Remarks

I would like to thank Chairman Ryan for presenting this bill today that provides funds for the operations of the Legislative Branch for fiscal year 2021.

I appreciate the work you and the Ranking Member have done to address critical issues that affect the Congress.

This bill recognizes the important, bipartisan work of the House Select Committee on Modernization by establishing a new account to begin implementing recommendations to make Congress more effective, efficient, and transparent on behalf of the American people.

This bill funds priorities of the Architect of the Capitol in order to support the Capitol's aging infrastructure and promote the safety and health of employees and visitors.

I would like to thank the Chairwoman for presenting the fiscal year 2021 Homeland Security appropriations bill. I would also like to recognize Ranking Member Fleischmann for his leadership on the subcommittee.

All of our states and communities are experiencing a public health crisis, and the Department of Homeland Security is one of the agencies on the front lines. The Department has demonstrated over and over again how important it is that they have the resources to protect our nation from threats.

This Department has many important functions:

• Protecting our country from criminal organizations engaged in trafficking and smuggling,
• Preventing disruptions of our computer networks,
• Ensuring secure air travel, and
• Enforcing immigration and customs laws.

That is why I am particularly concerned about some of the choices made in this bill.

I want to thank Chair Mccollum for presenting the fiscal year 2021 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill today.

I also want to thank the Ranking Member, Mr. Joyce, for his leadership on this subcommittee.

I appreciate the work you've done on many important programs supported by the Interior bill.

This bill funds priorities and concerns of Members on both sides of the aisle and does many good things for the preservation of our natural resources.

For example, the bill prioritizes funding to maintain our national parks and support efforts to stop the trafficking of endangered species.

In addition, the bill helps local communities across the country with education and safety needs, particularly in Indian country.

Even though the bill funds many shared priorities, there are several policy items that raise concern.

Madam Chair, thank you for presenting the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill today.

I appreciate the work that you and Ranking Member Carter have done this year.

You have addressed many critical issues that affect military installations and our nation's veterans. You have reached across the aisle to fund many projects important to our Members.

This bill funds the military construction priorities that were requested by the Department of Defense, and it helps improve family housing for the military.

This bill also ensures our nation's veterans are given the care they deserve and makes certain our veterans have a dignified final resting place, whether that is here on our own soil or overseas.

Unfortunately, we are only on our first day of markups, and I already have concerns about our path forward.

I want to thank Chairman Bishop for presenting the fiscal year 2021 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies appropriations bill.

I also want to recognize the work of the Ranking Member of the subcommittee, Mr. Fortenberry.

This bill funds priorities and concerns of Members on both sides of the aisle, and the programs supported have a direct impact on all Americans, every day.

The coronavirus pandemic has shown us the importance of programs funded by this subcommittee.

Support is continued for our farmers and ranchers, which is a lifeline for them during this crisis after many years of economic challenges.

Madam Chair, thank you for yielding.

Before I begin my remarks about the State-Foreign Operations bill, I want to take a moment to recognize you, Mrs. Lowey, as you begin your last appropriations season.

Nita and I took turns as chair and ranking member of this subcommittee, and we accomplished many things, even though we had policy disagreements.

At the beginning, many people questioned how the Jewish grandmother from New York and the Methodist grandmother from Texas could work together. Then, several years later, we were named to InStyle magazine's "Badass 50." That tells you everything you need to know about our relationship.

We worked together on critical issues in global health, including combating HIV/AIDS and malaria, and supporting life-saving maternal and child health programs.