Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer).

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chairwoman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan), a sponsor of one of the amendments included in the en bloc.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chairwoman, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise in support of this excellent amendment. The health and safety of our troops in the surrounding communities is paramount. We need to ensure basic projects, like fire stations, are funded properly, just as training ranges, barracks, hospitals, and schools are. I look forward to working with the gentleman in future budget submissions, and I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chairwoman, the amendments included in the en bloc were made in order by the rule and have been agreed to by the ranking member, Judge Carter and I, and I support the amendment and urge its adoption. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 445, I offer amendments en bloc.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, we have recognized that there is a lack of available overnight bed space for mental health patients at VA facilities, and this is a huge issue that the VA is facing. In fact, we did provide an additional $20 million within the medical facilities account in the base bill as an effort to begin to address this dire need. This amendment will add an additional, vital $5 million to expand VA facilities and provide additional bed space for veterans requiring overnight mental healthcare. We can never do too much to provide mental healthcare for our veterans. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I congratulate the gentleman on his leadership on this issue.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I do fully support Strengthening Buy-American Preferences for Infrastructure Projects. That language is already included in this legislation, and I appreciate the gentleman underscoring the importance of our commitment to buy-American policies. I urge all my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I appreciate the gentleman from Michigan for bringing attention to this important issue. We can all agree that we want to let veterans choose the best prosthetics provider for his or her needs. As you know, we included report language expressing concern on this issue, but I do agree that more needs to be done. We want the best care for our veterans, and we need to find a way forward to determine the appropriate next steps. We should work with the authorizers and the VA to thoughtfully work on this issue to find the best solution for veterans needing artificial limbs. I commit to working with the gentleman on this issue. We are not quite ready to make a decision on the best approach to this as we move towards conference. I thank the gentleman for his willingness to withdraw the amendment.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer), who has been a passionate advocate standing up for members of the Armed Forces as well as the veterans of this country in his district.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I claim the time to speak on the amendment, although I do not oppose the amendment.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I claim the time to speak on the amendment, although I do not oppose it.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I rise to point out that DOD has testified that it has excess facilities and needs a way to deal with that excess. Mr. Chair, the underlying bill does not include any funds to initiate a BRAC round, and I have no objection to the amendment. I appreciate the gentleman calling attention to the economic impact of BRAC rounds, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Jacksonville, Florida (Mr. Rutherford).

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from southwest Florida (Mr. Rooney), who represents the great counties of Collier and Lee.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to protect the coastlines of Florida from the scourge of offshore oil drilling. I am proud to say that this amendment, as we will see this morning from my colleagues' comments, has strong bipartisan support from our colleagues in the Florida delegation. When it comes to the idea of turning our beaches into a fossil fuel industrial zone, there is no divergence between Democrats and Republicans in Florida. We stand united to prevent drilling off of our cherished coasts. Florida's famous beaches are central to our $65 billion a year tourism industry. Our hotels, fishermen, and recreation industries depend on clean coastal waters, and the still recovering Florida Bay cannot afford an oil spill. Every time I speak about this issue, I make sure to mention the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Apparently, the current administration has already forgotten what happened to us 9 years ago. At its worst, the spill leaked more than 60,000 barrels of oil a day. Eighty-seven days went by while crude gushed into the ocean nearly unchecked. By its end, millions of barrels of crude oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico. This devastated the entire Gulf ecosystem. Thousands of protected species were harmed by oil slicks and dead zones. Coral reefs between Alabama and Florida were decimated and suffocated by oil, and hydrocarbons were found on hundreds of miles of beaches around the Gulf. This environmental impact also left a human toll. The accident caused the deaths of 11 rig workers. The spill left 12,000 people unemployed and decimated local economies which rely on fishing and marine recreation. Now is not the time to expand more areas to fossil fuel extraction. We must be doing everything possible to transition to a clean energy economy. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crist), my friend and the former Governor of our great State.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, if I might inquire how much time I have remaining.