the bill includes an approximately 1 percent cut from last year’s funding level in the Omnibus. This funding level is inadequate given the key roles that the agencies under this subcommittee play in securing our nation, promoting economic development, and ensuring our leadership in scientific endeavors.
June 29, 2017
Press Release
Within this bill, while several items are funded at decent levels, there are a great many other items of serious concern. For instance, while the COPS program deceptively shows an increase of $12.5 million, resources and responsibilities have been shifted to create an illusion of robust funding all while eliminating the COPS Hiring Program.
June 29, 2017
Press Release
I hope my predicted path for this bill and those that invest in the human and physical capital of this nation is overly pessimistic and that a consensus will be reached prior to the end of the fiscal year, allowing us to break free from this cycle of uncertainty.
June 29, 2017
Press Release
The proposed spending bills shatter the existing Budget Control Act defense spending cap, triggering an automatic across-the-board cut of 13 percent to every defense account in this bill and others. Yet the majority pretends that this legal fact does not exist.