Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, after the House Appropriations Committee adopted Republicans’ 302(b) subcommittee allocations that dramatically increase funding for the Department of Homeland Security while providing no increase for education, health and human services, environmental protection, and many other vital domestic priorities:
“We now understand why House Republicans have tried to keep their fiscal year 2019 priorities secret: they have chosen to shortchange middle class families and vulnerable people in order to fund President Donald Trump’s border wall and deportation force. This is both a betrayal of our American values and a colossal waste of resources that crowds out needed investments that would create jobs, grow our economy, and help all Americans build a better future.
“Make no mistake, the inadequate funding of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill will starve our schools, hurt job training and workplace rights protection, jeopardize Pell Grants, and limit access to affordable health care, among many other ill effects. Likewise, Republicans are providing insufficient funding for the Interior-Environment and Financial Services bills, threatening critical government functions such as safeguarding our air and water and protecting consumers.
“House Democrats are focused on A Better Deal for the middle class and people struggling to join the middle class. House Republicans’ decision to ignore critical priorities takes us in the wrong direction, which is why Democrats stand united in opposing these misguided allocations."
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
