Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Build Back Better Act that is before us today, a package of legislation that I believe ranks alongside the New Deal and the Great Society in its impact. We must pass this legislation. It delivers a once-in-a-generation investment in children, families, and caregivers, and, finally, a scale of investment in combating climate change that cannot wait. The Build Back Better Act expands and improves the child tax credit, the biggest cut in taxes for working families with children, a groundbreaking and transformative policy that I have been fighting for nearly 20 years. I am proud that families with children under 6 receive $300 a month, and children 6 through 17 receive $250 a month. It is a lifeline for the middle class, and it lifts over 50 percent of children out of poverty. It allows us to emerge from the shadows of the pandemic. It is Social Security for children. The Build Back Better Act adds to this with a first-time investment in childcare that guarantees that its costs will not exceed 7 percent of income. I am so proud that this package includes paid family and medical leave, which finally responds to the needs of workers and their families so that they can take time off to care for themselves or for a loved one when they are ill. We have an opportunity to build the architecture for the future for working families in this country. Working and middle-class families across the United States are counting on us to build a better and a stronger America.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congressman Levin, for yielding and for organizing this tribute this evening. I also thank Congressman Bobby Scott for the honor that we are looking to bestow on Rich Trumka. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to honor Rich Trumka. Throughout his life, he never backed down from fighting for workers. As the leader of the 12.5-million-member American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, he championed workers every day. He followed in his father's footsteps. He worked in the coal mines of Pennsylvania, as his father and his grandfather before him had. He rose to become president of the United Mine Workers and later president of the AFL-CIO with one singular focus, protecting and fighting for the right to organize and to collectively bargain. Earlier in my congressional career, in 1996, during one of his many visits to my district--and I can remember it poignantly because he sat in my kitchen along with John Wilhelm, head of the Hotel and Restaurant Workers--we were on our way to the people's graduation on the New Haven Green because we were fighting, and he was there to help fight for better contracts for the workers at Yale University. We were told that we wouldn't have very many people that day on the Green, and I will just tell you that they were 10,000 strong, led by Rich Trumka, John Wilhelm, and other labor leaders in this country. They gathered to advocate for new contracts, and he joined that chorus to support their efforts. Together, I had the opportunity to work with him hand in hand to defeat the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, because it would outsource jobs overseas; it would hurt American workers here. We worked in solidarity to renegotiate the new NAFTA agreement in 2019. I was proud to be at the center of these fights with Rich and so many more. He once said to me, as we talked about working together on this, he said, ``My dear, we are like two coats of paint. We are together.'' I will never forget that conversation. While I always valued his counsel, it was his friendship that I came to value most. Our shared Italian-American heritage, our commitment to fighting for better working conditions were rooted from the lessons that we learned at our kitchen tables. My mother was a garment worker in the sweatshops of the city of New Haven. He was a mine worker's son and understood how difficult that life was and what it meant for struggling families and why the unions were the way out and the way for them to get what they earned and what they deserved. Rich Trumka's legacy stretches far and wide. I do not know where we would be without him. Rich's relentless efforts to end unfair trade practices and restore U.S. manufacturing strength made him a tireless advocate for the labor movement in the United States and around the globe, and I was honored to call him a colleague and a dear friend. To his family, I say that my thoughts and prayers are with you. To his brothers and sisters of the AFL-CIO, I say, solidarity. And I thank Rich, my dear friend. I thank him for his endless pursuit on behalf of those struggling for justice. I thank him for his counsel and thank him for his friendship. Now it is our turn to carry on his legacy, a legacy of championing the dignity of all workers. He has shown us the way, and his fight continues in all of us. Solidarity now and solidarity forever.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of Robert Juliano.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Travis Kitchen Veterans of Foreign War Post 778 in Milford, Connecticut as they mark their 75th Anniversary. As we mark this extraordinary milestone, I am honored to have this opportunity to extend my deepest thanks to the leadership and members of VFW Post 778 who work so diligently to both support our veterans and ensure that our community never forget the sacrifices made by those who chose to serve in our nation's military branches. Named in honor of local veteran and founding member, Travis Kitchen, VFW Post 778 has long been a haven of support and comradery for Milford area veterans. A veteran of the United States Army Air Force, Travis Kitchen served with honor during World War II, earning the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and the Bronze Star. He lost an eye at Iwo Jima and though, like so many other veterans, he never really spoke of his time