Thank you, Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Kaptur, and Chairman Rogers.
I want to congratulate the Chairman on putting together this bill under very difficult circumstances. Next week our full Committee will meet to consider the allocations for all twelve appropriations bills. It is no secret that my Democratic colleagues and I opposed the House Majority’s Budget Resolution and the discretionary allocation given to the Committee. This number is unrealistic and threatens the success of the Appropriations process, and the consequences in this first draft bill are just the tip of the iceberg. This bill could be a “high water mark" among the bills when it comes to funding priorities that will grow our economy and give hardworking Americans opportunity to succeed.
Mr. Chairman, I appreciate your prioritization of the budget for the Army Corps of Engineers, an acknowledgment of how critical Federal investment is to our nation’s aging infrastructure. These investments have a direct and tangible effect on our nation’s economy. Our ability to move more goods in and out of American ports benefits the entire country, not just the communities where the ports are physically located. Independent annual reports detail the billions needed to address backlogs from coast to coast - and almost everywhere in between. In their most recent report card, the American Society for Civil Engineers gave the U.S. a D+ and estimated that $3.6 trillion in investments are needed by 2020.
I wish to thank the Chair for protecting other key Federal investments in science and research programs at our national laboratories and universities. These modest, yet vitally important, programs are the key to ensuring America’s competitiveness for generations to come. Without Federal support many technologies and innovations could never have happened, and we must maintain this important commitment. While we are experiencing a welcomed dip in oil prices, that can quickly change. Scientific advances take time. We cannot cut back or delay this important research.
Unfortunately, the inclusion of controversial riders is deeply disappointing. An annual Appropriations bill is not the place to “amend" or significantly change the Clean Water Act or gun laws. I should not have to remind my Majority colleagues that similar provisions have imperiled passage of this bill in the past. This Administration has already been on record with veto threats over nearly identical language. I’m truly dumbfounded as to why you would go down this path again when we have enough problems just working out the funding levels, the job we are supposed to do.
I look forward to the full Appropriations Committee’s opportunity to consider this bill in the coming days, as well as the chance to have a broader budget discussion setting out this year’s work.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
