Remarks
WASHINGTON – Today, top Appropriations Committee Republican Kay Granger (R-TX) delivered the following remarks on H.R. 3401, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act.
Madam Speaker, I claim such time as I may consume.
Almost two months ago, the Administration sounded the alarm about the crisis at our southwest border and told the Congress additional funds were needed.
Unfortunately, this border supplemental appropriations bill, H.R. 3401, falls short and will only further delay addressing the problem. I oppose the bill in its current form.
Hundreds of thousands of people have arrived at the border this year. Some are coming through points of entry, but many are crossing through the desert or the Rio Grande.
Today, top Appropriations Committee Republican Kay Granger (R-TX) delivered the following remarks on H.R. 3351, Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act.
Mr. Graves, thank you for yielding.
I appreciate the work that you and Chairman Quigley have done to craft the Financial Services and General Government bill for fiscal year 2020.
The bill includes many priorities of Members on both sides of the aisle, such as support for small businesses, drug control programs, and the Treasury Department's counterterrorism and financial intelligence efforts.
However, I am concerned that there are several controversial items in the bill regarding immigration policy, the border wall, collective bargaining, and many other provisions that will tie this Administration's hands.
Regarding the District of Columbia, this bill fails to provide appropriate oversight.
WASHINGTON – Today, top Appropriations Committee Republican Kay Granger (R-TX) delivered the following remarks on H.R. 3055, a five-bill appropriations package.
Mister Chairman, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3055.
Unfortunately, this appropriations bill and the bill that just passed the House are written to an unrealistic topline funding number - $176 billion above current budget caps.
We still do not have consensus on a budget agreement for fiscal year 2020, which could lead to sequestration, resulting in devastating cuts to our military.
Moving this second appropriations package today as-is is another wasted opportunity.
The funding levels are far from what the President has requested and will support. Total discretionary funding in this bill is nearly 10 percent above fiscal year 2019.
WASHINGTON – Today, top Appropriations Committee Republican Kay Granger (R-TX) delivered the following remarks on H.R. 2740, a four-bill appropriations package.
Mister Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2740.
The Appropriations Committee has held more than 120 hearings this year on topics ranging from our nation's defense priorities to the crisis of unaccompanied children coming to the southern border.
We have now marked up all twelve of the bills in Subcommittee and Full Committee.
Unfortunately, each bill brought before the Committee was written to an unrealistic topline funding number - $176 billion above current budget caps.
We still do not have consensus on a budget agreement for fiscal year 2020, which could lead to sequestration, resulting in devastating cuts to our military.
WASHINGTON – Today, top Appropriations Committee Republican Kay Granger (R-TX) delivered the following remarks on H.R. 2157, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019.
Madam Speaker, I rise today on H.R. 2157, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019.
This bill is similar to the disaster supplemental that passed the House in January. We have been waiting for the Senate to act on their version of the supplemental for several months.
During the four months since the House passed a bill, additional areas have been affected by natural disasters.
We know that the need is great, but taking up a disaster bill for the second time without addressing the Administration's concerns unfortunately will not increase its chance of becoming law.
There is a lot to praise in this bill. It will provide critical resources to communities struggling to recover from hurricanes, wildfires, flooding and tornadoes.
House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Kay Granger gave the following opening statement during the Committee's hearing on the Administration's Unaccompanied Children Program:
"I would like to thank Chairwoman Delauro and Ranking Member Cole, who also serves as the Vice Ranking Member for the Full Committee, for holding this hearing today.
"The treatment of children entering our country unaccompanied by an adult is one that concerns all of us.
"I have been engaged on this issue since 2014 when our country experienced an unprecedented surge in the number of unaccompanied children, mostly teenagers, coming across our southern border.
"At the time, I was Chair of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, and the Speaker of the House asked me to lead a congressional task force to identify the root causes of the problem and recommend solutions.
