Nita Lowey

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As we wait for the additional speaker, I want to thank the chairman again. I think it is very important that we have been able to act so expeditiously in a bipartisan way to send a very strong message to Russia and to the people of Ukraine. The people of Ukraine, as was explained so eloquently by my colleague, Ms. Kaptur, who has been there many times, are standing up for freedom. There are many challenges they have, the challenge of adequate housing, the challenge of adequate food, the challenge of strengthening an economy; yet the fact that we must respond as our great democracy to a situation that has been imposed by Putin is very, very troubling, when there are so many real issues to which our resources can be extended. My grandparents came from Kiev a long time ago at the turn of the century. They escaped from the pogroms; they escaped from the lack of democracy and the impact of intolerance and brutality that existed there. When you look back upon these years and you look at the struggles that the Ukrainian people have endured, to see the unnecessary brutality that has occurred is unacceptable. Mr. Chairman, again, I want to thank you that we are working together in a bipartisan way to stand up for freedom, to stand up for democracy, to stand up for the people who are seeking a good future for their families. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of my constituent, Army Captain Clayton Carpenter of Cortlandt Manor, New York, who recently lost his life during a helicopter training incident. Captain Carpenter leaves behind a loving mother and father, and I extend my thoughts and prayers to them during this time of pain and grief. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Captain Carpenter flew Black Hawk helicopters in both Iraq and Afghanistan. A soldier dedicated to helping children, he even took time in the midst of the Iraq conflict to take photographs of the children's book figure Flat Stanley for use in classrooms in New York. Now, Congress must honor Captain Clayton and others who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and ensure our soldiers have the safest equipment possible for training and combat.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Congress' misguided rush towards austerity has hurt our economy, slashing critical investments that create jobs and make us more competitive. Discretionary spending, which represents only one-third of the budget, has borne a disproportionate share of cuts. The December budget agreement and this bill set us on a path to fulfilling our basic responsibility of annual spending bills. Chairman Rogers, I commend your leadership. It has been a delight working with you, and I too look forward to a holiday season where we won't be in constant contact. Thank you. It has been a pleasure. This bill makes key investments that will bolster job creation and economic growth. We should not have Federal furloughs again this year. Education, Head Start, new pre-K initiatives will help working families and restore teaching slots, and infrastructure investments will support construction jobs and safety upgrades. Other vital priorities fell short. It is incredibly disappointing this package doesn't restore unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed. In addition, I was very pleased that we received $1 billion more than last year for biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, but it is still funded below the 2012 level, forcing scientists to shelve promising research. By not authorizing a change to the quota for IMF, the International Monetary Fund, we neglect the United States' vital role in the global economy. It is an important tool to promote international financial stability and support U.S. jobs, exports and markets. This is not the bill that I would have written, but it is the result of a negotiation that required significant compromise and protected the appropriations process from political warfare by dropping most of the new contentious riders. Finally, I would like to praise the tireless work of David Pomerantz and all of the appropriations staff on both sides of the aisle. This bill was a huge undertaking, possible only with the hard work of such dedicated staff, including one of our longtime professionals who will soon be leaving the committee. On behalf of the entire Appropriations Committee, I thank David Reich for his 30 years of service to the House and 17 years of exceptional contributions to the full Appropriations Committee, the Labor-H and other subcommittees. Thank you, and we wish you Godspeed. Good luck. Now, at this time, before I close, I also want to recognize Trudi Terry, the Chief Clerk of Debates. As I understand it, unfortunately, she will be retiring and go on to other things, and we thank you for your service to the House. Now, in conclusion, I wish we had completed this process last October, when this fiscal year actually started, but better late than never. The President's budget will likely arrive late, given Congress' tardiness in completing our work for fiscal year 2014, but I do hope that the bipartisan spirit with which the omnibus agreement has been reached will be preserved in the cycle to come. I will support this omnibus and work in the coming year to address its shortcomings. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), the ranking member of the Defense Subcommittee.

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

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), the ranking member of the Interior Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), the ranking member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee.

