Nita Lowey

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentlewoman from Minnesota.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley), the ranking member of the Financial Services Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman from Illinois.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the distinguished ranking member of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentlewoman from Ohio.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chairwoman, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Maine (Ms. Pingree), a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I reserve balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, we should be making investments that protect our communities and make it easier for working families to get ahead. This bill falls far short of those goals. It shows the majority is not serious about enacting spending bills on time and is rife with deficiencies from a tax on the environment and consumers to wasting hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, and it fails to stand up to Russian aggression and protect our elections. Vote ``no.'' Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor my constituent, Cora Greenberg of Pleasantville, New York. After 23 years of service, she will retire from her position as Executive Director of Westchester Children's Association (WCA) at the end of June. Ms. Greenberg joined the 104-year-old organization in 1994. During her tenure, WCA expanded from a staff of two and an annual budget of $120,000 to a staff of eight and a yearly budget of nearly $1 million. WCA has increased Westchester County funding for youth programs and improved the selection process for funded programs through its Campaign for Kids. Additionally, WCA's data publications and analyses have become go-to resources for many advocates and policymakers. Prior to joining WCA in 1994, Ms. Greenberg was the Associate Executive Director of Project Reach Youth, a multi-service youth and family agency in Brooklyn, New York, where she was highly influential in developing model programs in youth development, family literacy, and after-school education. Before joining Project Reach Youth, she served as Executive Director of Interfaith Neighbors, a-youth program founded and supported by more than 20 churches and synagogues on Manhattan's Upper East Side, and as a Program Coordinator at United Neighborhood Houses, a membership organization of 39 settlement houses and community centers in New York City. Throughout Ms. Greenburg's time at WCA, she improved the lives of children in Westchester County by shaping policies and programs to meet their needs. She made thoughtful community engagement a priority for WCA, ensuring the organization continues to thrive and is well positioned to help many more children in the years to come. Mr. Speaker, I urge my fellow Members of Congress to join me in expressing thanks to Ms. Greenberg for her 23 years of outstanding service, dedication, and passion to the Westchester Children's Association and to the children and families of Westchester County and beyond.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, at the outset, I, too, want to thank Chairwoman Granger, Mr. Frelinghuysen, and Mr. Visclosky for the coordinated, collegial approach in producing this very outstanding bill. Of course, the entire staff on both sides of the aisle, I thank them for their important work. We couldn't do it without them, for sure. The bill does reflect the collegial and bipartisan tradition of the Defense Subcommittee, providing ample funding for the needs of our armed services and intelligence community. There are a number of provisions I would like to highlight: Servicemembers receive a 2.6 percent pay raise, although I am concerned their civilian counterparts who work side-by-side with uniformed personnel will not see any increase; $752 million is dedicated to congressionally directed medical research programs that are so critical and lead to breakthroughs on cancer, PTSD, Parkinson's, and more; $8.4 is directed to bolster cybersecurity initiatives, $100 million above the enacted level; and, $500 million, the full amount in the MOU, is invested in the Israeli Missile Defense Cooperative program. The committee has taken its oversight responsibilities seriously to encourage greater efficiency, improve transparency, strengthen communication, and ensure the Department of Defense adheres to congressional direction. Unlike other spending measures considered this year, this bill is the product of an inclusive process that invests in bipartisan priorities and is free of poison pill riders. It was written within the funding levels agreed upon in the most recent budget agreement, skipping OCO- to-base gimmicks previously employed to skirt the capped funding levels. Mr. Chairman, I urge its support.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Major Abigail Vincent for her exemplary dedication to duty and service as an Army Congressional Fellow and Congressional Budget Liaison for the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller). Major Vincent is transitioning from her current assignment to serve as Comptroller and Deputy Director of Administration for the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where her parents still reside, Major Vincent was commissioned as a Medical Service Corps officer after her graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Comparative Politics. She also holds a Master's degree in Legislative Affairs from the George Washington University. Major Vincent has served in a broad range of assignments during her thirteen years as an Army officer. Her assignments include: platoon leader and company executive officer at Fort Lewis, WA; Medical Operations Officer in Seagoville, TX; and Legislative Liaison in the National Capital Region. She also has a combat deployment encompassing 17 months in theater where she served in the Commander's Initiatives Group and as aide-de-camp for the Multi-National Force--Iraq Commander, General Ray Odierno. In 2014, I had the privilege of having Major Vincent as an Army Congressional Fellow in my office and continued to work with her during her subsequent assignment as a Congressional Budget Liaison for the U.S. Army. Major Vincent's professionalism, diligence, and commitment to the mission are unmatched, and her work both as a fellow and as a liaison very effectively represented the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense to the United States Congress. Throughout her career, Major Vincent has positively impacted soldiers, peers, and superiors. Our country has benefited from her extraordinary leadership, judgment, and passion for the Army profession. I join my colleagues today in honoring her dedication to our Nation and invaluable service to the United States Congress as an Army Congressional Budget Liaison. Mr. Speaker, it has been a genuine pleasure to work with Major Vincent. It is with great appreciation that I recognize and commend Abigail for her service to our country and wish her all the best as she continues her service in the United States Army.