Nita Lowey

Mrs. LOWEY

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 yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute to close. Mr. Speaker, I would like to reiterate that the bill before us is insufficient to meet the needs of those living in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Months after hurricanes devastated the islands, hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans have died, and far too many people are living without basic necessities that all Americans should have. I include in the Record a letter from Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, which requests Medicaid assistance and 100 percent Federal costs for FEMA and Army Corps projects which are not included in the bill. Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, December 20, 2017. Hon. Thad Cochran, Chairman, Appropriations Committee, U.S. Senate, Washington,

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

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this epic failure of governing. Nearly 3 months into the fiscal year, the Republican majority is advancing its third temporary continuing resolution with no foreseeable path forward on enacting full-year appropriations and no evident urgency to address priorities that are critical to American families and communities. Completely preoccupied with showering tax breaks on corporations and the wealthiest Americans, the majority has failed to clear the extremely low bar of charting a course to keep the government open and meet deadlines they have set for themselves. In short, the Republican majority has made a complete mess of the very basics of governing. Now they want Democrats to bail them out by carrying a bill that neglects our priorities. This continuing resolution should include the bipartisan Dream Act, protecting from deportation young people who were brought to this country as small children and only know the United States as home. But this bill tells those facing deportation that their plight is not our concern. It should include a bipartisan reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program, providing long-term certainty for 9 million children and families who depend on the program. Instead, this bill tells children and families their medical needs are not our priority. It should include an agreement to raise caps for defense and nondefense spending with parity so that appropriators can get to work on a full-year spending package that keeps America secure and prosperous. Instead, the bill tries to make an end run around solely the defense cap by slipping in nearly $5 billion in new spending for the Pentagon. It should not clean up the mess the majority made triggering automatic reductions to Medicare because of their deficit-busting tax bill. The majority wants to pass this bill and go home for the holidays, somehow content with its performance on behalf of the Americans they represent. In every sense, this bill fails to live up to our responsibilities as legislators and as Representatives. Given these failures, I urge a ``no'' vote. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the ranking member of the Energy and Water Subcommittee.

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

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

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Ohio an additional 15 seconds.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), a member of the Appropriations Committee.

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 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 yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the ranking member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, once again, this is an epic failure of governing. How many more times will we have to pass a continuing resolution, which not only denies certainty to men and women in uniform and all Federal employees, but is an inefficient waste of taxpayer dollars? How many more times would the majority stumble from crisis to crisis, narrowly averting a shutdown? It is long past time that the majority work with Democrats to increase the budget caps and write full-year spending bills. The Appropriations Committee stands ready to do our job. I hope that Republican leadership finally does its job and agrees to permit reasonable spending bills that invest in America's future. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is extremely regrettable that we find ourselves here today. Democrats have said all year that there must be a deal to raise statutory budget caps in a manner that allows responsible investments in both defense and nondefense priorities, because both are critical to our continued safety, security, and prosperity. The majority failed to engage all year, choosing instead to pass partisan appropriation bills that can never be signed into law. More than 2 months ago, President Trump and Democratic congressional leaders struck an agreement to avoid a government shutdown and buy time for negotiations on new spending caps that would make it possible to enact a responsible, bipartisan full-year spending law. Precious little has been accomplished since then. Now here we are again with the majority asking support for a 2-week stopgap continuing resolution. So I ask the majority: What do you expect to accomplish in the next 2 weeks that we have been unable to accomplish in the last 2 months? I want to repeat that. I would really like to know what you expect to accomplish in the next 2 weeks, when we haven't been able to accomplish anything in the last 2 months. The rationale to support a short-term stopgap continuing resolution is that the parties are engaged in good faith negotiations to develop a responsible, bipartisan spending package; negotiations are on a positive trajectory and additional time is simply needed to seal a deal. Can anyone in this Chamber claim that this is the case today? The President continues to irresponsibly threaten a government shutdown and launch ad hominem attacks. Majority leadership is playing games with the contents of this and future continuing resolutions. Negotiations on new spending caps for defense and nondefense investments are stalled. The majority is grasping for excuses as to why they have failed to protect 700,000 young Americans from deportation, reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program, or move expeditiously on critical disaster assistance. Is there any evidence whatsoever that this majority intends to fulfill these vital responsibilities to the American people? Given these failures, I believe it is incumbent on Members of Congress to say enough is enough. The American people are sick of the games. They want results. It is time for the Republican leadership and President Trump to get serious, engage with Democrats. We stand ready and willing to help develop a framework for a responsible, bipartisan spending agreement and to negotiate the details of a full year's spending package. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the ranking member of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 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 yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the ranking member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

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

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