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, before I yield the remaining time to Mr. Rutherford from Jacksonville, I include in the Record this letter from the Florida delegation opposing offshore oil drilling that was sent to Secretary Bernhardt. Congress of the United States, Washington, DC, February 28, 2019. Re Protect Florida's Coasts from Oil and Gas Drilling. David Bernhardt, Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC. Dear Acting Interior Secretary Bernhardt: We write to urge you to protect the coasts of Florida from oil and gas development. As you know, last year, former Interior Secretary Zinke announced that Florida would be exempt from any offshore drilling plans. However, we remain concerned that no formal action has been taken to prohibit drilling off Florida's coasts. Florida's natural resources and economy, as well as the military mission as expressed by the Department of Defense, cannot bear the risk and devastating impacts of offshore drilling. We urge you to take formal action to exempt drilling off Florida's coast from the five year plan for oil and gas lease sales. Florida's economic well-being is dependent upon our state's fragile and treasured coasts. Clean coasts and healthy oceans are the fundamental underpinning of jobs and revenue in our communities. Florida's coastal communities thrive in concert with a healthy marine environment. Views littered with drilling platforms, industrialization of coastline and oil on our beaches spell disaster for Florida's economy and our neighbors who rely on tourism, fishing and related business. We saw, firsthand, the destruction offshore drilling can have on ocean health, coastlines, and tourism in 2010 during the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Tourism dropped across the state, including areas that were unaffected by the rig explosion. Even without a blowout, offshore oil rigs dump tons of drilling muds, fluids, and metal cuttings--including toxic metals and carcinogens--into the ocean, and pose a threat to human health, marine ecosystems, and wildlife. While there are ample environmental and economic reasons to prohibit drilling off Florida's coasts, our national security and military readiness also require keeping the rigs away from Florida. The eastern Gulf of Mexico is a critical training area for our military and the Department of Defense has stated clearly that the area is an ``irreplaceable national asset'' for combat force readiness. Any oil and gas development would be an obstacle to military preparedness and national security. Finally, the people of Florida are also clearly opposed to oil and gas development off our coast. A constitutional amendment on Florida's November 2018 ballot to ban offshore drilling in state waters passed overwhelmingly. Here is objective proof that Floridians recognize that the state's economy depends on a pristine environment, and that offshore drilling threatens Florida's future. Florida relies on coastlines unencumbered by oil and gas drilling to sustain its economy, preserve its natural resources, and protect our nation's military. We urge you to exempt Florida's coasts from any offshore drilling plans. We must preserve and protect Florida's future. Sincerely, Kathy Castor, Member of Congress; Frederica S. Wilson, Member of Congress; Donna E. Shalala, Member of Congress; Bill Posey, Member of Congress; Francis Rooney, Member of Congress; Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Member of Congress; Charlie Crist, Member of Congress; Matt Gaetz, Member of Congress; Ted S. Yoho, D.V.M., Member of Congress; Alcee L. Hastings, Member of Congress; Gus M. Bilirakis, Member of Congress; Brian J. Mast, Member of Congress; Stephanie Murphy, Member of Congress; Theodore E. Deutch, Member of Congress; Daniel Webster, Member of Congress; Mario Diaz-Balart, Member of Congress; Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Member of Congress; Al Lawson, Jr, Member of Congress; Lois Frankel, Member of Congress; Darren Soto, Member of Congress; Val Butler Demings, Member of Congress; John H. Rutherford, Member of Congress; Vern Buchanan, Member of Congress; W. Gregery Steube, Member of Congress; Neal P. Dunn, M.D., Member of Congress; Michael Waltz, Member of Congress; Ross Spano, Member of Congress.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I thank Chairwoman Lowey for yielding and for her hard work and leadership during this entire legislative process. The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies division of the bill highlights our continued commitment to our servicemembers and their families and to our veterans. Constructing the barracks, bases, and facilities that our military needs and ensuring safe, adequate housing for military families is crucial to our Nation's military readiness. Properly funding the Department of Veterans Affairs is how we deliver on the promise of medical care and other benefits that our veterans have earned through their service to our Nation. The Related Agencies division, including the American Battle Monuments Commission and Arlington National Cemetery, demonstrate to the world how we honor the contributions and sacrifice of those who served. That is why I am proud that this bill includes $108.4 billion in discretionary funding, $10.4 billion above the FY19 enacted level. For military construction, it provides $10.5 billion; and, for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the bill provides $94.3 billion in discretionary funding, a $7.7 billion increase above the FY19 enacted level and $1.3 billion above the FY20 budget request. The bill we are considering today makes smart investments in critical projects and programs that make a real difference in the lives of servicemembers, veterans, and their families. The bill includes an additional $140.8 million to address housing issues that have come up recently and have really festered for far too long, like mold, vermin, and lead, that really have devastated our military families and that must be corrected. This bill ensures there are the resources and the language in our report to ensure that the military makes sure that they are not leaving our military families to deal with the fallout over this disgusting situation on their own. It provides $2.3 billion in emergency funding to address hurricane damage in North Carolina and my home State of Florida. We have also put an additional $40 million toward energy resilience at our military bases and provided an additional $60 million to clean up PFOS and PFOA contamination at installations across the country. For the VA, the bill will improve the quality of veterans' healthcare by making significant investments in women veterans' health. I am proud to be the first woman in American history to chair this appropriations subcommittee, making sure that our women veterans actually know that they are veterans. And, in fact, I know it will come as a shock to most, as it was to me, that some women veterans don't even realize that, if they serve a couple of years, even if they didn't actually fight in a war zone or were deployed to a war zone, they are actually veterans, entitled to services at the