Providing for Consideration of Conference Report on H.R. Department of Defense Appropriations Act, Providing for Consideration of H. Res. Recognizing That Allowing Illegal Immigrants the Right to Vote Diminishes the Voting Power of United States Citizens; and Providing for Consideration of Motions to Suspend the Rules

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, if you are having deja vu right now, it is because we have been here one too many times before. Our government is on the verge of yet another government shutdown this week. After yet another district work period, we return today to this rule to consider the bills it makes in order. We are left with just one last chance to do our work and one final opportunity to send President Trump a funding bill that reflects the true value of bipartisanship, one without poison pill riders which would put so many of our constituents out of work.

This rule makes in order H.R. 6157, the DOD, HHS, and Education omnibus bill; and H. Res. 1071, which is a rebuke on some localities expanding voting opportunities to immigrants.

While some of my colleagues may wish to speak about H. Res. 1071, I will focus on the good work that we are accomplishing today, not a meaningless political game House Republican leadership is choosing to waste our time with to further divide this House and instead of focusing on preventing a shutdown.

H.R. 6157, the second minibus to keep the government open in fiscal year 2019, is an example of how this body can still work together to reach a bipartisan consensus when we take politics out of the picture.

Perhaps more important than what is included in the minibus is what is not included. This minibus rejects the proposed cuts to healthcare programs, job training, education, and access to healthcare that were in President Trump's budget proposal.

This minibus also rejects President Trump's efforts to expand family separation at our Nation's border. While many children remain separated from their parents, at least this minibus agreement does not include House Republican language that would have overridden the Flores settlement and authorized the indefinite detention of immigrant children. This is a very small victory, but an important one. This minibus is a fundamental statement of our values, and the United States Congress should not condone the President's inhumane practice of family separation.

In addition, let me make this clear: nothing in this legislation will pay for one foot of the President's border wall. I hope President Trump joins this Congress and listens to the majority of the American people who don't want to fund this wall. This Congress has repeatedly rejected funding for his misguided wall, and it is about time the President gave up on such a foolish waste of taxpayer dollars while our bridges, freeways, and streets are crumbling beneath us. That does not do anything to keep America safe.

Let's talk about the good things that this bill brings to our constituents. I am happy to report that this legislation provides a 2.6 percent pay raise for servicemembers who continue to serve our Nation around the world. As a mother of a veteran, I celebrate that even more. It is wonderful to hear that our servicemembers are finally being acknowledged for the hard work that they do keeping our Nation safe at home and abroad.

In addition to paying our servicemembers more, this agreement will protect our men and women in uniform from one of the most common harms they encounter: shamelessly stated as sexual assault. The $5 million in additional funding we will provide will fully implement and expand the Sexual Assault Special Victims Counsel Program. The Counsel Program provides representation for survivors navigating the complicated military justice process. Hopefully, victims of sexual abuse will not have to wait years to report this crime.

The conference report also provides a $35 million increase, for a total of $270 million, to construct, renovate, repair, or expand elementary and secondary public schools on military installations, giving military families an opportunity to thrive and educate their young. In other words, this increase means that we are not only helping our servicemembers, but the families that support them and who provide invaluable moral support for our soldiers.

Another bipartisan achievement included in this legislation is an increase for environmental restoration by more than $13 million. One of the shortfalls of this Congress has been a failure to address the water crises we have seen ravaging our communities. In California alone, dozens of communities have experienced recent rates of childhood poisoning that surpass those in Flint, Michigan, with one locale showing rates nearly three times higher.

It is unacceptable that in the richest Nation in the world, our children are being poisoned because we refuse to take the necessary actions to provide the infrastructure to deliver clean water to our communities. Securing this funding is a real step to helping invest in communities and the health of our children.

That is why we included yet another investment into our communities' health by increasing funding for the National Institutes of Health by $2 billion. This rejects the cuts proposed by the President in his administration and instead supports research into cures for life- threatening diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer, HIV/AIDS, influenza, and diabetes.

Additionally, we are providing $4.4 billion to combat the nationwide opioid crisis. This means more prevention programs, better treatment, and training for the workforce to ensure our healthcare professionals aren't making problems worse.

Finally, the last part of this agreement that I would like to highlight is what we are doing for our workforce programs. This bill invests in students, the future of America, those looking for workforce training and working families.

Included is:

$10.1 billion for Head Start, which provides literacy programs to young children in working families;

$5.3 billion for childcare and development block grants to provide childcare assistance to low-income families. We celebrate that mothers will finally have the support that they need to work and deliver for their families;

$160 million for apprenticeship grants to connect businesses to workers;

$1.3 billion for career and technical education; and,

An increase to the maximum Pell grant to help our students keep pace with the rising cost of college.

This is a good bill. This is a bipartisan bill. This is a bill that should be signed into law. I urge the President to look at what a bipartisan agreement looks like and take ``yes'' for an answer. The last thing any of us want is yet another government shutdown. Let's prevent that today.

Mr. Speaker, today we are considering a continuing resolution that will extend the Violence Against Women Act only until December 7. I am glad that we aren't letting this important legislation expire. However, a simple extension is not enough. We need to fully reauthorize and strengthen this landmark act.

Therefore, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up Representative Jackson Lee's legislation, H.R. 6545, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.

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Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, to discuss our proposal, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

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Mrs. TORRES. I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, we are just two more legislative days away from the third Republican government shutdown of 2018. However, we have done our jobs to prevent that today.

H.R. 6157 is a testament that despite party differences, we can still come together to work out our differences and put the American public's interest first.

I want to be clear that I do not agree with the rule that we are considering, because this rule makes in order a wholly unrelated immigration bill. This rule fails to allow the debate on a number of amendments and marks the 98th closed rule of this Congress, an all-time record. That is why I urge my colleagues to oppose the previous question and the rule.

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Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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