Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about division D of H.R. 7608, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill for fiscal year 2021.

Throughout my time in Congress, I have focused on three things: soldiers, their families, and veterans. It is an honor to serve as the ranking member of the appropriations subcommittee that has their interests in the forefront of our minds.

Overall, I strongly support the funding provided for military construction projects. I am pleased the bill includes funding for the services' unfunded priorities: privatized military housing, resilient and energy-efficient installations, and cleanup of contaminated sites.

On a bipartisan basis, the bill increases funding for women veterans, mental health and homeless programs, and supports construction of new VA facilities.

Veterans have earned special attention for their service and sacrifice. In many ways, this bill helps to fulfill our promises to them.

However, unfortunately and regretfully, I must express my opposition to H.R. 7608. Less than a year ago, we agreed to the 2019 Bipartisan Budget Act. I believe it is irresponsible to designate some funding as emergency just to avoid the caps set by that act. This is especially true since we all acknowledged the growing costs of veterans' healthcare programs when we agreed to the budget deal.

I recognize the budget realities we face, but we should not unravel that agreement through this year's appropriations process. I am also concerned that this bill includes provisions that limit the President's ability to address the national emergency on our southern border.

Regardless of one's position, the fact remains that cartels and criminal gangs take advantage of our political disagreements and continue to flood our Nation with dangerous and illegal drugs and exploit and traffic men, women, and children seeking a better life. This is unacceptable.

While I oppose the final passage of the bill, I believe that the committee can continue to work together to fund programs important to soldiers, their families, and veterans in a responsible manner.

In closing, I would like to thank my subcommittee chairwoman, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, for her dedication to our subcommittee and its responsibilities. Also, I want to thank Chairwoman Lowey for her service and leadership in this Congress, and I want to thank Ranking Member Granger for her support and commitment to enacting responsible spending bills.

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