VA. Carving out, for the first time, gender-specific funding to make sure that we can provide healthcare services to our women veterans, do the proper outreach, and make sure that we bring our women veterans into the VA system and take care of them as they took care of representing our country, is essential. The fastest rising group of veterans who are committing suicide are our women veterans, and we have to make sure that we are doing right by them. We have a ``whole health'' model that we have funded, mental healthcare and suicide prevention, homelessness assistance, rural health, and, of course, opioid abuse prevention. The bill also provides $1 billion for infrastructure improvements to ensure that the VA has modern, safe facilities to treat our veterans, as well as supporting continued implementation of the electronic health record and efforts to reduce the disability claims backlog. Madam Chair, I am very proud of what this bill does, but I am also proud of what it does not do. It does not fund a border wall, nor does it allow the President to go against clearly stated congressional intent and divert vital military construction funding from previously approved national security projects. There is a lot of talk, Madam Chair, about commitment to our military in this body. There should be no question that funds should not be taken from vital, previously requested and approved military projects that are absolutely a higher priority than any border wall. In fact, Congress agreed to that very point on a bipartisan basis earlier this year after the longest shutdown in our Nation's history. I will close by thanking all of my colleagues for their input on this bill. We are very proud, Judge Carter and I, that we were able to fund in our bill nearly all the bipartisan requests that we received. It made the bill better. Before I yield back, I do want to thank my ranking member, Judge Carter, and Ranking Member Granger and Chairwoman Lowey. We worked very well together on the issues facing our military and our veterans. While we may not always agree, I am proud to have Judge Carter as my partner. We have a lot of work left to do, and I appreciate the gentleman's insight into these issues. I would also like to thank the staff of both the subcommittee and our personal offices whose expertise and commitment to our servicemembers and our veterans is evident every day. I won't name them because I am out of time, but they know who they are. We appreciate them so much. Madam Chair, this is a good bill. I urge the Members' adoption of it.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I rise to support the en bloc amendment, which includes my amendment to protect Water Conservation Areas in the Everglades from oil wells. It is important to point out that as of last year, the Federal Government and the State of Florida had spent more than $3.7 billion to restore the Florida Everglades, the river grass. I am here to say, by offering this amendment, I want to ensure that we not roll back that progress. My amendment would ensure that avaricious oil companies who care for nothing but profit, cannot turn our famed river of grass into an industrial oil field. An investment company has applied to drill an oil well just west of the city of Miramar in Broward County, my home county, much of which I represent. Drilling an oil well in the middle of a Water Conservation Area that is 20,000 acres wide, between two canals, when you have 8 million people who rely, for their drinking water, on the aquifer beneath the Florida Everglades, is the definition of insanity. My amendment would ensure that the Army Corps of Engineers could not issue this heinous permit when it is applied for. We have, under the Federal and State Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, water managers who want to connect two conservation areas that are part of southern Florida's hydrological system. A lawsuit that is pending in Federal court argues that drilling violates the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, and I agree, and this amendment would ensure that the Army Corps must deny the permit.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, in the beginning of the 116th Congress, we elected more than 80 new Members; and so, in order to welcome you to the 116th Congress, the women of the Congressional Women's Softball team want to make sure that everyone knows that the game is finally here. The 11th Annual Congressional Women's Softball Game is tomorrow night at 7 p.m. It is at Watkins Recreation Center, 420 12th Street, Southeast. The reason I refer to the 80-plus new Members is that many of you may not know that we began playing this game 11 years ago, after I made an announcement, a public announcement that I had been through breast cancer at 41 years old. I was diagnosed, at 41 after doing a self-exam in the shower. One day I was the picture of health; the next day I was a cancer patient. And, subsequently found that I was also BRCA2 positive, meaning that I had a genetic mutation that made it infinitely more likely that I would have a recurrence, and that I would very likely get ovarian cancer at some point. So, after a year, 15 months really, of hell, and seven surgeries, not sharing it until I was all the way through the other side, I shared my story. We introduced the EARLY Act, the Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act, which has been law since 2010, which is a law that now raises awareness in young women, an education and awareness campaign that has been funded every year with $5 million, to make sure that we can help young women be aware of their breast health. So many young women work for us on our staffs. We have a team that we play against, the common adversary of all of us, the press corps, the female press corps, and they generally are much younger. So, Madam Speaker, we raise money for the Young Survival Coalition at this game. It is an organization that helps young women who deal with the challenges that they face when they have breast cancer. We encourage you all to come out and cheer on Team Congress so we can beat the press and beat cancer. I am a founding cocaptain of the Congressional Women's Softball team. Jo Ann Emerson, our former Republican colleague, was my cocaptain. Martha Roby is one of our cocaptains this year and, unfortunately, ladies, the only Republican currently playing on the House side. So there is always next year. But I would like to turn over the podium, briefly, to my cocaptain, Martha Roby. I encourage everyone to wear pink, and come out and cheer on Team Congress tomorrow.