Tom Cole

Mr. COLE

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentlewoman's amendment, and I certainty support the Women's Bureau at the Department of Labor. Many programs in this bill were eliminated or substantially reduced to stay within our allocation. In contrast, the Women's Bureau was reduced by a relatively modest $1 million. The administration budget request proposed reducing the Women's Bureau by $8.5 million, clearly a reduction the committee did not agree with in the bill. I understand the importance of many of these programs, and these are some of the difficult decisions that have to be made to fund bipartisan priorities in this bill like increases in funding to the NIH and to TRIO and yet still stay within our allocation. I expect and hope that as the process moves forward and we negotiate a bipartisan funding agreement, we will have further discussions regarding the funding of the Women's Bureau. Mr. Chairman, I regret having to oppose the gentlewoman's amendment at this time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, the gentlewoman from New York, representing the gentlewoman from New Mexico, raises a very important point. The amendment offered is for an increase to a workforce training program. Our committee understands the value of this program, which is why we did not accept the administration's budget request which actually terminated the program. We were able to fund it, though, below last year's level. Our committee received an allocation that was lower than fiscal year 2017, and as I have explained several times before and doubtless will again, we had to make some very tough decisions. I do pledge to work with the gentlewoman as we work toward the fiscal year 2018 final bill. At this time, though, I must oppose the amendment and urge its rejection. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, frankly, there is considerable merit to the amendment the gentlewoman is suggesting. The amendment offered is for an increase to the workforce training program. Our committee understands the value of this program, which is why we did not accept the administration's budget request, which terminated the program. We were able to fund it, though, below last year's level. However, I will certainly commit to my friend that we will work with her as we go through the process toward the final bill, and hopefully we can find a way to increase this at a later time. At this time, however, Mr. Chairman, I must oppose the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my friend for his amendment. I wish I could support it, quite frankly, because I very much support Healthy Start and very much appreciate his support for that program. As the gentleman knows, again, our subcommittee received an allocation below last year's level. As a result, we did not have the ability to increase funding for some programs, this one included. The gentleman's amendment offsets the increase with a reduction in the resources for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out his responsibilities. A reduction of this size would hinder the Secretary's ability to administer the program effectively. For this reason, I oppose the amendment. I want to assure my friend, as we work our way through this process, I am going to try and work with him to see if we can find a way to actually increase those funds, but at this point, we simply don't have them available. For that reason, Mr. Chairman, I oppose the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I have considerable sympathy with my friend's concerns. Frankly, I think he has certainly every right to be concerned about a hospital in his district. I certainly agree with an effort to put additional funding for the opioid epidemic, for pediatric cancer, and for Alzheimer's disease. These are all critical issues facing our country. Nevertheless, I must oppose the amendment. The bill actually includes $126 million within the CDC for surveillance and prevention of opioid misuse, which continues the large increase provided in fiscal year 2017. The bill also provides a $1.1 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health, which includes a targeted increase of $400 million for research on Alzheimer's disease, as well as increases for each institute center, including the National Cancer Institute, to support vital research on disease such as pediatric cancer. Furthermore, the bill also continues to provide funds authorized in the 21st Century Cures Act, including $300 million for the Cancer Moonshot, and $500 million for opioid abuse. Finally, the reduction of funding at CMS proposed by my friend would weaken the agency's ability to properly manage and administer Medicare and Medicaid. So for that reason, I must oppose my friend's amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Pocan).

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I move that the committee do now rise.

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

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentlewoman for working with us on this, and I want to assure that we will work with her. I appreciate her concern for the Community Services Block Grant program. As my good friend from New York knows, that program was actually zeroed out in the administration's budget. We replaced $600 million of $715 million, but it clearly is an important program to many Members on both sides of the aisle, has a superb reputation, and we are going to do everything that we possibly can to build upon that and get back to at least the fiscal year 2017 level. The gentlewoman's leadership in this is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to working with her as we go forward.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I wish to advise my friend we certainly intend to accept his amendment, and I look forward to working with him as we go forward on the bill. I think there are some other areas where we can increase funding, as well, that would fit with my friend's objective. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentlewoman's concern. She is a very valuable member of the subcommittee. This is an area in which she not only has considerable passion, but considerable expertise. However, as the gentlewoman also knows, we have an allocation well below last year's level, and we had to make, again, a difficult decision. Reduction of this magnitude of the Health and Human Services' administrative functions would eliminate the core funding for the Secretary's office completely, and for that reason I would oppose the amendment. However, I want the gentlewoman and, certainly, our good mutual friend from Connecticut whom she is representing tonight to know that, as we work with our colleagues in the Senate on a bill to reach the President's desk, I intend to work on these issues with her and with my friends on both sides of the aisle to address the concerns that she raised in her remarks. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLE

Mr. COLE. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. COLE

Mr. COLE. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. COLE. Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman and want to begin by acknowledging that my very good friend is the recognized expert in this House on all matters related to mental health and has probably done more on behalf of this cause than anybody in this Chamber in very many years. So it is with great reluctance that I opposed this particular amendment, earlier, when we actually accepted. But the amendment increases funding for programs currently funded at $15 million, the same as last year. As my friend knows, our committee actually received an allocation that was lower than last year, and we had limited resources to provide increases. But in recognition of the importance of the Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program, my committee maintained funding for the program at its current levels. I want to assure my friend, I intend to work with him during the process as we negotiate with the Senate. I would expect we probably will have a different allocation. We may be able to revisit this issue, and I would hope that we can, and certainly will, work with my friend. But at this time, I simply must oppose the amendment so we can stay within our current allocation. Madam Chair, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

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

Mr. COLE. Will the gentleman yield?