Granger Remarks on Financial Services and General Government Bill

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. 

It is disappointing that the bill does not include a long-standing pro-life provision regarding the use of D.C. local funds. 

I am also troubled that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle rejected an amendment offered in Committee by Dr. Harris, which would prevent the District of Columbia from legalizing solicitation of prostitution or profiting from the sex work of others. 

The possibility of the bill pending before the D.C. Council becoming law is appalling, and Congress must make it clear that this is unacceptable.  Congress should not allow prostitution to be legalized in our nation’s capital. 

Additionally, the bill includes an eight percent increase in spending above the current year.  This level of spending is excessive, and, as I have said before, this bill is written using an unrealistic topline funding level.

In order for our work to be meaningful and produce bills that can be signed into law, leaders from both parties and the Administration must come together and develop a mutually agreeable funding framework.

Then we can turn to drafting appropriations bills with bipartisan support that can be signed into law.

In closing, I would like to thank Chairwoman Lowey, Chairman Quigley, and Mr. Graves, as well as all of the Subcommittee Members and the staff for their hard work on this bill. 

I yield back my time.