Rodney Frelinghuysen

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson), chairman of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I yield the gentleman an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson), the chair of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Yoder), chairman of the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 10 seconds to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), chairman of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart), chair of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon).

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I thank the gentlewoman and my ranking counterpart, Mrs. Lowey, for that kindness, and may I associate with her our remarks, pay tribute to her leadership, the wonderful work of the staff that she has behind her and that I have behind me. I think the debate and the comments have been positive today. The men and women of the greatest military in the world, the United States Armed Forces, are waiting for our support today with the passage of this package, this appropriations bill. Please don't let them down. Please support this bill, which provides for our national and economic security and takes us out from a very damaging and restrictive continuing resolution. Today is a vote to keep the government open and get back to our appropriations process, which is our responsibility under the Constitution, the power of the purse. Let's take it and use it wisely. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a concurrent resolution and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 289, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 99) making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2017, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 99.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today to present H.J. Res. 99, a short-term continuing resolution that will keep our government open for an additional week while work is completed on a full-year funding package. First, I would like to thank Ranking Member Lowey for her efforts on this bill and, more broadly, on her valuable participation in the appropriations process over many years. Our current continuing resolution expires today at midnight. Working together with the Senate, our leadership, and the White House, we are on track to have a full-year, fiscal year 2017 appropriations legislation completed soon, but we need a little more time to process it and prepare it for the floor. This resolution will ensure that the government stays open for another week, until May 5, 2017, to give Congress additional time. It extends current funding levels for essential government operations that the American people rely on, including, most importantly, our national defense. It continues all policy and funding provisions in the currently enacted continuing resolution. In addition, it includes an extension of the December CR provision for healthcare benefits for retired coal miners and their dependents for the length of the continuing resolution. Congress must pass this legislation today to keep the government open and operating as we wrap up our full-year fiscal year 2017 work. It is our constitutional duty and responsibility. A continuing resolution is never anyone's first choice for funding the government; however, this is our best path forward. This CR is very short term, very limited in scope, and will help us complete our important work of funding the government for the rest of fiscal year 2017. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend Alice Elizabeth Grant Hogans on the occasion of her retirement, having served for 16 years on the House Appropriations Committee. In total, she has provided more than 25 years of distinguished, quiet service to our country. Her dedication to public service and integrity stands as a model for us all. Alice, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor's degree in Economics. She also earned a Master of Philosophy Degree in International Finance from the Centre for Development Studies at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Alice began her career in Washington, D.C. in 1989 as a staff assistant at the Congressional Budget Office. From there, she rose to the position of budget analyst in the Scorekeeping Unit in 1990 before leaving for graduate school in Scotland in 1993. In 1995, she accepted a position with the Senate Committee on the Budget under the leadership of Chairman Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) and staff director Bill Hoagland. She was the Analyst for International Affairs until beginning her dedicated service to the House Appropriations Committee in 2001. Alice began on the Foreign Operations Subcommittee as professional staff in 2001, and spent time as professional staff on the Treasury- Transportation, HUD Subcommittee, and the Financial Services Subcommittee before ending up back on State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee in 2011, where she was responsible for overseeing spending for global health programs, including HIV/AIDS, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and trade promotion agencies such as the U.S. Export-Import Bank, and several related agencies. Alice's contributions extend beyond her role on the Appropriations Committee. For years, she was the Treasurer of the Board for the non- profit Combined Federal Agencies Child Development Center, and a volunteer at her church and children's elementary school. As we all know, congressional staff work countless hours and through countless holiday seasons in order to keep this esteemed institution running. This inevitably takes a toll on personal commitments, and nothing means more to Alice than her supportive and loving family, her husband Dan, her children, James and Catherine, and of course, her mother and sister. Mr. Speaker, while Alice is leaving this institution, she will not be forgotten. Her good humor, faithful service, and commitment to excellence has left a lasting imprint on all of us and on the departments and agencies for which she was responsible. I wish Alice and her family well as she enters this new chapter of her life and ask my colleagues to join me in expressing my appreciation for her contributions to our country.