Nita Lowey

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Jane Brown M.Ed., Executive Director of Child Care Resources of Rockland (CCRR), as she celebrates her retirement at A Benefit for the Child Care Tuition Scholarship Program on Wednesday, October 3, 2018. Mrs. Brown has long been an educator, having taught a variety of age ranges, including school-aged, preschool, toddlers, and even infants, for more than 40 years. She has served as Executive Director since 2004 and in various other positions at CCRR for 13 years prior. Mrs. Brown also serves on several boards and advisory committees. She formerly served as the Co-President of the New York State Association for the Education of Young Children and President of the New York State Early Care and Learning Council. Mrs. Brown was recognized as a 2012 Woman of Distinction, Honoring Women in New York. In addition to working hands-on with the children, Mrs. Brown has led professional development for numerous home-based staff and early childhood development centers. She worked with staff on developing stronger curriculums, interacting with children and families, enhancing the learning environment and helping teachers deal with the stress commonly experienced in the early childhood industry. Mrs. Brown has also taught courses at the B.A. and M.A. level and given local, state- wide, and national presentations on early childhood education. Mr. Speaker, I urge my fellow Members of Congress to join me in expressing thanks to Mrs. Brown for her 27 years of outstanding service, dedication, and passion to Child Care Services of Rockland and to the children and families of Rockland County and beyond.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor White Plains Hospital as it hosts its 125th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, September 29, 2018. White Plains Hospital is a not-for-profit health care organization aimed at providing quality and affordable health care to Westchester County and the surrounding areas. In the year following its founding in 1893 by 22 women and three men, the hospital treated 31 patients. Today, it has a staff of 1,100 and treats more than 200,000 patients a year. White Plains Hospital has truly become a cornerstone of our community. White Plains Hospital not only provides both inpatient and outpatient services, but also aims to improve the health care of the local and professional communities and the business sector. It greatly expanded access to care by opening locations across Westchester County with excellent physicians in, but not limited to, primary care, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology, dermatology, geriatrics, cardiology, medical & surgical specialties, and urgent care. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have worked alongside White Plains Hospital to support quality health care for area residents. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing this organization and applauding its 125 years of service to our community as it celebrates this quasquicentennial anniversary.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Child Care Council of Westchester as it hosts its 50th Anniversary Celebration on October 18, 2018. The Child Care Council of Westchester promotes quality child care and education to support the healthy development of children and families. For children, the Council is a safe space to learn and grow. For parents, the Council eases the financial burden of child care by providing high quality, affordable child care for working families. For child care professionals, the Council acts as an information hub on running a business, providing quality care, and meeting legal obligations. Finally, for Westchester employers, the Council provides parents with resources and referrals to have successful employment and careers. The Child Care Council's continued success in Westchester can be largely attributed to its Executive Director Kathy Halas. Since 2003, Ms. Halas has led the Council as it advocates for the importance of healthy childhood development and quality child care. Ms. Halas' unwavering activism is an inspiration to us all and can be credited with the care of countless children throughout Westchester County and beyond. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have worked alongside Kathy Halas and the Child Care Services of Westchester to support quality early care and education for all children. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing this incredible organization and applauding its 50 years of service to Westchester County as it celebrates this golden anniversary.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I join Chairman Frelinghuysen in strong support of this bipartisan legislation. The Defense and Labor-HHS-Education bills carry out some of Congress' most important constitutional responsibilities. We should all be pleased that we have completed our work on these bills on time. This conference report provides ample resources for our armed services and strengthens military readiness. It also upholds our commitments to our servicemembers and their families, more funding to repair Department of Defense schools, additional resources to assist victims of military sexual assault, and more support for military medical research. Turning to the Labor-HHS-Education division, I am pleased that Congress has resoundingly rejected President Trump's budget and restored $10 billion in proposed cuts that would have hurt working families. Instead, we have won increased funding for a number of important priorities. This bill boosts biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, expands opioid abuse treatment and prevention programs, and launches new initiatives for maternal and child health. The bill increases funding for Head Start, childcare, and after school programs on which working families rely. It lifts the maximum Pell grant to help more students access postsecondary education, and it invests in the 21st century workforce with more support for registered apprenticeships and career and technical education. Finally, this bill stands up to President Trump's cruel family separation policy, with more transparency and oversight of child and family detention. Just as important is what this bill does not include: the unnecessary partisan riders that caused House Democrats to oppose the Labor-HHS- Education bill in the Appropriations Committee. And while it is unfortunate that we have no choice but to include a continuing resolution for many important Federal programs, I look forward to completing our remaining appropriation bills when Congress returns in November. I appreciate the hard work of Chairman Frelinghuysen, Chairwoman Granger, Chairman Cole, Ranking Member Visclosky, Ranking Member DeLauro, and our Senate counterparts to get us to this point. Of course, we appreciate our hardworking staff. We couldn't get to this point without them. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill and sending it to the President for him to sign. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), the ranking member of the Defense Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the distinguished ranking member of the Labor-HHS Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the ranking member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Committee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 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. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the remainder of my time. Mr. Speaker, should the President sign this package into law, three- quarters of all base discretionary spending will be enacted prior to the start of the fiscal year. While Chairman Frelinghuysen and I would have preferred to finish everything, we should be proud of the work that we have done--all the members of the committees working together-- and it is a testament to the chairman's leadership. For me, it has really been an honor and a privilege to work with him. I know we have a little more work to do. But I thank him again for his hard work and commitment to doing the right thing in serving the American people. I also thank the staff for their work, including Rebecca Leggieri, Jennifer Chartrand, Stephen Steigleder, and Robin Juliano of the minority staff, along with clerks Jennifer Miller, Susan Ross, and the rest of the majority staff. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill, I urge support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Michael A. Baston on his inauguration as Seventh President of Rockland Community College (RCC) in Suffern, N.Y. on September 13, 2018. Dr. Baston began his career as a public interest lawyer, representing educational and social justice organizations and this work led him to pursue a career in academia. He joined RCC from LaGuardia Community College in Queens, part of the City University of New York, where he held several key leadership positions, including Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Provost. Known for his work in integrating student success initiatives to advance college completion through guided pathways, Dr. Baston also helped grow LaGuardia's grant funding with a special focus on diverse and underserved student populations. During his distinguished career, Dr. Baston's work has been featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Atlantic, Diverse Education, Community College Times, Education Advisory Board, MSNBC, and Handbook for Student Affairs in Community Colleges. Dr. Baston was selected as a member of the inaugural class of Aspen Institute Presidential Fellows for Community College Excellence where he explored systemic issues impacting the educational access pipeline and student success. He holds a BA from Iona College, a JD from Brooklyn Law School, and an EdD from St. John Fisher College. Named by Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine among the most Notable Education Leaders of 2017, Dr. Baston is an extraordinary man whose dedication and determination have inspired all who know him. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Baston's numerous accomplishments have left a lasting impact on the communities he has served and he has pledged to broaden the scope, reach and influence of RCC in the years ahead. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the extraordinary leadership and vision of Dr. Michael Baston and to welcome him to Rockland Community College.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this three-bill minibus, which delivers important victories for the American people. The fiscal year 2019 Energy and Water Development, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch bill is a bipartisan rejection of President Trump's extreme budget cuts. It restores $8.1 billion in funding for programs that create jobs and strengthen our economy. Instead of cutting energy efficiency and renewable energy programs within the Department of Energy, as House Republicans proposed, we have increased its funding. That means more resources to develop clean energy technology and accelerate job creation in this growing sector of the economy. And this bill gives an emphatic thumbs-down to President Trump's proposed elimination of the highly successful ARPA-E program, which promotes and funds research and development of advanced energy technology. Turning to the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs division, I am pleased that the bill provides a second installment of $2 billion for VA infrastructure improvements. And, as more veterans suffer from our country's devastating opioid epidemic, we are doing right by our veterans by providing $400 million for opioid treatment, prevention, and safety initiatives. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to those who have sacrificed for us in our Armed Forces, and we must ensure they receive the benefits and assistance they deserve. Unfortunately, when it comes to the VA MISSION Act, the White House and House Republicans refuse to live up to that sacred trust. Despite the inclusion of nonbinding report language, the legislation before us utterly fails to address the transition of the VA Choice program from mandatory to discretionary spending. It is deeply disappointing that we have been unable to address this issue with a bipartisan, bicameral compromise. Instead, Congress has left behind a shortfall that will lead to cuts to vital domestic programs, including for our veterans. It is now imperative for next year that we find a responsible, long- term solution to protect domestic priorities and veterans' healthcare. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not celebrate one of the successes in this bill that is closer to home. I am delighted that we have secured $8.8 million in the new dedicated funding stream for Members' offices to pay interns. Congressional interns should be reflective of the country we serve. This new funding will help a more diverse range of young people follow their dreams and begin a career in public service. I appreciate the hard work of my friend, Chairman Frelinghuysen, and the subcommittee Chairmen Simpson, Carter, and Fortenberry, as well as our Senate counterparts in crafting this compromise. I am grateful for the leadership of Ranking Members Marcy Kaptur, Tim Ryan, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz fighting on behalf of our priorities for the American people. Of course, I thank the staff on both sides of the aisle who work so very hard night and day to help us deliver this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this minibus, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan), who is the ranking member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Murphy).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to thank my friend, Chairman Frelinghuysen. It has been far too long since multiple spending bills were enacted prior to the start of the fiscal year. It is a testament to the chairman's leadership that we are set to clear three today, and I hope we send at least one more package to the President before the end of the month. Additionally, I would like to thank the staff for their tireless efforts, particularly Adam Berg, Jaime Shimek, Matt Washington, and the majority staff, including clerks Jenny Panone, Sue Quantius, and Angie Giancarlo-Clark. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the motion to instruct conferees to reject the right-wing House Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill and, instead, support the Senate's bipartisan compromise. The Labor-HHS-Education bill funds some of the most important priorities for our country. It helps meet the needs of Americans at every stage of their lives. With this legislation, Congress funds childcare programs, Head Start, Pell Grants, job training, community health centers, NIH research, Social Security, Meals on Wheels. Yet, instead of robustly supporting these priorities, House Republicans have shortchanged all of these critical endeavors. Despite an $18 billion overall increase in the budget cap for nondefense discretionary spending, the House's fiscal year 2019 Labor- HHS-Education appropriations bill does not include a single dime of additional funding. House Republicans have found $5 billion to pay for President Trump's wasteful border wall, yet they apparently cannot allocate anything to strengthen America's schools; help families afford college; ensure workplace safety; or expand quality, affordable healthcare. In fact, the policy provisions in the bill directly attack many of these priorities. Their riders sabotage the Affordable Care Act, threatening the health of tens of millions of Americans with preexisting conditions, and increasing costs for American families. This Republican bill undermines women's healthcare by eliminating Title X family planning, prohibits millions of women from choosing Planned Parenthood as their preferred healthcare provider, and attacks the dignity of LGBT families. The American people, my friends, deserve better than this partisan bill. The Senate has done good work, bipartisan work, to provide additional resources for the Labor-HHS-Education bill, while avoiding the kinds of right-wing riders that make the House bill completely unacceptable. I urge my colleagues to vote for this motion. Reject House Republicans' misplaced priorities and extreme attacks on American families.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong opposition to the Interior, Environment, and Financial Services, and General Government minibus, that fails the American people by slashing environmental protection, rolling back consumer protections, and even cutting basic election security funding. With bills this bad, it is no wonder Republicans have abandoned all pretense of regular order, grouped two unrelated appropriations bills together, and blocked numerous Democratic amendments. These bills are the product of Republicans' misguided priorities. Instead of using the $18 billion increase in nondefense discretionary spending to create jobs and grow our economy, Republicans have chosen to waste those resources on an unnecessary border wall and cruel attacks on immigrant families. We must do better. As much as it pains me to say, we should be following the Senate and producing bipartisan bills instead of wasting time on playing political games and taking show votes to appease the right wing of the Republican Conference. Turning to the substance of the bills before us, it is absolutely outrageous that they would: Cut the Environmental Protection Agency by $100 million; slash clean water infrastructure grants by $300 million; sink $585 million into a black hole that is dressed up with a fancy name, the Fund for America's Kids and Grandkids, which is a ploy to not spend the entire financial services allocation; reduce investments in underserved communities through the Community Development Financial Institutions program by $34 million; and provide inadequate funding for small business loan programs and for investments that curb the opioid crisis. However, the bill's worst cut is the zeroing out of election security grants. On Friday, Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers for their interference in the 2016 presidential election. The indictment describes, in great detail, the efforts Russia took to break into State election databases. We have all heard the public warnings of our intelligence community that Russia will attempt to attack our democracy again. Yet, instead of helping States protect and fortify their election infrastructure from cyber hacking, this bill would eliminate election security grants entirely. Additionally, numerous harmful policy riders strike at the heart of laws and rules that protect the air we breathe and the water we drink, threaten the survival of endangered species, attack a woman's right to choose, undermine democracy in the District of Columbia, and repeal important Dodd-Frank consumer protections. These bills represent a divisive, partisan approach that threatens to leave American communities more polluted and American families more vulnerable to financial predators. We must do better. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the ranking member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. (Ms. McCOLLUM asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)