Nita Lowey

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, every year on January 12th we pause to remember the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010 and the 200,000 Haitians' lives claimed by the disaster. The United States has stood firmly with the people of Haiti as they have endeavored to recover and rebuild. As the Ranking Member of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, I remain deeply committed to the close relationship between our two countries and to economic development, democratic governance, and the promotion of human rights on the island. For these objectives to be achieved, the people of Haiti must have their voices heard through free, fair, and transparent elections. The current political impasse serves no one. Haiti's leaders and its people must work together to complete the electoral process and ensure a peaceful transfer of power next month. I am proud to represent many Haitian Americans in Rockland and Westchester Counties, and I will continue to work with my constituents on our shared goals of democracy, prosperity, and success for the Haitian people.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a tireless civil servant and a true American patriot, Ms. Barbara A. Bennett of Virginia. Barbara retired on December 31, 2015, after 45 years of Federal service. Most recently, Barbara served as Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Those of us who had the opportunity to work with her during her long career witnessed first-hand Barbara's vast knowledge of foreign affairs and international development, her understanding of the detailed legislative processes, her unparalleled passion for the institution of Congress, and her singular dedication to the mission of USAID in uplifting those around the world from extreme poverty. Arriving at USAID as a recent graduate of the College of Mary Washington in the fall of 1970, Barbara steadily rose through the ranks during her first 15 years at USAID while working on procurement, financial management, and management support in the Office of the Deputy Administrator. In 1985, Barbara came to Capitol Hill to work for my former colleague David Obey (D-WI) during his tenure as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on State-Foreign Operations. In 1988, Barbara returned to USAID and joined the Bureau for Legislative Affairs, where she served for 27 years prior to her retirement as Office Director. Barbara has left an indelible impression on both the programmatic and management realms of USAID as well as the broader foreign affairs interagency collaborative process. Barbara's hard work is evident in the Agency's adoption of innovative approaches to development financing, increased global health investments, efforts to combat international tuberculosis, implementation of the President's Malaria Initiative, and the establishment of an HIV/AIDS Working Capital Fund. These are just some of the higher-profile issues to which Ms. Bennett contributed considerable experience and expertise. Barbara's efforts have not only benefited recipients of USAID's investments abroad, but generations of our Nation's international development leaders have profited from her guidance and mentorship. I urge my colleagues to join me in commending Barbara for her service as she pursues new opportunities in this new year.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank Reverend Nathaniel ``Nate'' Demosthene of Nyack, New York, for offering today's opening prayer. A graduate of Spring Valley High School and of Yale University, Pastor Nate teaches in the East Ramapo Central School District and at Rockland Community College. For the last 5 years, he has led First Timothy Christian Church, which, under his guidance, has been a source of support for Haitian Americans in our community following the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Together we will continue to work toward our shared goals of democracy, prosperity, and success for the Haitian people. Again I thank Pastor Nate for his excellent work and for being here today.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano), the ranking member of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee of Appropriations. (Mr. SERRANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), the distinguished ranking member of the Agricultural, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, and representative of the Peace Corps.

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

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First, I also wish to join my chairman in mourning the loss of one of our majority committee staffers, Chuck Turner, who died earlier this month. Chuck's passing is a true loss for our committee. In the final hours of session for this year, we may finally be concluding this year's appropriations process. It hasn't been an easy year, but I do want to thank Chairman Rogers, my partner in this effort, and the staff for their hard work to put together spending bills following the 2-years budget agreement. I am disappointed, however, that the majority attached a repeal of the oil export ban to this omnibus spending bill. Such a major policy change should not be added at the last minute on a must-pass bill to keep government open. It is especially disappointing that we could lift the oil export ban in this bill and, yet, we don't address the urgent bankruptcy crisis facing Puerto Rico. It remains a priority to me and my Democratic colleagues, and we must continue all efforts to reach an agreement as soon as possible. I am pleased that this bill drops more than 150 extraneous policy provisions, many of which would have caused a White House veto. Gone are dozens of attacks on women's health, labor protections, consumer financial protection, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act. I was, however, disappointed that we were unable to reverse a 19- year-old prohibition on Federal funding for the research of gun violence. It should have been removed from the Labor-HHS appropriations bill years ago. The budget agreement enacted in November provided additional funding, allowing us to make critical investments, reflecting Democratic values. Major increases have been made to the National Institutes of Health, Head Start, energy research, infrastructure investments through the Army Corps of Engineers, COPS hiring, nutrition funding, and many more important priorities. We were also able to prevent steep cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency, another agency frequently targeted by some in the House majority. Also of great importance, the omnibus package carries the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund to ensure we care for those who responded bravely on that tragic day and are now sick as a result. I appreciate the bipartisan efforts of all those involved to make sure this legislation was included. In addition, on the State and Foreign Operations division of this bill, while there are many provisions that I do support, I am frustrated by the punitive cut of $2.5 million to UNFPA and the continued attack on women's health. I am pleased that this bill sustains our commitment to embassy and diplomatic security and continues the unwavering support and robust funding for our close allies and partners, Israel and Jordan. We also reaffirm our commitment to basic education and investments in global health, including PEPFAR, the Global Fund, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, nutrition, maternal and child health, as well as programs to combat tuberculosis, malaria, and pandemic threats. In closing, I would have to call this package a mixed bag. While it fails to address several key priorities and wrongly includes a giveaway to the oil industry, it advances important investments that make our communities safer, improves access for early childhood education and child care, increases funding for K-12 education and Pell grants, and invests in job creation by supporting biomedical research and small businesses. Our country will be stronger as a result of these investments. I support this compromise legislation. I also, in closing, want to thank the staff. The staff has worked day and night to put this bill together, including David Pomerantz, Lesley Turner, and the entire minority appropriations staff; Will Smith and Jim Kulikowski on the majority staff; and Dick Meltzer on the leader's staff. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) for a unanimous consent request. (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 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. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard) the ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee.