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor my constituent, Richard P. Swierat. After 35 years of service, Mr. Swierat will retire from his position as Executive Director of The Arc of Westchester, based in Hawthorne, New York, on Friday, June 15, 2018. Mr. Swierat' s career began at a time when people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) experienced widespread mistreatment. Throughout his time at the Arc of Westchester. Mr. Swierat has tirelessly dedicated himself towards fighting injustice in order to shed light on the promise and potential of the I/DD community. Under Mr. Swierat's leadership, The Arc of Westchester has been on the vanguard of numerous improvements for people with IIDD living in Westchester County. Preschoolers with IIDD, who once were confined to self-contained classrooms, now learn in inclusionary settings, and adults with IIDD can now seek paid community-based employment instead of sheltered workshops. Mr. Swierat has influenced members of the community, in both government and business, and has been critical to helping countless individuals with I/DD live, work, and prosper in the communities that they have always called home. Mr. Swierat is a member of the Board of Directors of the Business Council of Westchester, sits on many state and national boards related to the field of developmental disabilities and is an adjunct professor at Western Connecticut State University's Ancell School of Business. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters at Mercy College's 2018 Commencement Ceremony in May for collaborating with the College to make technology available to support people with learning and cognitive delays. Mr. Speaker, I urge my fellow Members of Congress to join me in expressing thanks to Mr. Swierat for his 35 years of outstanding service, commitment and energy to the Arc Movement and to people with disabilities everywhere.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, it is outrageous that we are beginning this appropriations season by debating President Trump's rescissions bill, which fails the American people, hurts children and families, and injects needless partisanship into Congress' important appropriations work. First and foremost, this bill fails the American people by eliminating funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program. Just months after exploding annual deficits, to the tune of $1.5 trillion, and lavishing massive tax breaks to big corporations with their tax scam, Republicans are now proposing to make children and families pay with a $7 billion cut from CHIP. Targeting CHIP for a rescission prevents Congress from reinvesting in other priorities like child and maternal health, early childhood education, biomedical research, and our community health centers. Additionally, the nearly $15 billion in rescissions cut numerous efforts to create jobs, grow our economy, and strengthen our communities. It cuts funding for the Economic Development Administration and for community development financial institutions, both of which create jobs in rural areas and distressed communities. Treasury was prepared to announce 114 awards from CDFI's Bank Enterprise Award Program. This isn't merely spring cleaning by sweeping old funding up under the rug that would never be spent; it is taking investments away from local communities. It slashes billions of dollars from Federal loan programs that foster innovation and create clean- energy jobs. Eight projects are in the pipeline through the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, two of which would create 2,400 manufacturing jobs and an $890 million investment in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The Republican raw deal would rescind these funds and prevent economic growth. I am also profoundly disappointed that Republicans are willing to bring forward legislation that undermines 2 years of bipartisan spending agreements. This bill includes cuts to funding that was appropriated under the fiscal year 2017 omnibus, which was negotiated just over a year ago. And it reneges on the bipartisan budget agreement from February by further restricting CHIP amounts that could be reinvested in future years. Upending bipartisan agreements poisons the well and makes future negotiations more difficult. Finally, I must express my strong objection to the rushed process by which Republicans have considered this rescissions bill. The White House submitted its final version of the rescissions bill less than 48 hours ago. We have had no hearings, no markups, or even any debate at all on this bill in the Appropriations Committee, and we are considering it with no opportunity to debate the merits of each of these rescissions on their own. Mr. Speaker, this is not regular order, and, frankly, it is no way to make such a consequential decision.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, instead of rubber-stamping President Trump's rescissions package, Congress should conduct rigorous oversight to determine why the Trump-Pence administration has not spent these funds, even as they misspend tax dollars on first-class flights, fountain pens, and luxury dining sets. Spending cuts that hurt American families should be carefully considered, not rushed through to score political points or help the majority's whip count on other bills. I urge Members to vote ``no.''