in the service, when he returned home he was determined to help his brothers in arms. Travis Kitchen was a driving force in the building the hall and was one of its most dedicated members. Even well into his 80's, he could often be found fixing things around the hall. All of our nation's veterans deserve our gratitude. They fought to protect the freedom and democracy that underlie all that we do. It is easy to take our fundamental freedoms for granted, but we must never forget that the liberties we enjoy were hard-won and not commonplace in the world. My father was a veteran, and his memory always reminds me of the debt owed to the men and women who have served our country. Upon their return from service, many of our soldiers faced challenges re- entering the workforce, accessing the benefits they were entitled to, and ensuring that their needs were addressed by the government. Just as in other VFW Posts across our nation, the VFW Post 778 and their members continue to ensure that those who have served in America's armed forces receive the benefits and support they so richly deserve. In addition, they bring so much more to our community through the variety of civic service their members participate in on our behalf. In establishing Post 778 and working so diligently, their membership has made all the difference in the lives of many. It has become an invaluable resource to veterans in the community. Perhaps more importantly, VFW Posts brought together those who shared a common bond--those who gave so much of themselves to protect and defend our great nation. Today, as they celebrate their 75th anniversary, the Travis Kitchen Post 778 can be proud of all of the good work they have done. It is my honor to stand today to extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to the leadership and members, past and present who have ensured VFW Post 778 has and continues to serve our community as well as my heartfelt congratulations on this very special milestone. As we say in Italian ``C'ent Anni,'' to another hundred years.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of September 29, 2021, I call up the bill (H.R. 5305) making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for providing emergency assistance, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the Senate amendment to H.R. 5305.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act. By extending government funding through December 3, this bill provides tens of billions of dollars to support working families who live paycheck to paycheck. It ensures that vital education, health, housing, and public safety programs continue to serve those who rely on them. And at a time of economic devastation in many parts of our country, we need a government that looks out for the middle class, for working families, for small businesses, and the vulnerable who work hard. The funding in this bill will grow opportunity and lift up hardworking American families. It will support our early childhood education programs, our schools, and our high-quality job training. It will continue to help the hungry put food on the table and keep food safety inspectors on the job. It will safeguard our consumers from product safety hazards and protect our environment from polluters, and it will ensure the most vulnerable remain healthy and housed with access to lifesaving resources and support services that they need. As I have made clear, this bill is not a permanent solution. I look forward to soon beginning negotiations with my counterparts across the aisle and across the Capitol to complete full-year government funding bills that reverse decades of disinvestment. In addition to the temporary funding extension, this bill responds to recent emergencies such as hurricanes, storms, wildfires, extreme heat, and severe drought. Thousands of Americans across the United States are still suffering from the impact of these many recent disasters. That is why this bill provides $28.6 billion in desperately needed Federal aid to all corners of our Nation, including $7.5 billion for Hurricane Ida so that struggling families, small businesses, and hard-hit communities can get back on their feet and rebuild their lives and their livelihoods. Further, in addition to responding to these recent natural disasters, this bill addresses the humanitarian needs resulting from the end of 20 years of war in Afghanistan. Today, we are providing $6.3 billion for urgent humanitarian assistance in the region, including assistance for vulnerable populations, including women, girls, and minorities. And it honors our commitments to our Afghan allies and their families who are now in the United States. This bill supports temporary housing, security screenings, and long- term resettlement of these Afghan evacuees, and it paves the way to ensure that people who risk their lives for us can make a new life here where they will contribute richly to the fabric of our Nation. Madam Speaker, I am proud of this bill. The moral test of government is defined by how we treat those who need our help. Investing in our citizens and delivering relief where it is needed lays the groundwork to build back better from the devastation of the pandemic. The American people are worth the investment. The American people are capable of building a future that is stronger and more prosperous as long as they have the tools they need to do it. This bill helps ensure that they have those tools. Madam Speaker, I especially thank the hardworking staff on both sides of the aisle of the Committee on Appropriations for their work on this bill, including majority staff director, Robin Juliano; deputy, Matt Washington; the front office staff, and the clerks of the 12 subcommittees; and the communications team. I thank Ranking Member Granger for her partnership and the work of the minority staff, including staff director, Anne Marie Chotvacs, and deputy, Johnnie Kaberle. