Granger Remarks at Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education FY22 Full Committee Markup

Jul 15, 2021
Statements

Thank you, Madam Chair, for yielding.

First, I want to thank the chair and ranking member for their work on the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill.

I have great respect for Chair DeLauro’s dedication to these issues. I also appreciate Ranking Member Cole’s ability to find common ground when it is necessary, but also to clearly highlight when the parties disagree.

I need to begin my remarks today by noting concerns that Tom and I share about this year’s Labor-HHS bill.

This bill includes an unprecedented increase that is nearly 40 percent more than last year. This is simply too high, especially when many programs in this bill have already received billions of dollars over the past year from COVID spending bills. 

That said, the incredibly high price tag is not the only problem with this bill.

For the first time in nearly fifty years, this bill abandons longstanding, bipartisan language that prevents federal tax dollars from being used to pay for abortions. 

The bill also removes language carried for the last sixteen years that protects American doctors and nurses from being forced to participate in abortions.

This is the first time such an extreme position has been taken in this bill, and this shift in policy could actually destroy decades of bipartisan work.

There are many other controversial items included in the bill that must also be addressed, including:

  • Language relating to labor law,
  • Excessive spending on new, unauthorized programs, and
  • Provisions relating to immigration enforcement.

Madam Chair, Republicans stand ready to discuss topline spending levels and funding for individual programs that will help improve the health and lives of the American people. 

But, restoring language that protects the lives of unborn children and protects medical professionals from being forced to participate in abortions must be the first step.

I urge my colleagues to consider the amendment today to restore this bipartisan language, and I hope that it will be agreed to before the bill proceeds to the House floor.

In closing, I would like to thank all of the subcommittee members and the staff for their hard work on this bill, specifically our minority clerk, Susan Ross, and our majority clerk, Stephen Steigleder.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I yield back.