Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I begin with some much-deserved thank yous. I thank the Speaker of the House. This deal would not have come together without his leadership and support.

I particularly thank Chair Granger and Ranking Member DeLauro for their work and their leadership in putting a package together they can get across this floor in a bipartisan manner.

I would be remiss not to thank my negotiating counterparts, Ranking Member Quigley and Senator Schatz and Ranking Member Hyde-Smith on the Senate side of the rotunda. They were just terrific to work with in every way.

Finally and always, we have outstanding staff. We all know that. This bill wouldn't be here without their hard work.

Obviously, I focus my remarks, Mr. Speaker, very quickly on the portion of the bill that I had the most to do with, and that is the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development portion. There are four areas in that bill I am especially proud of.

First, Members of both parties on both sides of the rotunda worked really hard on safety first: safety for people who are flying, safety for people who are traveling by rail, and safety for men and women on the highways. We met the requirement there and fully funded all those agencies.

Second, this is probably the most robust funding that the Federal Aviation Administration has ever received. We have money in there for 1,800 new air traffic controllers who are desperately needed. We have additional money for technology and infrastructure programs and simulators to make sure they get the most up-to-date training we can possibly provide for them. That was a real accomplishment, and it marries up very nicely with the FAA reauthorization bill that I hope we pass later this Congress.

Third, we maintained the safety net for people in public housing. We all know what has happened to the cost of rents and housing; and, frankly, we didn't want to put anybody out of their home, and we avoided doing that.

Finally, and particularly important to me personally, we have historic gains for Indian housing programs and Indian road programs in this bill.

Again, none of that could have happened without the people I thanked earlier: the Speaker and particularly the chairwoman and ranking member of the subcommittee and my negotiating partners.

I urge passage of this legislation, Mr. Speaker. I am very proud to be associated and very proud that it will come to and move across this floor, as it should, in a bipartisan fashion.

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