Kay Granger

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers).

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Herrera Beutler).

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 1865, a bill that will provide funding for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Agriculture; Energy and Water; Interior; the Legislative Branch; Military Construction and the Veterans Administration; State and Foreign Operations; and Transportation and Housing. This package protects the sanctity of life and provides vital funding to promote the health and well-being of all Americans. In particular, the bill maintains all prior year pro-life protections and secures the largest pro-life victory in a generation by maintaining the Trump administration's Title X Family Planning regulations. It provides funding to the National Institutes of Health to continue their groundbreaking research in the areas of Alzheimer's disease and cancer research, including childhood cancers. It combats the opioid and methamphetamine epidemic in this country by providing funds for prevention, treatment, recovery, and research into alternative therapies for pain management. The bill also includes key provisions to help Americans in rural areas, such as significant funding for broadband programs; support for those farmers and ranchers around the country severely affected by hurricanes, floods, drought, and other national disasters in 2018 and 2019; and promotes economic growth and opportunity through loans for housing, utilities, and businesses. Increased funding for the Army Corps of Engineers is also included in this package to support navigation and flood control improvements. In addition, the bill continues to advance the Nation's all-of-the- above solutions to energy independence through targeted investments in research and development. Finally, the bill includes several key wins for the military and veterans, as well as our diplomats abroad, such as an increase in funding for military construction and family housing projects; improved resources for veterans to address mental health, suicide, and homelessness; and expanded programs for female veterans. The bill strongly supports our ally Israel and fulfills the U.S.- Israel memorandum of understanding by providing funding for military assistance and maintains funding to keep our embassies safe and secure. Like the package we just debated, there are many provisions here that are good for our country. I hope we can move this bill quickly through the House and the Senate so the President can sign it into law before funding runs out Friday. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon).

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann).

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky.

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Alabama an additional 1 minute.

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Moolenaar).

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1158, a bill that will provide funding for the Departments of Defense; Commerce, Justice, Science; Financial Services; and Homeland Security. While I wish that we had been able to pass all of the bills by the beginning of the fiscal year, I am glad we are going to be able to finish the appropriations process without having to pass another continuing resolution. I am also immensely proud of the job that my fellow Republicans on the Appropriations Committee did to bring the bill to the floor. The packages we will consider today will fully fund the government and ensure that President Trump has the resources he needs to continue the great work he is doing on behalf of the American people. This bill will make us safer by ensuring we have the funding and tools to protect ourselves at home and abroad. The bill will safeguard our financial system from bad actors, ensure all Americans have access to a healthy and robust economy, and it will support our criminal justice system. In particular, this bill provides $1.375 billion of new funding for the border wall, places no restrictions on the President's ability to use funds for immigration and border enforcement, and protects the number of ICE beds. The Defense portion of this package provides funding to continue to rebuild the military after years of neglect during the Obama administration; gives our troops a 3.1 percent pay raise, the largest in a decade; and funds the U.S. Space Force, a Trump administration initiative, to ensure the United States maintains its superiority in space. The bill provides increased funding for school safety programs and also retains longstanding Second Amendment protections that some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle wanted to eliminate. Plain and simple, this package is good for America, and I am proud to support it. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor longtime Fort Worth business leader Edward P. Bass, chairman of the Fine Line Group, as the 2019 Fort Worth Business Executive of the Year. Mr. Bass is a visionary business leader, conservationist, and philanthropist who has made and continues to make outstanding contributions to the cultural and economic development of Fort Worth. Mr. Bass actively champions Fort Worth, supports its institutions, and pursues projects that enhance the lives of its citizens. He serves as Chairman of the Board of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, as the Vice Chairman of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, and as Chairman Emeritus of Performing Arts Fort Worth. Mr. Bass developed, and in 1998 opened, the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall, a building noted at the time as the ``last great hall of the century.'' Reflecting Mr. Bass' passion for broadening education opportunities for youth, the Children's Education Program at Bass Hall has hosted more than 1.4 million schoolchildren for specially presented education performances by world-class artists. Most recently, Mr. Bass lead the development of the 14,000 seat Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. Dickies Arena will bring a wide variety of programing to Fort Worth, including concerts, family shows, sporting events, community events, and will be the new home to the Fort Worth Stock Show rodeo performances. The new arena is intended to be diverse and inclusive, a founding value of the arena and Mr. Bass. Forever a Texan, Mr. Bass and his wife Sasha live in the Sundance Square residential building he developed, where they enjoy experiencing the vibrant life and culture of downtown Fort Worth. His commitment to our city's overall prosperity and his many accomplishments make him most deserving of this prestigious award.

