Providing for Further Consideration of H.R. Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 923 and ask for its immediate consideration.
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Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Torres), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.
General Leave
House Resolution 923 provides for the consideration of two important bills related to Federal spending of taxpayer dollars.
The first, H.R. 5895, the combined appropriations bill, containing three individual fiscal year 2019 Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bills, provides the annual funding for these Federal departments.
The second bill, H.R. 3, the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act, is a critical bill to honor the House Republicans' commitment to eliminating wasteful Federal spending.
The resolution before us this afternoon provides for a structured rule for H.R. 5895. Yesterday, the House passed the first rule pertaining to this bill, providing for 1 hour of general debate on the measure. Today's rule makes in order 40 amendments offered by both Democrats and Republicans.
House Resolution 923 also provides a closed rule for H.R. 3, the rescissions package, but does execute Leader McCarthy's amendment which incorporates President Trump's revised and updated spending proposal.
One hour of debate time for H.R. 3 is provided, divided and controlled equally by the majority leader and the minority leader or their respective designees.
Finally, the rule provides the minority the customary motion to recommit on both pieces of legislation under consideration.
H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of 2019, funds a net total of $144 billion in base discretionary spending, $33 billion for defense, and $112 billion for nondefense purposes. The totals reflect the amount specified in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.
Division A of the appropriations package funds the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act at nearly $45 billion, providing for national security and energy and water infrastructure investments.
The bill would increase Federal investments in nuclear security by $600 million above fiscal year 2018, then totaling more than $15 billion.
As President Trump has repeatedly stated, our Nation must modernize its aging nuclear forces. They are the centerpiece of our deterrent strategy, and we cannot allow them to degrade to a point where they become functionally useless.
To prevent this outcome, nuclear weapons activities, especially Navy nuclear reactors, all continue to receive funding. Congress must not leave the United States unprepared while our adversaries continue to advance their own nuclear weapons programs.
Division A also improves the security of our energy infrastructure. Most Americans take for granted the ability to easily access electricity, but that convenience is tenuous. The electric grid is massive, it is complex, and it is vulnerable to cyber and physical attacks. These threats have become increasingly likely as more operations go online or are connected to a network which is not secure.
This bill appropriates $117 million to ensure that our energy infrastructure operators have the resources they need to develop these defenses.
Additionally, the bill supports the completion of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, helping to ease the risk and burden of storing nuclear waste in temporary storage sites across the country.
In 2007, the Energy Independence and Security Act gave the Department of Energy authority to regulate incandescent light bulbs through the law's excessive energy efficiency standards, effectively killing free market competition.
Therefore, I submitted an amendment that would prohibit the use of Federal funds to carry out these onerous enforcement standards. This amendment has been included in the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill every fiscal year since 2011, and I look forward to continued consumer choice in this market.
Division A includes the United States Army Corps of Engineers. In Texas' 26th Congressional District that I represent, the Army Corps has been instrumental in ensuring the thorough maintenance, repair, and safety of Lake Lewisville Dam, which sustained damage due to heavy rains in the north Texas area in 2015.
This is just one example of the important work the Army Corps performs throughout the United States, and the bill increases funding of the agency to more than $7 billion for fiscal year 2019.
The bill also repeals the massive overreach of Federal authority known as the waters of the United States rule, promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Army Corps of Engineers. This rule changed the definition of navigable waters subject to Federal regulation under the Clean Water Act, placing significant costs on property owners.
Last, the bill prohibits the use of nuclear nonproliferation projects in Russia without certain notifications from the Secretary of Energy.
Division B appropriates $3.8 billion for the legislative branch. This encompasses the House of Representatives and joint operations with the Senate.
The House of Representatives is funded at $1.2 billion, which is $25 million below the President's budget request. Funding also supports Capitol security and police forces, services for visitors, and Capitol operations and maintenance.
The Capitol Police are funded at $456 million, an increase of $30 million above fiscal year 2018. Last year, we learned just how vital the Capitol Police are when they responded to and stopped a shooter who opened fire at a congressional baseball game practice.
The bravery and skill demonstrated by those agents are what allows Members of Congress, our staff, our support personnel, and visitors to go to work or visit the Capitol complex every day without fear. They deserve our full support.
The Office of Compliance is appropriated over $5 million for employee and Member workplace rights training. This funding will also support a dispute resolution process that is fair and accessible for all.
The bill also includes almost $580 million for the Government Accountability Office so that it may continue its vital work of oversight and reporting on how Federal programs are using taxpayer dollars.
Two important things that the bill does not fund are a cost-of-living increase for Members of Congress and allowances for former Speakers of the House.
Division C of the appropriations package provides over $96 billion in discretionary funding for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, an increase of more than $4 billion over fiscal year 2018.
Nearly all of the increase in funding goes toward supporting the efforts and the services of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Robust funding for Veterans Affairs will ensure that those who have served our country have access to quality services.
This bill includes a total of $194 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding for Veterans Affairs, which is $9 billion more than fiscal year 2018.
Importantly, this bill provides more than $71 billion for Veterans Affairs medical care and more than $1 billion in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs to deploy a new electronic health records system that aligns with the Department of Defense.
Mr. Speaker, this is something that we have been promised since 2006. This will allow our veterans an easier transition into the Veterans Affairs system than they experience today.
The bill also includes funding for reducing the disability claims backlog so that veterans will receive more timely compensation.
Yesterday, the VA MISSION Act was signed into law. American veterans deserve the best possible care, and this bill gives the Department of Veterans Affairs the resources to work towards providing that care for the 7 million patients who are expected to receive Veterans Affairs treatment in fiscal year 2019.
Additionally, this bill funds construction, operation, and maintenance of housing for our troops and medical and education facilities at over $10 billion.
