Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed.

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I will not oppose this amendment because it does not require DOD to fund anything in particular.

I would like to point out that the FY 2019 budget submission for Defense Appropriations included $442.9 million for demolition within the facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization account, double the FY 2018 level.

I would like to remind my colleagues that, while there may be a particular interest behind the amendments, these do not direct funding to a particular activity. Our bill does not even fund these activities. For this reason, I will not oppose this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, although I will not oppose the amendment.

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, we understand the gentleman's concerns and will keep them in mind for the conference. We have included report language on the topic in both the 2018 and 2019 reports.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, we understand the gentleman's concerns. We will keep them in mind for conference. We will be interested in learning more about this problem that he identifies.

I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.

The Acting Chair. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, the gentlewoman's concerns about providing adequate funding to address veterans' mental health needs is shared by every member of our committee. We are pleased that the bill provides $8.6 million for mental health programs, including $196 million for suicide prevention outreach.

We will certainly try to maintain these substantial levels in conference.

Mr. Chairman, I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.

The Acting Chair. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, we understand the gentleman's concerns, and we will keep in mind this concern during our conference. I have heard from veterans in my district about the concerns, and, in fact, sat down with some last weekend, and this was one of their number one concerns.

So this has a health impact. These burn pits are something we really need to get into, and we will have this in mind in conference.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, the bill provides $1 million over the President's budget request for the Adaptive Sports Grant, ASG, program for equine-assisted therapy, as our 2018 bill did also.

We understand the gentleman's concern in further increasing this funding and will keep it in mind during conference.

In my congressional district, we also have equine therapy, and I am very familiar with it.

Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I move that the committee do now rise.

The motion was agreed to.

Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Barr) having assumed the chair, Mr. Hultgren, Acting Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5895) making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.

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