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Ohio.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the three-bill package that Republicans are bringing to the floor today. Instead of following regular order and debating and amending the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bills separately, Republican leadership is forcing us to consider them together. This broken process has a simple aim. Republicans are using America's veterans as pawns to force through cuts to clean energy research and harmful policy provisions that weaken environmental standards. We all recognize the tremendous debt of gratitude we owe to those who have sacrificed for us in our Armed Forces, as well as their family members who share in their service to our country. That is why it is so important that Congress ensure our veterans receive the honors, benefits, and assistance they have earned. While I support many of the increases within the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill, Republicans have created a dilemma by transitioning the VA Choice program from mandatory to discretionary funding in the middle of fiscal year 2019. I want to make it clear: This is a serious decision. It should have been adequately debated. Even worse, Republicans have blocked consideration of my amendment to solve this problem. That will mean a further squeeze, and perhaps even cuts, to programs that benefit the middle class. The Bipartisan Budget Act provided an $18 billion increase for both defense and nondefense discretionary spending between fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Instead of using those resources to create jobs and grow our economy, Republicans have chosen to devote $4.8 billion, more than a quarter of that increase, to the Department of Homeland Security, presumably for President Trump's border wall and the deportation force. Not only is such spending a betrayal of our American values, it is a waste of resources that crowds out investments that keep our families and communities safe, strong, and moving forward. Frankly, it is just part of a pattern in which Republicans are underfunding bills that will come later in the appropriations process. For example, Republicans have not provided a single penny in additional resources to the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. What does that mean? This means that they threaten to starve our schools, hurt job training and workplace rights protection, jeopardize Pell grants, and limit access to affordable healthcare, among many other ill effects. We can and must do better than spending levels that prioritize President Trump's border wall and attacks on immigrant communities over the urgent needs of American children, families, and seniors. Now, with regard to the Energy and Water bill specifically, we are confronted with a partisan bill that contains cuts to many important priorities for the American people. With gas prices approaching $3 a gallon, the bill cuts energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives. It cuts transformational science efforts, such as the successful and popular ARPA-E program. And just as bad, it contains many harmful riders, including rolling back clean water protections, blocking the National Ocean Policy, further endangering salmon on the Columbia River, and weakening gun safety rules on public lands. These provisions and the cuts to important priorities that drive innovation and safeguard our national security make it impossible for Democrats to support this bill. We can and must do better. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' oppose the Republican raw deal that cuts critical priorities, includes harmful poison-pill riders, and sets Congress on a path to future bills that will cause serious pain for American children, families, and seniors. Before I reserve the balance of my time, I would like to thank our chair, with whom I have always worked cooperatively, and your staff and my staff and all those who spend many, many hours making sure we can work together. However, I do hope, at the end of the process, we can put together a more responsible bipartisan bill. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the Democratic whip.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan), the ranking member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the ranking member of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.