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. This has been a bipartisan and a bicameral agreement in an effort of which we are proud. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I really am pleased that we are here this afternoon to take up the continuing resolution bill. I would just make one point. It is a bill where the debt limit is not attached. My colleague on the other side of the aisle brought up the issue of the debt limit. It is very hard for me really to understand the reluctance of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, both in the House and in the Senate, for their willingness to raise the debt limit. The debt limit is a shared responsibility of both parties. In the past, Democrats have voted to increase the debt limit under Republican Presidents, because it certainly should be well-known here-- maybe the general public doesn't understand it--but I do it because when they incur bills and the bill comes in the mail, they don't have the luxury of saying, I am opposed to paying my bills, and I will not do it. Ordinary people in this country understand that when you incur debt that you have to pay for it. You don't have the luxury of saying no. Maybe our colleagues in both the House and the Senate believe that this is a luxury that they can just say no. But throwing the United States into default and destroying the full faith and credit of the United States is not governing. It is not a shared responsibility or shared principle of values and who we are. As it turns out, just because the prior administration was in the hands of my Republican colleagues, 97 percent of that debt was incurred under the prior administration, Republican administration. So this is not about paying for--as some of my colleagues would like to say-- spending going forward. It is not the case. It really is not the case. It is about paying for what we have already incurred. And in a bipartisan way, I might add, we did incur debt. We passed what was necessary, in a bipartisan way, to address the issues of the greatest economic and healthcare crisis that this Nation has experienced in a generation with the pandemic. And we came forward with CARES packages, with a rescue package, and we said it is a necessity. We have to make sure that we have an airline industry. We have to make sure that restaurants can stay open. We have to make sure that we have childcare facilities. We have to make sure that our hospitals can cope with what is coming in the door. We have to move to testing, and we have to look at how we are able to get people in this country vaccinated. And we came together to incur that kind of a debt. Now it is time for us to recognize that we need to raise that debt ceiling in order to do that. I just might add--and I will speak personally about this--when the prior administration instituted the tax cut, $2 trillion in a tax cut that went to the richest one-tenth of 1 percent of the people in this Nation, I was opposed to that. I couldn't support it. I spoke out against it here on the floor of the House, in my own community. But yet, when President Trump called for an increase in the debt limit, I said yes, because I believed it was my duty. It was my responsibility to make sure that the full faith and credit of the United States was addressed. So I still do not understand the reluctance, except maybe for political reasons, but nevertheless, we are here today. Madam Speaker, I would also make a comment on the Iron Dome, and as we pointed out last week, as I did, that we needed to, in fact, always really be there for our ally in the Middle East, our trusted ally in Israel, and we moved forward with a freestanding bill and a suspension, which we passed. And it is my understanding that the Senate is going to move in the same direction. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter).

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I said a moment ago that the bill before us delivers to the survivors of recent disasters. One of things I am most proud of with this bill--and we did work on a bipartisan basis in this effort--is understanding that all parts of this Nation have suffered, whether it is a drought, whether it is a hurricane, or whether it is a wildfire, whatever it is, we have experienced these disasters all over our country. That was what was most important when we looked at how we wanted to address this, which is why we put in $28.6 billion in disaster relief. All over this country we are experiencing difficulty, and so this bill addresses that. If I take a look at where we are overall, agriculture has been mentioned. We have got $10 billion to cover the losses from natural disasters that occurred in 2020 and 2021. We do $275 million for emergency watershed protection programs to help the communities address the damages that were made to infrastructure caused by natural disasters, and that impaired watersheds. When we talk about our Commerce-Justice-Science we look at--and my colleague from Florida talked about this--$22 million for investigations into building collapses. We saw the horror of those scenes every day and every night in the sadness of families who were not able to say goodbye to loved ones who were caught in the rubble of that collapse. But the funding is there. It is the proper role for the Federal Government to help to reduce the risk of future similar building failures. Again, with legal services as it applies to disaster relief; $25 million to cover unanticipated Hurricane Ida-related costs. In defense, we had damages to our defense industry, our Air Force facilities, in which case we have put in funding to address that effort. Our colleague, Congresswoman Kaptur, spoke about the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee; $100 million to study potential projects in order to reduce risk from future floods and hurricanes. Army Corps of Engineers, $3 billion to accelerate construction of flood and storm damage reduction projects to reduce risk from future floods and hurricanes. The Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi River tributaries, to look at flood and storm damage reduction projects. It is vast. The central Utah project, $10 million to address damages from wildfires. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Energy--Small Business Administration disaster loan programs; $1.2 billion to support $6.2 billion in low-interest loans to help businesses, nonprofit organizations. Homeowners, renters, helping them to recover from disasters that are beyond their control. This is the proper role for the Federal Government to be engaged and involved in these efforts. We have Federal highways; $2.6 billion to reimburse States and territories for damage from natural disasters to roads and bridges in our National Highway System. Community Development Block Grant, which is a lifeline to our communities; $5 billion, long-term disaster recovery relief. It is restoration of housing and infrastructure, economic revitalization, and mitigation measures. As I said years ago in the aftermath of Katrina, a journalist wrote that government had a covenant, if you will, with our communities in the face of natural disaster. And when he wrote about Katrina, he said, when the levees broke, that covenant was broken. We do not want to break that covenant again because of a natural disaster. We want to make sure that we can help to rebuild our communities and make sure that they have what they need in order to move forward. Again, as I mentioned, this helps to deliver for the survivors of the needs of Afghan refugees and evacuees. This is, as I have often said, really about our moral responsibility and imperative to be with those who helped us with sacrificing their lives and the lives of their families. I reserve the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Madam Speaker, again, as I try to point out over and over again, besides natural disasters and besides Afghan evacuees, the critical services that have to do with healthcare, with education, and with nutrition are carried over in this bill. And this is for people who live paycheck to paycheck. Today let us send this bill to the President's desk and keep government open and serving those in need. Tomorrow let us continue the fight for funding bills that deliver for the people and truly build back better prioritizing working families who have been left behind by decades of disinvestment. Madam Speaker, I urge support for this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, let me be clear. Everyone everywhere should have the freedom to make their own personal healthcare decisions without interference from politicians. When the Supreme Court allowed the most restrictive abortion law in the nation to go into effect in Texas, they made it clear that they cannot be trusted to protect the constitutional right to an abortion. That is why the Congress must act as other States are moving to follow suit. That is why Democrats are fighting to protect a woman's right to choose. That is why we have removed the restrictive Hyde language from all of our appropriations bills. It is time to trust women, to respect their decisions. Healthcare is not political, not negotiable.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. The answer is no, they cannot be used for offensive weapons by the Government of Israel. On page 2, line 7, the bill clearly states the purpose, ``for the procurement of the Iron Dome defense system to counter short-range rocket threats.''

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5323) making supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5323 currently under consideration.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Iron Dome Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provides $1 billion in funding for Iron Dome, Israel's short-range missile defense system. In May, during the latest period of increased violence between Israel and Hamas, more than 4,000 rockets were launched from Gaza. Using radar technology and missiles to track and destroy incoming rockets, the Iron Dome intercepted over 90 percent of the rockets that would have landed in civilian-populated areas. This system, with help from Congress' funding, saved thousands of lives in that month alone. Under the 2016 memorandum of understanding between the United States and Israel, the United States is committed to replenishing the Iron Dome so Israel can continue to defend itself from attack and protect its citizens. With the funding in this bill, the Iron Dome would continue to protect millions of civilians. Let me repeat, this funding, as the bill language clearly states, is limited to a system that is entirely defensive. And there is no greater demonstration of the defensive nature of this system than the videos showing the Iron Dome's interception capacity. Mr. Speaker, the United States has long been committed to the objective of a two-state solution, Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in a lasting peace. The legislation before us ensures that Israel can fully defend all its citizens, a necessary condition for lasting peace. In the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill passed by the House over the summer, we provided funding to help meet the humanitarian and development needs of the Palestinian people, another requirement for lasting peace. Peace must always be our mission. It will allow Israelis and Palestinians to reconcile their differences and heal their many wounds. But only through peace can this reconciliation and healing even begin to be achieved. Mr. Speaker, this bill demonstrates that Congress' commitment to our friend and ally Israel is bipartisan and ironclad. It fulfills our moral imperative to protect the lives of innocent civilians and helps build the foundations for peace. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the chair of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).