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

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the ranking member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mrs. LOWEY. I yield 10 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Mrs. LOWEY. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, in closing this debate, I want to use the opportunity again to thank the chairman, Mr. Rogers, to thank Senator Mikulski and Senator Shelby on the other side of the aisle. It really has been a pleasure for me to work with Chairman Rogers and all of the ranking members on both sides of the aisle to produce this bill that I think we can be very, very proud of. I also want to thank, again, the Appropriations staff on both sides of the aisle who are looking forward to a good night's sleep tonight. They have worked incredibly hard through the holidays; but because of them and because of the partnership, we are very proud to present this bill. As we look forward to 2015, we will have more time to consider the suggestions from all of our colleagues in working on this bill. I know that we will continue to invest in programs and projects that strengthen our economy and create jobs. Although we could not include it in this bill, I do hope that we will have the opportunity very, very soon to pass an extension of unemployment insurance. Madam Speaker, the great ranking member, Mr. Farr, has just returned. I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr).

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I would like to inquire as to how much time I have remaining?

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to thank again the distinguished Chairman Rogers and all the Appropriations Committee. I would like to say another word in following up with our ranking member, Mr. Farr. I too reentered government after I raised my children, and I ran the anti-poverty program in New York State. I felt so passionately that what most people want is a hand up, not a hand out. This is why the temporary extension of unemployment insurance is so important. Just this week, I met with a man, 52 years old, a licensed electrician. He said for the last 10 years he wanted to work every day, as he always did before, but he never worked a complete year because in my district, in Westchester and Rockland, there is 40 percent unemployment in the construction trades. So I would ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, let's pass this extension of unemployment insurance and make sure as we consider these bills next year we focus on investments, strengthen the economy, create jobs, and make sure that we give every person that opportunity to fulfill their dreams. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this clean, short-term continuing resolution to ensure uninterrupted government services while we finish the omnibus bill. Mr. Speaker, our work could not begin until passage of the Murray- Ryan budget agreement in December. The House and Senate budget resolutions were nearly $92 billion apart. We had already suffered an unnecessary government shutdown. The December budget agreement passed with bipartisan support, gave the Appropriations Committee a workable number, and allowed bipartisan, bicameral negotiations to occur, and we haven't wasted a moment. Our committee worked through the holidays to produce the fiscal year 2014 omnibus package. I am delighted to report that it contains all 12 spending bills and detailed direction in all areas of discretionary spending. Reaching agreement on all 12 bills was not easy and required a tremendous level of cooperation and compromise. Nobody got everything they wanted. Last night, Chairman Rogers and Chairwoman Mikulski released the text of the omnibus bill, and Members will now have 2 days to review the details before the House votes. Unfortunately, the current continuing resolution expires at midnight on Wednesday. To allow time for Senate consideration, we must now consider this short-term, interim CR extension. This clean 3-day CR will guarantee no lapse in funding while the legislative gears turn. It contains no policy provisions or other extraneous material. I support its quick passage. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, the budget deal is a breakthrough in a difficult budget year in a dysfunctional Congress. As with any compromise, there are elements I oppose; yet this agreement should help us do our jobs to the American people and end the shutdown standoffs. It provides some relief from the devastating impact of the sequester cuts on our economy and American families. Keeping sequestration in place through fiscal year 2014 would cost up to an estimated 1.6 million jobs. Now, the House and Senate must restore regular order to craft bills that instead create new jobs and protect important priorities like medical research, security and infrastructure upgrades, and early education. This agreement restores over 60 percent of the sequester on nondefense discretionary spending in 2014, restores those bills to roughly the FY 2013 enacted pre-sequester levels. It would hold defense funding levels roughly consistent with the 2013 level after sequester. The bill before us includes elements, frankly, I don't like and fails to address others it should. First, I am deeply upset that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle insisted on extending the 2 percent sequester on Medicare providers for an additional 2 years as part of the package's offsets. We should not extend their sequester burden. It is also unconscionable that the deal does not extend long-term unemployment benefits. Even with the progress our economy has made since the depths of the recession, there are still 1.3 million fewer jobs today than 6 years ago. Four million Americans have been looking for work for more than 6 months.