Mrs. LOWEY. I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman.

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the ranking member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), ranking member of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Honda), the acting ranking minority member of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time is remaining.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as we close this debate, I want to extend my appreciation, again, to Chairman Rogers, his staff, my able staff, and my chairman, Kay Granger. It has really been a pleasure working together to produce this bill. Mr. Speaker, as we close this session, I just want to reiterate the message that Chairman Rogers has been sharing with us on the committee and here on the floor of the House: it is time for regular order. We should deal with each of the 12 bills independently and bring them to the floor for a vote. Although there has been a lot of negotiation and a lot of compromise working on this omnibus bill, I am very proud of the product that we produce. Whether it is funding the National Institutes of Health or education or Head Start or taking care of our veterans or in this very, very difficult time where we have challenges all over the world, I close my comments to tell Chairman Rogers what a pleasure it is to work with him and to complete this bill, which I know--I know--will have an important impact on our families, our veterans, and all those who serve in the military with such distinction. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time is remaining.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished whip.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. For the second time in a week, I rise in half-hearted support for the continuing resolution before us. This is the third time the Republican majority has brought us to the brink of a shutdown in just the past 11 weeks. It has been over 2\1/2\ months since we passed a bipartisan 2- year budget agreement that set guidelines for appropriations. We should have final bills signed into law by now. There are no excuses for these constant delays. Unfortunately, Republicans' insistence on including dangerous, harmful policies in spending bills that would restrict women's reproductive health decisions, harm the environment, and roll back consumer protections, just to name a few, delayed the ability of Congress to come to a fair, bipartisan agreement on time. However, we did know throughout this process that Republicans would need Democratic votes to pass the omnibus. That is why I am pleased to say we were able to get rid of more than 150 poison pill riders, including those related to women's health, labor, such as efforts to block the fiduciary rule and the joint employer rule, consumer financial protection, clean air and water--all gone. However, I was disappointed we were unable to reverse a 19-year-old prohibition on Federal funding for the research of gun violence. The budget agreement enacted in November provided additional funding, allowing us to make critical investments, reflecting Democratic values. There are some large increases to the National Institutes of Health and the Army Corps of Engineers, for example, Head Start, energy research, COPS hiring, nutrition funding, and so much more. We also prevented further cuts to the EPA and other agencies routinely targeted by Republicans. I am disappointed that the omnibus does not deal adequately with Puerto Rico's crisis. It does carry the 9/11 health and compensation fund. The omnibus carries some tax matters, including the Cadillac tax and solar and wind tax credits. In all, the package is a mixed bag. Each Member will have to read the details for him- or herself. While I will vote to keep the government open today, Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve a Congress that does its job on time and puts the interests of hardworking families ahead of special interests. 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 half-hearted support of the continuing resolution before us. While it saves hardworking Americans and our economy from a disastrous government shutdown, it reflects a failure of Congress to carry out one of our most basic constitutional responsibilities. It has been 2\1/2\ months since the beginning of fiscal year 2016 and 6 weeks since we passed a bipartisan, 2-year budget agreement to set the guidelines for appropriations. There is no good reason we should not have passed spending bills by now to keep the government operating for the 2016 fiscal year. The bill before us today should be bipartisan legislation that makes crucial investments in biomedical research, job training, and national security. The bill before us today should provide relief from harmful sequester caps that are hurting economic growth and families' pocketbooks. Instead, Republicans' insistence on including dangerous, harmful policies in the spending bills has halted progress. Since the budget agreement, terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino have brought to bear the need for improved security and closure in lax gun safety laws. Yet the majority wants to continue to deny even basic research on causes of gun violence at the Centers for Disease Control, not to mention we should be acting immediately