Dhs Cyber Incident Response Teams Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I applaud Chairwoman Lowey and the ranking member, Ms. Granger, for bringing us to this point today.

I thank the Committee on Appropriations subcommittees being discussed here now for advancing a conference agreement that provides critical funding for Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce-Justice-Science, and Financial Services.

H.R. 1158 and the Defense package address the priorities of readiness, modernization, and reform, to deter our main adversaries of Russia and China. Chairman Visclosky has crafted a careful compromise that ensures our Nation regains the advantage in hypersonic weapons and many other areas.

The Homeland Security portion of the bill also provides important investments. It places safeguards on the Department of Homeland Security to ensure its work is legal, safe, and in the national interest. The safety of our homeland is increasingly threatened by bad actors, both here at home and abroad, and this bill protects the 2020 election, a top national security priority.

The bill also provides funding for key issues at NASA, including for aeronautics; for the regional economic development program; and for harmful algal bloom research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Lastly, the bill provides investments in our Nation's credit unions and community development financial institutions, and it makes critical investments in election security grants to harden vulnerable election infrastructure.

Funding the government and keeping the lights on used to be a norm. Hopefully, we help restore that today. When the House passes this bill, we will be restoring the American people's faith in our ability to get the job done for our country.

Madam Speaker, again, I thank Chairwoman Lowey for her extraordinary intelligence, leadership, and good demeanor that made this moment possible.

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