Mrs. LOWEY. More than 1.3 million of them will lose their benefits and, for some, the only income they have just 3 days after Christmas and 3 days before the new year. Today's bill will provide some economic certainty about fiscal policy over the next 2 years, which should boost growth and job creation. Because we cannot continue lurching from crisis to crisis, and despite my misgivings about the extension of Medicare provider cuts and failure to address long-term unemployment, I will vote ``yes.''

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of Gabriella Miller and her courage and the courage of her parents, but I oppose this hypocritical bill. I have spent my career fighting to ensure that our researchers have every resource to find lifesaving treatments and cures. This bill would do nothing to increase investments in medical research. It is unfathomable to me that those who championed the cuts of $1.55 billion to the NIH now try to authorize with no promise to fund. That cut of $1.55 billion led to a cut of $255 billion to the National Cancer Institute and $66 million to the Child Health Institute that funds pediatric research. My heart is with the family of Gabriella Miller and my dear friends who lost a little girl of about 6 years old from a childhood cancer, and I will never forget it. Let's work together to truly fund, to appropriate money, not pretend by authorizing. It is a nice thing to do, but we have to vote ``no'' on this cynical bill. I ask today that we join together to increase investments, to increase funding for pediatric research, not support cuts to the National Cancer Institute, cuts to the National Institutes of Health.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of my constituent, James Ferrari of Montrose, New York, one of the four individuals who lost their lives in Sunday morning's tragedy. Mr. Ferrari leaves behind a wife, a 20-year-old daughter, and extended family. My thoughts and prayers are with them during this time of pain and grief. For the last 10 years, Mr. Ferrari commuted 6 days a week into the city to his job as a building supervisor. He was a hardworking New Yorker, totally devoted to his family. His friend and neighbor told me that he did everything for his family. Now his wife, who is still in shock, and daughter are trying to put all the pieces of their lives together. Now Congress must do its part to honor all the crash victims by advancing solutions that prevent tragedies like this one from ever happening again.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituents and good friends Richard and Lee Laster on the occasion of his 90th birthday and their 65th wedding anniversary. The Lasters have called Chappaqua, New York, home for 50 years. Born in Vienna, Austria, Richard came to the United States in 1940. After graduating in 1944 from the Polytechnic Institute of New York, Richard began his long career with General Foods Corporation. He became President of the Maxwell House Coffee Division, Executive Vice President and a Director at General Foods. Following his retirement from General Foods, Richard helped build DNA Plant Technology Corporation and WellGen. Richard has also served on the Board of Directors of RiceTec, Inc., The Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation, Bowater Incorporated, The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, and Peptor Ltd. Richard has been a strong and committed community leader, generously sharing his wisdom and skills with a myriad of civic and educational organizations. These include serving as a Director of The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science, Trustee of Temple Beth El, Chairman of the Purchase College Foundation, Trustee of Polytechnic University, Chairman of the Westchester Education Coalition, a member and Deputy Supervisor of the New Castle Town Board, President of the Chappaqua School Board and Vice President of the United Way of Westchester. Richard and his beloved wife, Lee, are both Holocaust survivors. Their experiences in 1938 led to a deep and abiding commitment to fighting the evils of hatred and bigotry by teaching tolerance to young students. In 2011, the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center presented Richard and Lee with its Spirit of Humanity Award as recognition for Richard's 14 years as Chairman and Lee's longtime service as a board member. Lee has also volunteered on the board of The Chappaqua Orchestra. I am proud to recognize Lee and Richard Laster of Chappaqua, New York for their extraordinary contributions to our community and beyond. I wish them happiness on the double celebrations of their 65th wedding anniversary and his 90th birthday.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill. For more than 40 years, Bill Young served his district and this institution with integrity and honor after having served our country in the Army National Guard for nearly a decade. As chairman of the Appropriations Committee, his leadership and advocacy for our men and women in uniform and our veterans was unsurpassed. In a time when political culture too often devolves into hostility, and ``compromise'' is a dirty word, Bill Young was always a gentleman who consistently reached across the aisle. He would share with me his visits with his dear wife, Beverly, to wounded warriors to bring them comfort. How happy those visits made him. It was such a pleasure to serve with him, and he will be truly missed. Renaming this VA facility in his memory is a tribute to his legacy. You will be missed, my dear friend. Rest in peace, God bless you, and God bless America.