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the historic Town of Boonton, located in Morris County, New Jersey, on the occasion of its 150th Anniversary. From humble beginnings, this town's birth from a house and barn has grown to be a thriving community of over 8,300 residents today. Boonton's history began in 1740 with a simple house and barn--the first house recorded in Boonton. It was originally part of a 231 acre plot that was purchased for 85. Over the years, three families have owned this historic landmark. Each family maintained and built onto the house until it was listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places; Boonton's population steadily grew thanks to an iron forge, which attracted local workers to establish their lives and provide for their families. This forge served as a central source of supplies for the military during the American Revolutionary War. The town was named ``Boone-Towne'' after the late Colonial Governor Thomas Boone in the year 1761. In March of 1867, Boonton incorporated as a town by the New Jersey State Legislature. The first of what would be many tests of Boonton's fortitude came in 1876 when the town faced an economic crisis, due to iron deposits found in the Great Lakes. The iron company shut down and workers left the town. The leaders of Boonton were strong and resilient and the town recovered by opening a silk, brass, knife, and many other factories. A diversified economic landscape prevented a depression from happening again. The Town of Boonton has also shown its resilience in not only handling economic hardship, but also during natural disasters. The blizzard of 1888 hit the town of Boonton hard for 36 brutal hours, covering the town with 15 feet of snow. This was a significant moment in defining the strong character of Boonton. Over the years, Boonton has grown and thrived into a tightly knit community. It has developed a booming Main Street that portrays its local community through a variety of schools, businesses, houses of worship, and other services meeting the needs of its diverse population. Boonton still attracts more and more people every year and has continuously seen a growing population. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in congratulating the Town of Boonton on the occasion of its Sesquicentennial Anniversary.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 174, I call up the bill (H.R. 1301) making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1301, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present H.R. 1301, the Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2017. In total, this bill provides $577.9 billion in funding for the Department of Defense: $516.1 billion in discretionary funding and $61.8 billion in overseas contingency operations and global war on terrorism funding. When combined with the funding provided in the continuing resolution supplemental enacted in December, total defense funding for fiscal year 2017 equals $584 billion, consistent with the top line provided in the National Defense Authorization Act, and $10.9 billion more than fiscal year 2016 levels. Mr. Speaker, strengthening our national security and rebuilding our military starts today, with this agreement, the first step after years of cutbacks. Our Armed Forces and intelligence community are currently operating under a continuing resolution, which denies them stability and predictability, both of which they have not had for many years. H.R. 1301 provides that stability, removing defense funding from under continuing resolution autopilot, preventing further damage to our national defense and providing additional support for our men and women in uniform and their families. Our troops serve with honor in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, South Korea, Japan, across the Baltics, the Sinai, and Africa on the ground, in the air, and aboard ships across the globe doing the work of freedom. Mr. Speaker, this agreement rejects the troop reductions proposed by the previous administration, providing for increased end-strength levels authorized by the NDAA: 1.3 million Active Duty troops and 813,000 National Guard and Reserve troops, all of whom work as one team. Our bill also fully funds the authorized 2.1 percent pay raise and provides increased funding for Defense Health Programs to ensure full care for all of our warfighters, their families, and military retirees. This agreement also ensures that our Armed Forces have the training and equipment they need to conduct successful missions. Funding is increased for key readiness programs that prepare and train our troops and that modernize essential military installations. It reverses the previous administration's cuts to procurement, providing for additional production of state-of-the-art aircraft and ships. In addition, we enhance cyber and ISR programs, or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance programs, capabilities our combatant commanders badly need. This reflects congressional priorities. We took into account the views of each and every Member who worked with us throughout the process. This is a bipartisan, bicameral agreement that deserves the support of the House. I thank Chairwoman Kay Granger for her efforts in bringing this bill to the floor today and for taking over the leadership of the Defense Subcommittee in January. I also thank the subcommittee's ranking member, Mr. Visclosky, for his contributions to this bill and the earlier bill. He has been an excellent partner throughout this process, and I am grateful for our continued strong working relationship. In addition, I commend Nita Lowey, the ranking member of the full committee, for her partnership and commitment to completing all of our appropriations work. Lastly, I thank the staff of the subcommittee that is behind me, both minority and majority, as well as our personal offices and the full Appropriations Committee for their tireless work putting this bill together. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Will Smith and David Pomerantz, the outgoing staff directors for the Appropriations Committee, both majority and minority, in this remarkable committee. Both have made immeasurable contributions to the Appropriations Committee in this institution, and we are indebted for their service. We thank both of them and wish them both the best. Mr. Speaker, today our Nation faces a dangerous and unpredictable world. At the same time, our Armed Forces are struggling to have our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines fully trained and ready to meet every conceivable threat. That important work to address that critical situation starts with this bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the agreement, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger), chairwoman of the Defense Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations.