Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (116th Congress)

Madam Chair, thank you for yielding.

As we turn to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill, I want to thank Chairwoman Wasserman-Schultz and Ranking Member Carter for the work they have done this year.

They have come together to address many critical issues that affect military installations and our nation's veterans – reaching 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.

Unfortunately, as I said during the subcommittee markup, I am very concerned with the $12.5 billion dollars in emergency spending outside of the budget caps established last August.

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.

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.

WASHINGTON – Today, top Appropriations Committee Republican Kay Granger (R-TX) delivered the following remarks on Senate-amended H.R. 3401, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act.

Mister Speaker, I claim such time as I may consume.

I rise in very strong support of H.R. 3401 as amended by the Senate.

Hundreds of thousands of people have arrived at the border this year. More than 100,000 have crossed each of the last three months with 144,000 in May alone.

Some of these people are coming through points of entry, but the overwhelming majority are walking through the desert or swimming the Rio Grande.

Men and women across agencies and departments have been working together night and day trying to respond to the overwhelming surge, and they desperately need resources to cover the growing costs.