Hearing of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee - Fiscal Year 2016 Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Bill

Hearing

This is a difficult bill, and I'd like to recognize Chairman Cole, Ranking Member DeLauro, and the staff for their commitment. In addition, I thank Chairman Rogers for holding this markup.

Let me start with the good. The National Institutes of Health performs vital research and makes sure medical breakthroughs happen here, rather than abroad. I support doubling NIH funding in the long run, but am very pleased with the increase of $1.1 billion.

In addition, compared to previous proposals from Republicans on this subcommittee, increases for Head Start and IDEA State Grants are both welcomed and could make a real difference in the lives of children in need.

Of course, the bill couldn't possibly meet the allocation after investments in the programs I just named without gutting the rest of its programs.

The Chairman was given a grossly inadequate allocation that is $3.7 billion below current levels, and $14.7 billion less than the President's request. The litany of dangerous cuts is too long for me to detail, but it would, in short:

Increase college debt for needy students by slashing $370 million from Pell Grants;

Rescind $6.3 billion in health reform investments;

Eliminate family planning;

Slash teen pregnancy prevention by 91 percent;

Reduce job training programs by $140 million;

Kill two dozen education programs, including investments in science and math;

Make the day of special interests with riders that oppose labor, jeopardize the retirement security of seniors, and restrict the reproductive health choices of women; and

Cut $110 million from the CDC's Tobacco Prevention program, even though tobacco-related illnesses cost the U.S. $170 billion annually in health care expenditures.

With cuts to preschool development grants, STEM, Pell and job training programs, this bill would make it harder for Americans to secure a good job, own a home, send their kids to college, and build a secure retirement. Unfortunately, this bill fails that question.

Throughout this appropriations season I've heard about difficult choices. But this isn't about choices -- it's about priorities and investing in the future. We could make the choice, today, to work together on a deal to remove the sequester and fund the government at levels that would not leave us behind in a global market. That is a choice we could make. But this bill, and these funding levels, this is a consequence of the Congress's choice of inaction.

I thank Chairman Cole for his efforts, but until we come together to find a solution to mindless austerity caps, we will continue down this endless path with no destination in sight.

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