Nita Lowey

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the chairwoman of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time. Before I close, I would like to thank the staff for their tireless work, particularly Steve Marchese, Craig Higgins, Erin Kolodjeski, Dean Koulouris, Jason Wheelock, Jean Kwon, Marin Stein, Clelia Alvarado, Liz Leibowitz, and Wendy Coursen. And all those whom I didn't include, I thank all the other staff who have been so really remarkable in this very important work. With this bill, we have forged a vision that stands in stark contrast to the reckless austerity of recent years and the bleak view presented in the administration's budget request. This is a bill for the people. It will strengthen communities, improve lives, and help repair our standing in the world, and I urge support. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), my good friend and the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I thank my good friend, Mr. Pallone, for bringing this issue to our attention and for his longstanding efforts to bring this conflict to an end. Madam Chair, we can all agree on the need to bring the 30-year Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to a peaceful resolution, as we can all agree upon the need to maintain the United States' role as a neutral, third- party arbiter and for the United States to maintain positive diplomatic relations with both Armenia and Azerbaijan. I thank the gentleman for bringing this matter to our attention, and I and my staff look forward to working with Mr. Pallone and his staff on this important issue. Madam Chairwoman, I yield back the balance of my time. Amendment No. 18 Offered by Mr. Buchanan

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2157) making supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes.

Mrs. LOWEY. 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 the Senate amendment to H.R. 2157, currently under consideration.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today we are rejecting the political stunts and grandstanding that have made it difficult to deliver much-needed disaster relief to families and communities across America. It has been 9 months since Hurricane Florence struck the Southeast, just one of the many natural disasters--including other hurricanes, Pacific typhoons, and Western wildfires--that impacted our fellow Americans last year. In that time, the House has already passed two strong packages of relief and recovery assistance; bills to help the people of Puerto Rico recover from one of the deadliest and costliest storms in American history and to meet urgent needs following Midwest floods and Southern tornadoes. Those bills were held up because some in our government refused to assist our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico who are still recovering from a 2017 hurricane. I am pleased we have moved past that, because when disaster strikes, we shouldn't let a ZIP Code dictate our response, and Americans across the country have been waiting far too long for the relief and recovery assistance they deserve. That is why so many of us were deeply disappointed last week when this bipartisan, bicameral disaster relief bill was blocked three times by House Republicans, even though it has the support of the President, Senate Republicans, and congressional Democrats and has passed in the Senate. While it has taken far too long, this bill delivers much-needed assistance to American communities struck by recent natural disasters. It includes a broad array of measures--totaling $19.1 billion--to meet urgent needs: assistance for farmers and rural communities who have been devastated by crop losses brought on by storms; funding for infrastructure repairs that will create jobs and revitalize broken communities; approximately $1.4 billion for Puerto Rico, including $600 million in nutrition assistance; funding to stabilize healthcare systems in disaster-stricken Pacific territories; and repairs and reconstruction at damaged Federal facilities, including military bases that are critical to national security. The bill represents bipartisanship compromise that will strengthen communities and make lives better. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to its enactment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan).

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

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

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, today will be the third time since January that the House has passed an emergency disaster package, the third time we have advanced relief and recovery assistance for the people--from those in Florida and Puerto Rico to those in California and the Carolinas, in Georgia and in communities all across America--trying to rebuild their lives and return to normal. Our fellow Americans have waited long enough for the help they need from our government, and I am pleased this bill will deliver that help. Mr. Speaker, I urge its swift passage and enactment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Thomas J. Schwarz, President of State University of New York, Purchase College, as the College honors him this month for his 17 years of distinguished leadership on the occasion of his retirement. Since Mr. Schwarz was appointed as Purchase College's fifth President in 2003, the college has seen substantially improved retention and graduation rates. He prioritized social responsibility throughout his presidency. In 2007, he signed the ``American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment,'' expressing the sense that Purchase College would chart a course toward climate neutrality. In 2015, Purchase College constructed its first LEED Gold-certified campus building and continues to renovate existing buildings with more energy- efficient technology. Mr. Schwarz oversaw the development of the Broadview Senior Living Center, a senior living community on the Purchase College Campus that will promote lifelong learning. Throughout his career, he was deeply committed to public service. He served as mayor of the Village of Ocean Beach, New York; Special Counsel to the New York State Commission on Government Integrity; Chief Judge to the Commission to Promote Public Confidence in Judicial Integrity, and Counsel to the Governor's Judicial Screening Program. The Legal Aid Society recognized him with its Pro Bono Award in 1998. Madam Speaker, I urge my fellow Members of Congress to join me in expressing thanks to Mr. Schwarz for his many years of outstanding public service and student advocacy.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam 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. 2157.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Last year, we watched hurricanes pummel Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas; wildfires burn large swaths of the West; and typhoons strike territories in the Pacific. In addition to the tragic loss of life, families lost everything, businesses were upended, and communities were ripped apart. That is why, in January, the House passed an emergency disaster relief bill, H.R. 268, to help our fellow Americans recover and rebuild. Unfortunately, the bill languished for months in the Senate over assistance for Puerto Rico. As it sat there, floods battered the Midwest and tornadoes swept the South, resulting in even more destruction. And it sat there in the Senate. This legislation attempts to meet the needs of all of America's disaster-stricken communities, whether in Puerto Rico or the Midwest, California or the Carolinas, with $17.2 billion in emergency spending. In addition to the funding provided in H.R. 268, the bill makes three critical additions. It includes $1.5 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for repairs to Corps projects damaged by flooding and natural disasters. It provides $1 billion for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery, with language ensuring it is spent quickly to help communities rebuild housing, businesses, and public infrastructure in the most impacted and distressed areas affected by major natural disasters. And it includes $500 million for the Department of Agriculture's Emergency Conservation Program, providing emergency funding and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters. That is an additional $3 billion to address the urgent needs following the Midwest floods and Southern tornadoes, and an additional $3 billion to rebuild damaged infrastructure, to help communities recover, and to bring local economies back to life. American citizens are relying on our Federal Government to deliver a robust disaster relief package. They have waited long enough. Frankly, they can't afford to wait any longer. Further delays will only leave communities more vulnerable and exposed to future natural disasters. With the Atlantic hurricane season beginning in just 4 weeks and looming summer heat increasing wildfire risk, we must act now. Madam Chair, this legislation is a critical and long-overdue step to meeting our fellow citizens' urgent needs. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) the chairwoman of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the chairman of the Transportation Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the chair of the Interior Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the chairwoman of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), the chairwoman of the Small Business Committee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield the gentlewoman from New York an additional 2 minutes.