Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks at the Committee's markup of the fiscal year 2020 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies bill:
I congratulate Chairwoman Kaptur and Ranking Member Simpson for the bill before us, and I thank the staff for their hard work. Today marks 100 years since House passage of the amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote, and we take up the Energy and Water bill under the leadership of the longest serving woman in the House and the first female chair of this subcommittee. Congratulations to Ms. Kaptur!
This bill would invest $46.6 billion to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, build the next generation of clean energy technologies, and responsibly protect our national security.
To bring American infrastructure into the 21st century, this bill increases funding for the Army Corps of Engineers to advance construction on key projects and help address the Corps’ backlog. The six new studies and construction projects for the Army Corps would fund much-needed flood control, navigation, and ecosystem restoration.
We must also recognize that the impacts of climate change are accelerating the need to update and replace infrastructure. Rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather events are increasing damage to our electric infrastructure and risks to ports and waterways.
Acting on climate change is urgent, and this bill would invest in research and development of renewable and sustainable energy sources. The bill would provide $2.65 billion for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to advance America’s energy strategy, which would help achieve energy independence and manage threats caused by our changing climate. Given the President’s budget would slash this vital program by 86%, the bill represents a serious commitment by Democrats to ensure a clean energy future.
Besides its domestic mission, the Department of Energy is also responsible for maintaining the safety, security, and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent and addressing the threat of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. The bill would increase funds for defense nuclear non-proliferation by $145 million to help secure nuclear material.
This bill would make our country safer and reestablish American leadership in the clean energy economy. I urge support.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
