Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024

Floor Speech

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Ms. SALINAS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this bill for reasons beyond what I can list in the allotted time, but primarily because it would force America to abdicate its leadership role on the global stage.

This bill contains too many harmful provisions to count, but for the benefit of the American people, I will do my best to summarize a few of them:

This bill would severely reduce our ability to combat the climate crisis.

It would make massive cuts to global health programming through USAID and the WHO.

It would shortchange economic and humanitarian assistance and global peacekeeping funding.

And as if those self-imposed restrictions on our international leadership weren't bad enough, my Republican colleagues are using this bill as a Trojan horse for more poison pill riders, just as they have done with other appropriations bills.

The majority's obsession with anti-choice, anti-LGBTQ, and anti- diversity politics precludes them from putting forth a bill that has any chance of becoming law.

Specifically, their bill would reinstate the global gag rule and prohibit contributions to the UNPFA, restricting women and girls around the world from receiving the reproductive and maternal healthcare they need.

They are just not content to undermine reproductive freedom at home. No, they need to take their draconian quest abroad to the tremendous shame of the majority of Americans who value reproductive freedom.

Mr. Chair, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill.

My amendment would strike the global gag rule and allow contributions to UNPFA.

Mr. Chair, I strongly support reproductive rights and believe we should be a global leader guaranteeing it to all women and girls, regardless of where they may have been born. I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit.

Mr. Chair, I include in the Record the text of my amendment.

Ms. Salinas moves to recommit the bill H.R. 4665 to the Committee on Appropriations with the following amendment:

Strike section 7057.

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