Remarks

Before I get into my formal remarks, I would like to thank the distinguished chair, Ms. Roybal-Allard for her tremendous service to this body. I know her father was a valued Member of this House before she came here.

Madam Chair, you articulated the highlights and the differences of this bill. I think very well for our respected members, but personally thanks to you. There are bona fide differences, very strong differences of opinion, not only in this great committee but in our nation right now.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Before I start, I want to pause and thank the subcommittee chair, Ms. Roybal-Allard. Unfortunately, she has decided to retire at the end of this Congress. Lucille has been a tireless advocate for her constituents for more than three decades. I know I speak for all of us when I say that she will be missed. She always handled this extremely difficult Homeland Security Bill in a very fair way. I wish her the best in her next chapter.

Thank you, Madam Chair, for yielding.

First, I want to thank Chairman Bishop and Acting Ranking Member Harris for their work on this appropriations bill that funds the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. I also want to acknowledge the committee staff for their efforts.

While this bill funds many important programs, it is based on a funding level that passed the House without Republican support. In addition to concerns about spending, I have a few examples of problematic provisions that must be addressed as this particular bill moves through the process.

Thank you, Chair DeLauro. I want to thank you and Ranking Member Granger for your leadership in moving this process forward. I also appreciate the hard work of Chairman Bishop in crafting the fiscal year 2023 Agriculture Appropriations Bill that is before us today.

There are a number of programs and provisions in this bill that I support, such as funding for rural broadband programs, rural electrification and telecommunication loan programs, critical research programs, and protections to ensure we have safe food, drugs, and medical devices.

Thank you, Madam Chair, for yielding. First, I want to thank the chair and ranking member for their work on fiscal year 2023 appropriations for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. I also want to acknowledge the committee staff who have worked on this bill.

Unfortunately, just like the other markups before this one, this bill is based on a funding level that passed the House without Republican support. In addition, we disagree with several policy provisions that were both dropped from, and added to, this particular bill.

Good afternoon. Thank you for recognizing me, Madam Chair.

I am pleased we are considering the FY23 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill today.

Even though I would have done some things differently, this is a good bill. My chair, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, deserves credit for her great hard work and I am happy to work with her.

I hope we can agree on a framework, which must take into account the PACT Act that will be considered in the House soon. We need an agreement to allow us to resolve our differences and finalize the FY23 bills in a timely manner.

Thank you, my good friend, Mr. Diaz-Balart, for having us think about what's happening right now. We all work together and develop these bills that are so important, but we also work together as family. So thank you for that recognition. I know we're thinking about Chairman Price.

this bill is important because it has programs that will keep our roads and airways safe and invest in critical assets like ports, airports, and highways. It's a very important bill.

I want to thank the chair for yielding and for her work on the fiscal year 2023 bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.

I also want to recognize the ranking member of this subcommittee, Tom Cole. He serves as the vice ranking member for the Republicans on our committee. I truly value your advice and your expertise.