This is the first step toward funding the government and its essential programs for fiscal year 2019. This year, Congress will do its job to ensure smart, efficient, and appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.
H.R. 3, the second bill contained in today's rule, is the rescissions package to cut stagnant and unused prior-year Federal funding.
President Trump submitted and recently revised a proposal to rescind approximately $14.5 billion of budget authority, affecting 15 Federal departments and agencies. These include unobligated balances from the Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program and the Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program; the Department of Housing and Urban Development's capital fund; the Department of Justice's Assets Forfeiture Fund; the Department of State's Complex Crisis Fund; and unnecessary funding for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, among other things.
President Trump recently revised his request to withdraw the proposed rescission of emergency Ebola funds as well as supplemental appropriations for Superstorm Sandy recovery and to decrease proposed rescissions to Housing and Urban Development's capital fund and Treasury's capital management fund.
Two provisions related to the Children's Health Insurance Program should be noted.
The first rescinds over $5 billion that was included in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 that supplements the fiscal year 2017 allotments to States. This was in addition to the annual Children's Health Insurance Program appropriation to reimburse States for Children's Health Insurance Program expenses. The remaining funds are no longer needed.
The second provision rescinds almost $2 billion made available to the Children's Health Insurance Program contingency fund, which is used to provide payments to States that have funding shortfalls. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services currently does not expect any State to need a payment from the contingency fund during the current fiscal year.
It is important that the American people understand that these Children's Health Insurance Program rescissions will have no impact on the current Children's Health Insurance Program.
Early this year, Republicans passed and signed into law the longest and most generous extension to the Children's Health Insurance Program in its 20-year history. When House Democrats were presented this opportunity, they voted against it not once but twice.
Mr. Speaker, when Federal funds are no longer needed in an agency or have not been obligated, Congress should do the right thing and use these taxpayer dollars to reduce the deficit.
I support passage of the rule to allow debate on these important priorities. I urge Members to support today's rule and both underlying bills.
Mr. Speaker, February 9 of this year, the House of Representatives passed the most generous extension of the Children's Health Insurance Program since its inception in 1996. The gentlewoman from California voted against that extension.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that as of June 7 of this year, Republicans in the 115th Congress have provided consideration for over 1,200 amendments on the House floor.
Mr. Speaker, during the entirety of the 111th Congress, when Speaker Pelosi was Speaker, the Democrats allowed less than 1,000 amendments to be considered on the floor. Their majority blocked nearly 3,000 amendments that year in Congress.
I would like to recognize that on February 9 of this year, the most generous extension of the Children's Health Insurance Program--for 10 years' time--was passed by the House and eventually signed into law. The gentleman from Massachusetts fought against that.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate the gentleman's service to our country. I would point out that I worked as a physician in a VA facility in the 1970s, and I am well aware of the good work that the doctors and nurses in VA facilities provide.
I would like to point out that, in the Statement of Administration Policy, the administration expected the MISSION Act to be in place by the beginning of fiscal year 2018. Do remember that this was one of the promises that then-candidate Trump promised to the Nation, that he would make the funding of the veterans programs a priority, and I believe he has done that.
Continuing to quote from the administration: ``The delay in enacting the MISSION Act's new community care program increases the requirements to continue the VA's current traditional community care program by an additional $1.6 billion in fiscal year 2019.''
Here is the important point: ``The administration looks forward to working with Congress to secure this funding within the existing nondefense discretionary cap.''
I think it is fair to say there is more to come.
Mr. Speaker, I will point out that one of the things that the Military Construction and VA appropriation does fund is the improvements to the VA Electronic Health Record. This is something that has been sought by this Congress and previous administrations going back to 2006. I am happy to say that in this appropriations bill it is being taken care of.
Three administrations is too long for that to happen. I am grateful for the focus that the administration put on this problem, and I am grateful that they have finally gotten it solved.
Mr. Speaker, as of June 7, 2018, Republicans in the 115th Congress have provided for consideration of over 1,200 amendments on the House floor. Over 570 of those amendments have been proposed by Democrats, 480 proposed by Republicans, and 190 were bipartisan. That is 46 percent Democratic amendments, 39 percent Republican amendments, and 16 percent were bipartisan.
By contrast, during the entire 111th Congress, that was the last Congress where Speaker Pelosi was the Speaker of the House, Democrats were in the majority. During the entire 111th Congress, Speaker Pelosi allowed less than 1,000 amendments to be considered on the House floor, and, in fact, the Democratic majority blocked 3,000 amendments, with roughly 2,400 during, actually, the first session, the first year of that Congress.
These numbers include measures where the summaries of amendments submitted are publicly available, but at that time, due to the lack of the majority's transparency, the number is likely much higher that were blocked.
Now, look, Chairman Sessions of the Rules Committee has made it a point to ensure that every single Member has the opportunity to submit their amendments and come to the Committee on Rules and share their thoughts and concerns. And as the gentlewoman knows well, there is no clock in the Rules Committee. Any Member can come and spend as much time with us as they wish.
Mr. Speaker, today's rule provides for the consideration of two important pieces of legislation: H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of 2019, and H.R. 3, the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act. Both are responsible measures that take seriously our responsibility to be vigilant stewards of the Federal taxpayers' dollars.
I want to thank the President for his leadership in eliminating unused and unnecessary funding from past years, a responsible approach that until this President has been underutilized. I urge my colleagues today to support the rules and the two underlying pieces of legislation.
The material previously referred to by Mrs. Torres is as follows: An Amendment to H. Res. 923 Offered by Ms. Torres
In the first section, strike ``printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution'' and insert ``specified in section 4 of this resolution, modified by adding at the end the text of H.R. 5805 as introduced,''.
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