House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) today delivered the following remarks to the House Rules Committee in support of an appropriate rule for the House to consider the, legislation that includes 12 fiscal year 2023 appropriations bills and supplemental funding to support Ukraine and provide disaster relief:
“Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Cole, and Members of the Committee. I welcome the opportunity to appear before you to present the 2023 omnibus appropriations bill. It’s a package of 12 appropriations bills that make critical investments to help our communities and supplementals to provide disaster relief and to protect Ukraine. Also, I am very pleased to be here with Ranking Member Granger as we try to move forward and create a path to respond to the needs of the country.
“The package before us includes $1.7 trillion in discretionary resources, including $858 billion in defense funding - that’s equivalent to the authorized level in the recently enacted NDAA - and the highest level for non-defense funding ever-$800 billion-a 9.3 percent increase from last year. These investments support our communities with the urgency they need.
“To fight inflation and rising costs, we are helping working families with the cost of living. We expand affordable early-learning programs with $8 billion-a nearly $2 billion increase-for Child Care and Development Block Grants. We include increases for Head Start and Preschool Development Grants. We are investing in high-poverty schools and students with disabilities with $18.4 billion for Title I Grants and $15.5 billion for Special Education programs. We expand access to higher education with a $500 increase to the maximum Pell Grant and we support students at minority serving institutions. We expand homeownership opportunities for families trying to own a home.
“Our bills do this while creating better-paying jobs and protecting our workers. Specifically, the legislation before us increases funding for the National Labor Relations Board-for the first time since 2010-to $299 million, a $25 million increase, to protect workers’ rights to collective bargaining. We strengthen high-quality job training and apprenticeship programs…put people to work rebuilding our infrastructure, protecting our environment, and preserving our advanced manufacturing base… keeping our nation competitive and investing in economic development of distressed communities…and helping small businesses and entrepreneurs access the capital they need-all keys to our economic future.
“We provide a lifeline to families and communities in need by helping to meet their basic needs. We support nutrition assistance at home and abroad, including record-high level funding for the Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole programs. We strengthen housing assistance by creating over 21,000 affordable housing units for struggling families, veterans, and survivors who have fled domestic violence. We provide $800 million, a much-needed increase of $650 million, for the migrant Shelter and Services Program, formerly the Emergency Food and Shelter Humanitarian Program. We include $3.5 billion in discretionary funding for the FDA, that’s an increase of $226 million, to address the opioid crisis and medical supply chain issues. We fight health disparities. We focus on the health of our veterans who deserve and have earned our support with a record $118.7 billion for VA medical care. And we provide advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service, which I know is a top priority for the Ranking Member of this Committee.
“These bills also focus on keeping our nation and our communities safe, including the strong increases for the Department of Defense that will protect our national security and strengthen our ability to counter China and other near-peer adversaries. We also do this by investing in our servicemembers, local law enforcement, cybersecurity, and gun violence prevention efforts-all while simultaneously strengthening diplomacy and global development.
“And we make investments to battle climate change with environmental enforcement and environmental justice efforts and investing in clean energy and climate science.
“And for the second year in a row after a decade without this funding, 10 of these bills include community projects-including from many of us around this table, on both sides of the aisle- to strengthen the economic development of our communities and directly meet the needs of our constituents.
“Personally, I am thrilled that we were able to include funding to strengthen this body and grow opportunity for all who work here. This includes increased funding for Members’ security allowance, funds to create a House childcare subsidy program, and expansion of the student loan program.
“We respond to pressing needs by also including $27 billion in urgently needed support to help communities rebuild from recent natural disasters and extreme weather events.
“And as Putin continues to commit war crimes and doubles down on his ruthless attack, we provide $45 billion to support the Ukrainian people and defend global democracy. President Zelensky made it clear to us yesterday that they desperately need our continued support. And we all cheered him last evening. In his words, ‘This struggle will define what world our children and grandchildren will live in.’ Ukraine’s struggle is democracy’s struggle. We stood and we clapped when he told us last night that our ‘money is not charity. It's an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.’ Because it is. This funding has the power to save lives and protect democracy. We have no other choice.
“While we make critical investments in these bills, they are not perfect. There is much more I wish we could have done-including increase funding for Title X and other family planning programs in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Women are and will continue to suffer until we do more to help them gain access to essential health care services. I am deeply disappointed we were not able to increase this funding, but I will continue to wage the battle for increased resources for women’s health.
“This bill is, however, a bipartisan compromise. We have proven that we can and must continue working together for hardworking people everywhere. I am proud of this bill and urge all my colleagues to support it.
“I respectfully request an appropriate rule for Floor consideration of this legislation, and I look forward to answering any questions. Thank you."
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
