Remarks

Madam Chair, thank you for yielding.

I rise in opposition to the subcommittee allocations because they do not give a complete picture of all of the spending in these appropriations bills.

Instead of working with us to develop bills consistent with the budget agreement that was reached last year, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have unilaterally decided to include hundreds of billions of dollars in so-called "emergency" spending for things that really are not emergencies.

• Almost $200 billion dollars for infrastructure;
• Nearly $35 billion dollars to respond to the coronavirus on top of the trillions already appropriated; and
• $12.5 billion for veterans, even though it was known last year that these costs would rise.

In total, there is more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in additional deficit spending not included in these allocations.

Thank you, Chairman Quigley, for presenting the fiscal year 2021 Financial Services bill today.

I also want to recognize Ranking Member Graves since this will be his last subcommittee markup. I commend him for more than a decade of service to our nation and the people of North Georgia.

During Tom's time in Congress, he has served as the Chair or Ranking Member of two appropriations subcommittees, and he is currently serving as Vice-Chair of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.

We all know it's not easy to reform an institution like this, which is so set in its ways, but the leadership he and Chair Kilmer have demonstrated will have a lasting impact on the House's operations for years to come.

This has been a difficult year for the Graves family. Tom's son suffered very serious injuries in a cycling accident. Tom, I understand that John has made a near miraculous recovery.

Chairman Serrano, thank you for presenting the fiscal year 2021 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill today.

Before we begin, I want to recognize you, Mr. Chairman, since sadly this is the last subcommittee markup you will chair.

Mr. Serrano has served in the Congress for 30 years. During his time on the Appropriations Committee, he has been the Chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee and this subcommittee.

His willingness to listen to the concerns of Members of both parties from all parts of the country, as well as his great personality, will be missed.

I also want to thank the Ranking Member, Mr. Aderholt, for his leadership on our Committee and on this bill. He works hard and represents his district and the state well.

I also want to thank him for his leadership on space issues that are so important to our future.

I want to thank Chairman Price for presenting the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill today.

I would also like to thank my friend, Mario Diaz-Balart, the Ranking Member of this subcommittee.

The programs funded in this bill reach into all of our communities - creating more economic opportunity and improving the quality of life for the American people.

This bill continues key transportation infrastructure and safety programs, including highway, transit, and port funding - all very important to our economy.

The funding provided for airport infrastructure and air traffic modernization will be critical for the aviation industry as it recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

I thank Chairman Price for working with Ranking Member Diaz-Balart to include many of the priorities of Members on our side of the aisle.

Chairwoman Delauro, thank you for presenting the fiscal year 2021 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill today.

I also want to thank the Vice Ranking Member of the full committee, Mr. Cole. I appreciate his leadership on the Committee and on this subcommittee to try to find common ground on difficult issues.

As a result of your work together, this bill funds priorities and concerns of Members on both sides of the aisle and does many good things for the American people.

The bill continues to fund important programs that improve public health, and it sustains research into diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Funds are also included to defend the nation against biological threats.

Investments in education are essential for our country to remain competitive with the rest of the world, and I appreciate the funding this bill provides for this purpose.

Madam Chair, thank you for bringing forward the fiscal year 2021 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies appropriations bill today.

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

As a result of your 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 our nation's water resources infrastructure, such as navigation, flood control, and water storage and delivery projects.

Almost every congressional district across the country benefits in some way from the important work of the Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation.

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.