Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and compliment her on her work as ranking member, and to the chairman of our full committee, Mr. Rogers, an incredible chairman. Both of them did their work.

I rise today--as the underlying bill that all of this is attached to is our energy and water bill--appalled at this Christmas tree bill that the Republican leadership has foisted on this Congress in the last minute. This is exactly the type of bill the public hates.

The top brass over there literally disrespected our committee work and produced, instead, a rotten egg. Today, we will take a vote that forces us to choose between shutting the government down 2 weeks before Christmas or supporting a disgrace of a funding bill, laced with nongermane, controversial provisions.

What kind of choice is this? What happened to the Republican's top priority of funding the government under regular order? It is not our committee's fault. We did our job. What happened to voting on 12 appropriations bills and allowing amendments under regular order? We want to do that, but we are being handcuffed.

I will tell you what happened. The Republican leaders threw out our up-to-date bills. They threw them in the trash, and they replaced them with yet another bill that looks in the rearview mirror with numbers that are 2 years old and doesn't meet America's current realities. It forces our government agencies, including Defense, which Republicans claim to care so passionately about, to operate without any predictability or stability. This
is disgraceful. No wonder Americans are so mad at us.

If Republicans wanted to take care of the military, they have failed. The military has never, ever operated under a continuing resolution during a Presidential transition until now. Imagine how the commanders in the field feel when the April deadline hits. What is going to happen in May?

If Republicans wanted to take care of American workers, they have failed. This resolution abandons hardworking coal miners after years of faithful service, right at Christmastime. Gosh, what a Christmas present.

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Ms. KAPTUR. If Republicans wanted to run the House under regular order, they have failed. They only brought up half of the 2017 bills to the floor for a vote. Where are the other six?

If Republicans wanted to fund the government in a responsible and efficient way, they have failed.

This resolution will likely cost us millions of dollars more in delayed projects, contract breaches, and lost American jobs. Is this a sign of what is to come? What happens on April 28 when this filthy Band-Aid falls off?

If we can't pass bills under regular order this year--when we had a bipartisan budget agreement and a Republican majority--what will we do in May when we have not only the rest of the 2017 budget to fix but also the 2018 budget and the debt ceiling to address?

I wonder what chaotic path the Republican leaders will lead us down in the new year? This is certainly a sign, a terrible sign, of what is to come.

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