Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2022

Floor Speech

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Mr. COLE. Madam Speaker, I will be brief. But I want to begin by thanking Chairwoman DeLauro and Ranking Member Granger for their help throughout the process.

However, despite many areas of agreement in the bill before us today, particularly relating to Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, I will oppose the bill.

Madam Speaker, at the end of May, President Biden sent us a $6 trillion budget request for fiscal year 2022. The bill presented today, in many ways, mirrors that budget request. Proposing the highest spending level since World War II, the price tag alone is utterly unrealistic. As we continue the see inflation on the rise, such a proposal is bad for the recovering economy as well.

Instead of focusing on the urgent priorities for all Americans, like reopening our economy and schools, President Biden's budget request and this bill, elevate controversial left-wing policies over-pressing needs, like strengthening our national defense and addressing the crisis at our southern border.

In fact, this budget calls for billions of dollars to fund progressive priorities and policies like the Green New Deal, while recommending an effective cut in the funding for our military. With China and Russia growing their militaries by the day, this is a very misguided approach.

Finally, most egregious in the President's budget and the current deal, which is reflected here, is the removal of the Hyde amendment, which protects life and prevents Federal taxpayer-funded abortions. Since it was first enacted in 1976, it is estimated this provision has saved more than 2 million lives while protecting the conscience rights of the great majority of Americans who are opposed to publicly-funded abortions. Also, it removes the Weldon amendment, which provides important conscience protection for our healthcare providers who object to participating in abortion proceedings.

This amendment and the Weldon amendment have both been supported for generations by Republicans and Democrats alike.

Madam Speaker, you know that the Democrats in Congress do not have the majorities capable of passing this bill without Republican vote. In the days and weeks ahead, it is my hope that Members on both sides of the aisle and both Chambers can negotiate spending that is reasonable and will not lead us to financial disaster.

But the first step toward negotiation will be the full reinstatement of the Hyde and Weldon amendments along with similar pro-life protections contained across the 12 spending bills that we consider as a committee.

These protections need to be reinstated for this package to move to the President's desk. Quite frankly, everyone in the Chamber knows this bill will never pass the United States Senate without their inclusion, and the majority of American people support that view.

In closing, Madam Speaker, while the bill does fund many good things, and while I certainly appreciate the openness of the process in which the gentlewoman from Connecticut and the gentlewoman from Texas have participated in developing the bill, I do oppose it as drafted.

The price tag is too high. The bill contains too many poison pill policy riders, and it funds too many unauthorized programs, and bows to a leftist agenda that does not reflect the views and values of the American people.

Madam Speaker, I remain hopeful that we can do better, and I urge rejection of the bill.
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