Nita Lowey

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I must reiterate, today is the 27th day of the Trump shutdown, the longest government shutdown in American history. Therefore, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit. This continuing resolution would provide an additional option for President Trump and Senate Republicans to take yes for an answer and end the shutdown. This CR would pay employees; it would reopen government through February 28, providing time for Congress to come to a full-year agreement, without further jeopardizing vital services or the pay of Federal employees. The order of business would be simple, my friends: reopen the government, pay Federal employees, and then let's have a serious negotiation on border security and immigration policy. Maybe I will repeat that again, because the order of business is very simple: reopen the government, pay Federal employees, and then negotiate on border security and immigration policy. It is long past time for my colleagues across the aisle, and across the Capitol, to come to their senses and end this shutdown. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote against this motion to recommit and open the government today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 268, currently under consideration.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, while President Trump continues to keep our government shut down, House Democrats are committed to working for the American people. I am pleased to present legislation today that helps meet the urgent needs of our fellow Americans affected by recent national disasters. Across the country, we have watched as hurricanes have pummeled Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas; wildfires have burned large swaths of the West; volcanoes have erupted in Hawaii; and typhoons have struck territories in the Pacific. In addition to the tragic loss of life, families have lost everything. Businesses have been upended. Communities have been ripped apart. This legislation attempts to meet these needs with $12.14 billion in emergency spending. It includes $2.96 billion to rebuild damaged infrastructure to help communities rebuild and to bring local economies back to life. The legislation embraces the unique needs of farmers and rural communities, providing $1.86 billion to help them recover. It enhances our national security and cares for our veterans and their families by funding $1.46 billion for repairs and rebuilding of damaged Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs facilities. The bill before us meets the complex needs of disaster victims, with $555 million for social services, mental healthcare, education, and activities that improve the prospects of dislocated workers. Importantly, and unlike Republican legislation that was brought up in December, the bill meets the urgent healthcare and nutrition needs of Americans in the Northern Marianas, Guam, American Samoa, and, yes, Puerto Rico. President Trump grossly mismanaged the response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and since then, he has added insult to injury by repeatedly trying to shortchange our fellow U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico. This bill rights that injustice. Finally, this legislation recognizes scientific reality and the simple fact that climate change is increasing the number and severity of national disasters. It includes $2.54 billion in resiliency funding to mitigate damage from future disasters, preventing loss of life and damage to property. We all want to ensure that American families and communities have the resources they need to recover from recent national disasters. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time. [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH160119.001 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH160119.002 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH160119.003 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH160119.004 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH160119.005

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to my friend from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the chair designee for 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 Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), who is the chair-designee of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop).

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I appreciate the gentleman from Florida's remarks, but I remind the gentleman that we can't deliver this essential disaster aid with the government closed. So I suggest the gentleman urge those who are keeping the government closed that we must deliver this aid, so open the government now, and we can have some adult conversation. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), who is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the chair designate of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, before I introduce our next, I would like to say to the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina: I agree with the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina. Let's stop this political game. Let's direct our remarks. Let's make clear that the President has the responsibility to open this government and to do it now. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from California.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from the U.S. Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chair, to allow Federal agencies to begin the vital work that we are funding in this bill, we must reopen the Federal Government. I am pleased that the bill before us includes a continuing resolution to immediately reopen the Federal Government and pay Federal employees, who are going through such a difficult time taking care of their families, putting food on the table, just going through the normal, normal time that families have to endure when they don't have any money to spend. This would pay Federal employees through February 8. This continuing resolution ensures the Federal Government is working for the American people, provides certainty for Federal employees, and gives President Trump and the Congress time to negotiate on border security and immigration policy. Mr. Chairman, this legislation is a critical first step to meeting our fellow citizens' urgent needs as they recover from recent disasters, so I urge my colleagues: Join me in support of this bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, in fact, I am not even sure I heard correctly. Trump, the President, opposes the dollar amount in the bill because the only emergency is building the wall? Did I hear that correctly, my friends? Madam Speaker, this shutdown, frankly, has gone on long enough. Perhaps, my good friends don't know the people who are suffering, who are living paycheck to paycheck and who have to worry about taking care of their kids. It is really puzzling to me that a statement like that is being made tonight. My friends, this shutdown has gone on long enough. This motion to recommit would only further prolong the shutdown and the suffering and the people who are really victims of this action. The bill we are voting on today is very similar to the same package that my Republican colleagues voted on back on December 21. H.R. 268 provides disaster relief to those communities affected by hurricanes, wildfires, typhoons, other natural disasters, and it funds the entire government through February 8. In fact, this package provides even more relief to those disaster-affected communities following the adoption of the bipartisan and Republican amendments here today. The only component that is not in this package that my friends on the other side of the aisle voted for in December is the President's wall money. So, to use this MTR to further delay the government, this doesn't make any sense to me at all, because this package being delayed is unconscionable. Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose the motion to recommit, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 27) making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2019, and for other purposes.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam 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.J. Res. 27, currently under consideration.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, we are now in the 25th day of the Trump shutdown, the longest Federal Government shutdown in United States history. This past Friday, hundreds of thousands of dedicated Federal employees went without a paycheck. It is shameful that the stubborn whims of this President have harmed the security of America's public servants. That includes Federal law enforcement officials at the FBI, the very Secret Service agents who protect the President, and those who work tirelessly to protect our air travel, our national parks, our environment, and public health. The bill before us is the seventh--let me repeat, the seventh--piece of legislation Democrats have put on the House floor to end the Trump shutdown and get the government back to work for the American people. It will reopen government through February 1, providing time for Congress to come to a full-year agreement without further jeopardizing vital services or the pay of Federal workers. It is long past time that Senate Republicans join us to reopen the government, pay our Federal employees, and then negotiate on border security and immigration policy. Madam Speaker, I hope that my colleagues across the Capitol come to their senses and end this shutdown. I urge support for this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), my good friend, an outstanding legislator, who is the chair-designate of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Ohio.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), my good friend, who is the chair-designate of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.