Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations

Floor Speech

Ms. DeLAURO. A recent graph in CQ Weekly dated October 28 depicts the progress made so far on this year's appropriations bills. Only one box--that's for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee--is blank.

With 9.1 percent unemployment, we need a vigorous debate over this bill. Its jurisdiction includes job training, K-12 and higher education funding, and health care services. And yet unlike the other 11 appropriations bills, Labor-H is the only appropriation bill that has seen no action. Instead, the chairman has posted a draft bill on the Internet representing his own preferences for the people's budget. But the chairman, by himself, is not the subcommittee; and simply posting a wish list without ever bringing it to the subcommittee or the full committee for a markup is not an acceptable substitute for public debate and amendment.

This kind of action represents a clear violation of the majority's pledge to follow the regular order or the regular process. If no House markup is held, this would be the first time in nearly a decade that the subcommittee has failed to report a bill. It is time for the chairman and the majority to keep their promises and hold a markup for the Labor-H bill. The issues that face that subcommittee are far too important to be left to the chairman's personal wish list.

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