Tom Cole

Mr. COLE

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, once again, I agree with my friend on the basic point, but this, too, is a program that was authorized with no funding. The things we got funding for in the 21st Century Cures Act, we funded to the penny. Frankly, things we didn't get funding for, we still authorized. This is one of those cases where, again, the cause is worthy, and we are willing to work with the gentleman--and we will certainly continue to do that--but a lot of these things that my friend just mentioned are from programs that were authorized by non-appropriations committees. We don't create the programs. That is where my friends, frankly, on the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Ways and Means Committee need to spend some time. They need to spend some time deauthorizing certain programs that continue. Again, I will work with my friend if our allocation changes or we can find additional savings. But I can't willy-nilly, particularly when we have already cut these administrative programs, partly in the en bloc amendment, to fund some of the very things, including my friend's amendment, that we felt were very worthy. We will look at this. The other thing that I would hope we could do is work with our friends on the other side of the aisle. I will just tell you, from a conference standpoint, when you go to a conference with a program that has been authorized but not funded, it is extremely difficult to get the other body to join in with you. That is just the reality. Every decision involves taking something away. It is always easy to call something administration or nonvital. That is what it looks like in the phrase. That may or may not be what it is in the program. So it is just a more difficult exercise than I think most folks understand. My friend's point is still the right one. One of the reasons I look very carefully at this one is because I see it as a multiplier, in terms of the professional shortage of people that we have that my friend has pointed to. Mr. Chairman, again, I reluctantly oppose this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I want to begin by saying how much I regret-- I know my friend regrets that our good friend wasn't here to offer her amendment here this evening, and I appreciate my good friend from Wisconsin stepping up and doing that. He is a very valued member of this subcommittee, and one who contributes mightily to its deliberations. I certainly understand the concern of some with the relatively modest reductions in this bill at labor enforcement agencies at the Department of Labor. It has been the subcommittee's policy for many years to protect workers' health and safety by increasing funding for compliance assistance, and reducing enforcement activities. That is exactly what this bill actually does. I appreciate that the subcommittee has had to reduce funding for many programs in the bill to work within its allocation. My concern with this amendment is the substantial offset of the department management funds at the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. Mr. Chairman, for that reason, I oppose the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), my good friend.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), my good friend, the distinguished ranking member of the full Appropriations Committee.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I want to begin by thanking my friend for the amendment, quite frankly. And while I understand and share many of the gentleman's concerns, most of the accounts that this amendment reduces have already been reduced in the bill. The allocations we are working on required us to find efficiencies and savings wherever possible. I believe that cutting the administrative accounts in this amendment by another 10 percent would unnecessarily increase the risk of significant disruption of services, and oversight responsibility the agencies in this bill are charged with. While I oppose the amendment for these reasons, I want to pledge to my friend that I will continue to work with him and others to identify specific areas where additional efficiencies and savings can be realized. And I know my friend also feels strongly about entitlement reform, where the real money is, and I look forward to working with him on that as well. But in the meantime, Mr. Chairman, I must urge the rejection of the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I want to begin by saying how much I, frankly, appreciate the gentleman's amendment. Many programs in this bill, frankly, were eliminated or substantially reduced to stay within the allocation, which, as I know my good friend knows, was $5 billion below the FY 2017 enacted level. Some other programs, including job training programs for youth, were reduced by relatively modest amounts, again, to stay within the allocation. The total amount in the bill for youth job training grants is $832 million, a reduction over last year of just 4.5 percent. While I support the job training grants and programs in question, I oppose the amendment out of concern that the offset to the Department of Labor's administration account will be too hard to absorb, including the administrative reductions already included in the bill. I will commit to my friend that we will try to work with him through the process and see if there is some way that we can get these funds restored going forward. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman's amendment has no net impact on the funding of the bill, so I do not oppose the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I do not object to it.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's amendment, and I agree that worker safety is one of the Department of Labor's most important functions. I think, however, we just disagree on the most effective ways the Federal Government can help with that effort. This bill actually increases compliance assistance programs at the OSHA to do just that, so I will oppose the gentleman's amendment which would offset the increases to OSHA enforcement by reducing critical compliance assistance efforts that many of our Members strongly support. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. COLE

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Costello), my friend.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Denham), my good friend.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education approved this list of amendments last week, along with myself, and was looking forward to discussing them and others with all of us here today. Unfortunately, the gentlewoman is not able to be here this week due to the death of her beloved mother, Luisa DeLauro, who passed away over the weekend at the age of 103. The gentlewoman from Connecticut and I have something in common on this point: neither of us would likely be a Member of this body today were it not for the inspiration and role model of our mothers, both of whom were actively involved in local politics. Like my own late mother, Helen Cole, who served in the Oklahoma House and Senate and as mayor of our home town of Moore, Oklahoma, Luisa DeLauro served 35 years as a member of the New Haven, Connecticut, Board of Aldermen, the longest tenure in the city's history. She served with six different mayors and dedicated her time to improving the lives of seniors and the working poor. Her daughter has most certainly followed in her footsteps, bringing her passion, dedication, and tirelessness for these same causes to the Halls of Congress. We are sorry the gentlewoman cannot be with us today. We know she is honoring her mother and her mother's legacy, and making her mother proud of her work here. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, pursuant to House Resolution 504, as the designee of Mr. Frelinghuysen, I offer amendments en bloc No. 4.