Continuing Appropriations Act, and Health Extenders Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I will vote yes on H.R. 4378, which funds the federal government through November 21, 2019, although I do have several concerns regarding what is in the bill.

The House has completed nearly all of its appropriations bills. The Republican Senate has passed none. Because the Senate has not done its work, bridge funding is needed to keep the government open past September 30.

Let me be clear: it is imperative that Congress provide long-term stability and funding. Congress, specifically the Senate, needs to get its work done and halt the ridiculous and irresponsible lurching from short-term fix to short-term fix. Shutting down the government does nothing but harm Americans. The shutdown earlier this year resulted in Coast Guard personnel going without a pay check for 35 days. I have a bill to ensure that never happens again.

The continuing resolution includes provisions that I strongly support. I am glad it contains language to stop roughly $1.2 billion in cuts to transit formula funding from going into effect on October 1, 2019. Had this language not been included, the so-called ``Rostenkowski test'' would have been triggered for the first time ever, leading to a roughly 12 percent cut in funding to transit agencies. This test, originally intended to prevent overspending from the Highway Trust Fund, is no longer relevant given that the Trust Fund now consistently relies on General Fund transfers and should ultimately be repealed.

It also includes funding for Community Health Centers, which provide a vital lifeline for health care services to thousands of Oregonians and millions of Americans in rural and underserved communities. It also modifies Medicaid's drug rebate program to ensure that rebates paid to the federal government and the states by brand name drug manufacturers are calculated based solely on the price of a brand name drug, and not on generic drug prices.

It includes language to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has the funding it needs to process claims from Blue Water Navy Veterans impacted by Agent Orange as well as critical provisions that will significantly expand enrollment in the World Trade Center Health Program, aiding 9/11 first responders and survivors.

Importantly, the bill provides $250 million in aid to Ukraine to help it defend itself from Russian aggression, which President Trump suspiciously delayed this summer. Disturbingly, Trump may have even tried to use this aid as leverage to coerce Ukraine into conducting politically-motivated investigations to help Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and to target former Vice President Joe Biden's family.

However, I am extremely disappointed that the continuing resolution did not address a highway program funding issue created by the Republicans in the last surface-transportation reauthorization bill. Section 1438 of the Fix America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act rescinds $7.6 billion of Federal highway funding on July 1, 2020. State Departments of Transportation are very concerned about the impact of the rescission on planning, construction, and repair of roads and bridges, and it is imperative that we address this before we finalize the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bills.

I also have serious concerns with the bill's attempt to reimburse the Commodity Credit Corporation for trade relief that has been disbursed to farmers and ranchers hurt by President Trump's trade war with China. While's there's no doubt that farmers and ranchers have suffered under President Trump's trade policies, this legislation essentially clears the way for the president to continue his erratic trade policies unchecked by providing an absurd bailout of more than $20 billion.

I hope the Senate can get its work done during the next eight weeks so we can stop the budget gimmicks and spend our time working on important issues like improving access to health care and repairing our dilapidated infrastructure. That is what Americans expect, and that is what they deserve.

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