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Eddie Robinson who is celebrating his 99th birthday on December 15, 2019. Eddie was born William Edward Robinson in Paris, Texas in 1920. He is best known for his 13-year Major League Baseball playing career from 1942 to 1957. During that time, he also served three years in the U.S. Navy, and married the love of his life, Bette, in 1955. Eddie has what is described as charisma. It starts with an infectious smile that is always there for every story he tells and those he hears. He can remember the smallest detail that makes everyone lean forward in their chairs to make sure they hear every word. Eddie is constantly telling stories from his Major League Baseball days that thrill the hearts and minds of his listeners. He is such a gifted story teller it is as if we are all reliving the times of his ``Boys of Summer'' baseball days. His more humorous side sometimes comes out with stories that he would never tell in public but shares with his close breakfast group known as ``The Eastside Mafia''. Eddie particularly loves telling stories of his days playing golf at Woodhaven Country Club in Fort Worth. It has been said that he was always so complimentary of a fellow's drive by saying, ``Man what a beautiful drive!'', only to follow up with his famous baseball trajectory of a line drive which would put his well past the shot of his competitors. Eddie is also a person that shares his good fortunes in life. Besides taking his friends to the Texas Rangers games, he was also instrumental in several projects around Fort Worth. He established the Woodhaven Neighborhood Golf Association's annual golf tournament, proving scholarships for local high school students in Fort Worth. He also helped his wife Bette raise funds to construct a clock tower and research library--East Regional Library of Fort Worth--which I had the pleasure of supporting during my time as Mayor of Fort Worth. On behalf of Texas' 12th Congressional District, I offer my congratulations and best wishes on this special occasion.

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Careity Foundation of North Central Texas. They have been providing direct patient services through the ``Careity Celebrity Cutting'' for 25 years in Tarrant, Parker, Palo Pinto, Hood, and Johnson Counties in Texas. Careity provides early detection services to people who may otherwise go without and clinical services for those who have been diagnosed with cancer. Last year, Careity provided over 7600 patient services and has a strong record of responding quickly to patient's needs and caring about the people in the community who have been diagnosed with cancer. Careity prides itself in a high-profile low-cost event, the ``Careity Celebrity Cutting". The uniqueness of the event stands out above other charity events in that the entire venue is donated by the National Cutting Horse Association. All celebrities are volunteers, and Careity has no development or fundraising staff. Given the competition for supporters that the non-profit industry has faced in the last several years, we can all appreciate this enormous accomplishment which speaks to the strong leadership that has steered the Foundation over the course of its impressive history. Careity exists to provide direct care that saves lives, gives hope, eases pain, and allows cancer patients and families to focus on healing. I congratulate Careity on this significant milestone.

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is with a heavy heart that I rise today in opposition to the continuing resolution. As an appropriator, I don't want to support anything short of full-year appropriations bills, especially when it comes to funding for our national defense. Even so, in September, I urged my colleagues to join me in voting for a temporary CR to avoid a government shutdown and give the Senate time to complete their work. At that time the budget deal had just been signed into law, and the Senate had not yet started consideration of full appropriations measures for fiscal year 2020. By voting for the last CR, I argued at the time that we would provide enough time for appropriators in the House and the Senate to complete work on full-year appropriations bills. Unfortunately, not only has that not happened, there still has not even been an agreement reached on spending levels for those bills. No business in the world could survive on temporary funding doled out on a month-to-month basis. The uncertainty created by the habit Congress finds itself in of repeated CRs and the continual threat of a shutdown is crippling, especially for our military. Continuing resolutions limit the military's ability to operate, train, and care for our servicemembers and their families and continue the critical research and development that is needed to meet and defeat all threats. Congress must not fail to meet its most fundamental constitutional responsibility to provide appropriations. I call on my colleagues in both parties in both Chambers of Congress to immediately come together, put politics aside, and work together to reach an agreement for a full-year appropriations measure that the President can sign. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Womack).

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

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of a leading Fort Worth Hispanic leader, Mr. Nelson Rodriguez. Mr. Rodriguez was the founder and owner of The Nelrod Company of Fort Worth and a steadfast leader in the development of Hispanic chambers of commerce in Texas and across the nation. He passed away last month after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. Mr. Rodriguez began his entrepreneurial career as a 10-year-old shoe shiner in south Texas. He worked in the family grocery store throughout his youth and returned to manage the family business after completing his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He went on to run an award-winning newspaper, as well as organize other entrepreneurs to form the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce where he became the first chair and president at the young age of just 27. The next year, Nelson moved to Washington, D.C. following his appointment to serve in the Reagan administration. During his tenure in our government, he served as the youngest Senior Executive at the Department of Commerce, won the Secretarial Achievement Award at the Department of Transportation, and the Affordable Housing Award at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Nelson was a family man, a business man, and a community man. He was a valuable pioneer who helped pave the way for minority businesses in Fort Worth and across our country. Nelson and his wife shared 45 years of marriage together with their four sons, three daughters, and four grandchildren. He will be sorely missed by our great city of Fort Worth.

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for yielding. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and defeat the previous question. The House should focus on our constitutional responsibility to fund the government and provide for our national defense. Current government funding runs out in 29 days. But instead of finalizing the National Defense Authorization Act or Defense appropriations bill, we are debating partisan messaging bills and distracted by an impeachment process that lacks any semblance of transparency. Last year, Republicans made defense their highest priority. The Defense appropriations bill was law before the end of the fiscal year, and the NDAA was signed in August. This year, the NDAA has been in conference for more than a month, and the House last acted on Defense appropriations in June. China and Russia aren't slowing down their defense buildup. Why should we handicap our own military and allow our enemies to take advantage of our distraction? This is dangerous and shortsighted. Our highest priority must be keeping the government functioning and the Defense Department fully funded. This House must focus on providing for our national defense and work with our colleagues in the Senate and the White House. In order to achieve this goal, I urge a ``no'' vote on the previous question, a ``no'' vote on the rule, and a ``no'' vote on the underlying measure.

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I was unable to attend votes due to circumstances beyond my control. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 561; ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 562; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 563; and ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 564.

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I was unable to attend votes due to circumstances beyond my control. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 565; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 566; and ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 567

Ms. GRANGER

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