Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019

Floor Speech

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Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, while President Trump continues to keep our government shut down, House Democrats are committed to working for the American people. I am pleased to present legislation today that helps meet the urgent needs of our fellow Americans affected by recent national disasters.

Across the country, we have watched as hurricanes have pummeled Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas; wildfires have burned large swaths of the West; volcanoes have erupted in Hawaii; and typhoons have struck territories in the Pacific. In addition to the tragic loss of life, families have lost everything. Businesses have been upended. Communities have been ripped apart.

This legislation attempts to meet these needs with $12.14 billion in emergency spending. It includes $2.96 billion to rebuild damaged infrastructure to help communities rebuild and to bring local economies back to life.

The legislation embraces the unique needs of farmers and rural communities, providing $1.86 billion to help them recover.

It enhances our national security and cares for our veterans and their families by funding $1.46 billion for repairs and rebuilding of damaged Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.

The bill before us meets the complex needs of disaster victims, with $555 million for social services, mental healthcare, education, and activities that improve the prospects of dislocated workers.

Importantly, and unlike Republican legislation that was brought up in December, the bill meets the urgent healthcare and nutrition needs of Americans in the Northern Marianas, Guam, American Samoa, and, yes, Puerto Rico.

President Trump grossly mismanaged the response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and since then, he has added insult to injury by repeatedly trying to shortchange our fellow U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico. This bill rights that injustice.

Finally, this legislation recognizes scientific reality and the simple fact that climate change is increasing the number and severity of national disasters. It includes $2.54 billion in resiliency funding to mitigate damage from future disasters, preventing loss of life and damage to property.

We all want to ensure that American families and communities have the resources they need to recover from recent national disasters.

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Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I appreciate the gentleman from Florida's remarks, but I remind the gentleman that we can't deliver this essential disaster aid with the government closed. So I suggest the gentleman urge those who are keeping the government closed that we must deliver this aid, so open the government now, and we can have some adult conversation.

Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), who is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.

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Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, to allow Federal agencies to begin the vital work that we are funding in this bill, we must reopen the Federal Government.

I am pleased that the bill before us includes a continuing resolution to immediately reopen the Federal Government and pay Federal employees, who are going through such a difficult time taking care of their families, putting food on the table, just going through the normal, normal time that families have to endure when they don't have any money to spend. This would pay Federal employees through February 8.

This continuing resolution ensures the Federal Government is working for the American people, provides certainty for Federal employees, and gives President Trump and the Congress time to negotiate on border security and immigration policy.

Mr. Chairman, this legislation is a critical first step to meeting our fellow citizens' urgent needs as they recover from recent disasters, so I urge my colleagues: Join me in support of this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, in fact, I am not even sure I heard correctly. Trump, the President, opposes the dollar amount in the bill because the only emergency is building the wall? Did I hear that correctly, my friends?

Madam Speaker, this shutdown, frankly, has gone on long enough. Perhaps, my good friends don't know the people who are suffering, who are living paycheck to paycheck and who have to worry about taking care of their kids. It is really puzzling to me that a statement like that is being made tonight.

My friends, this shutdown has gone on long enough. This motion to recommit would only further prolong the shutdown and the suffering and the people who are really victims of this action.

The bill we are voting on today is very similar to the same package that my Republican colleagues voted on back on December 21.

H.R. 268 provides disaster relief to those communities affected by hurricanes, wildfires, typhoons, other natural disasters, and it funds the entire government through February 8. In fact, this package provides even more relief to those disaster-affected communities following the adoption of the bipartisan and Republican amendments here today. The only component that is not in this package that my friends on the other side of the aisle voted for in December is the President's wall money.

So, to use this MTR to further delay the government, this doesn't make any sense to me at all, because this package being delayed is unconscionable. Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose the motion to recommit, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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