to stop the legal purchase of guns by those on terrorist watch lists, an amendment I have introduced four times in 5 years that has been defeated every time in committee. The process has stalled because Republicans insist on demonizing legal, women's reproductive health decisions, even putting women's jobs at risk if their employers do not agree with their health choices. And finally, 2015 is on track to be the hottest year on record, with droughts leading to hunger and wildfires, and rising sea levels threatening to wipe away island nations. Yet Republicans demand measures that harm the environment, put the health and safety of Americans, their children, and the entire planet at risk. I hope my colleagues will work together in the coming 5 days to agree on appropriations bills that invest in biomedical research, education, infrastructure, job training, and a strong national defense. Together, we can provide opportunities for hardworking families and build a 21st century workforce and a secure America. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, Federal law prohibits nine categories of dangerous individuals from purchasing a firearm. This includes convicted felons, domestic abusers, and the seriously mentally ill. Yet, while we prevent those on the terrorist watch list from boarding planes, they are welcome in gun stores. The Government Accountability Office found that between 2004 and 2014, individuals on terrorist watch lists tried to purchase guns or explosives 2,233 times. Of those attempts, 2,043, an astounding 91 percent, were approved. Terrorists are knowingly exploiting this gap. In fact, in 2011, Adam Gadahn, an American-born member of al Qaeda, issued a video urging violent followers to exploit weaknesses in U.S. gun laws. Adam Gadahn was not alone. In 2009, Daniel Patrick Boyd was arrested and charged with conspiring to murder U.S. military personnel at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia. Boyd, who was under investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, had amassed an arsenal of assault rifles and had even traveled to the Middle East to meet with militants to plan future attacks. It is impossible to hear these facts and not think of the recent horrific attacks in Paris. France has extremely strict gun laws, so it is likely that the terrorists in question turned to black market sources for the weapons they used. But here in the United States, suspects on the terrorist watch list can legally purchase firearms. It simply doesn't make any sense at all. That is why I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 1076, the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act. This bill, along with an amendment that I have introduced in the Appropriations Committee, would give the U.S. Attorney General the authority to block suspects on the terrorist watch list from purchasing firearms. Given the repeated mass shootings in the United States and the ongoing threat of terrorism, it is hard to believe that four times, Republicans on the Appropriations Committee have said no to closing this dangerous loophole. In 2011, I introduced my amendment. It was rejected. In 2013, I tried again. It was rejected. Again, in 2014, rejected. Even this year, in 2015, with the tremendous threats we face as a Nation, my amendment was rejected for the fourth time. Even NRA members agree we should pass this commonsense measure. A 2012 poll found that 76 percent of gun owners, including 71 percent of NRA members, support prohibiting people on terrorist watch lists from purchasing guns. Yet, the NRA's stranglehold on the majority in Congress has prevented my amendment from passing and the bipartisan stand-alone bill from even being considered. The time has long since come for us to cross the aisle and work together to make our country safer. Let's close this glaring loophole immediately and arm our law enforcement with the ability to deny gun sales to suspected terrorists.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the DeSaulnier-Lowey- Garamendi amendment. At the outset, I want to thank my friend, the distinguished chairman, for your wisdom in supporting this very important amendment. This year derailments in North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia endangered lives, destroyed homes, and jeopardized waterways. We must protect those who live near America's extensive rails, including my constituents in Rockland County, New York, where every week as many as 30 trains carry highly volatile Bakken crude oil past homes, schools, and businesses. In 2013, a freight train pulling 99 oil tanker cars collided with a truck in West Nyack, averting disaster because the cars were empty. This was not an isolated incident. Vehicles are frequently struck on train tracks that carry crude oil. Just last month a freight train collided with a car in Congers. We cannot afford to risk a ``next time.'' We need scientific information to determine what volatility levels of crude oil can be safely shipped, which would be provided if this amendment passed, to protect those living near railways from the dangers associated with a crude oil derailment. I urge support of this amendment. I thank my colleague, Mr. DeSaulnier, and our chair again. It looks like we are going to see some important action on this very critical issue.