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Madam Chair, thank you for yielding.
The revised spending allocations presented today contain only technical corrections to the initial allocations, which were adopted on a party-line vote two weeks ago.
Because there are no substantive changes from the initial allocations, I must once again oppose them.
They do not change the topline spending levels for any of the subcommittee bills – even though Members on my side of the aisle have consistently asked for bipartisan cooperation on funding levels.
These spending levels continue to short-change our national defense, while providing huge increases to domestic programs. Non-defense spending would increase by nearly 17% overall, and some agencies would receive unprecedented 30-40% increases above fiscal year 2021.
Underfunding our national defense while giving such extreme increases to domestic programs is unacceptable to Members on my side of the aisle.
Thank you, Madam Chair, for yielding.
First, I want to thank Chairman Price and Ranking Member Diaz-Balart for their work on this Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill.
This bill supports key transportation infrastructure and safety programs, including highways, rail, and ports.
The funding provided for airport infrastructure and air traffic control will be critical for the aviation industry as it recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
It is time for our investments in the F.A.A. to provide real benefits to the traveling public, so I am pleased to see that this legislation includes programs that move air traffic modernization forward.
Many of the housing programs in this bill provide a critical safety net to working families, the elderly, and the disabled.
Thank you, Madam Chair, for yielding.
First, I want to recognize Chairwoman Kaptur and Ranking Member Simpson for their work on putting this Energy and Water Development bill together.
As a result of their work, this bill addresses the priorities of Members on both sides of the aisle and does many good things for the American people.
In particular, I appreciate that the bill continues significant funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for navigation and flood control projects that are so important to our economy and public safety.
Unfortunately, just like with the other bills the committee has considered, this bill is based on a funding framework that lacks bipartisan support.
I am also concerned that the funding decisions in this bill could leave us vulnerable to countries that do not have our best interest at heart.
Thank you, Madam Chair, for yielding.
Chairman Cartwright and Ranking Member Aderholt, thank you for your work on this Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill.
I know both of you have worked together to address priorities of Members on both sides of the aisle.
Unfortunately, this year's bill is overshadowed by partisan politics and unbalanced spending priorities.
The difference of opinion on both issues could slow down our appropriations process this year, leaving us vulnerable at a time when we know our nation is facing increasing threats.
Instead of prioritizing these security challenges, this bill focuses on funding new, overlapping, and potentially duplicative programs that may not even be useful for our local communities.
