Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2025

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment.

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the gentlewoman's amendment banning sections of Executive Order No. 14019. This is another example of the majority proposing language that is not germane to this bill.

Mr. Chair, call me a traditionalist, call me a person who respects the roles that different committees have, but this is not germane to this bill.

Section 1 of the executive order states: ``The right to vote is the foundation of American democracy. Free and fair elections that reflect the will of the American people must be protected and defended.''

Section 2 states: ``It is the policy of my administration'' referring to the Biden administration ``to promote and defend the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections.''

Now, I don't understand the concern about this order since several places direct officials to conform to the laws of the United States.

Furthermore, Mr. Chair, as I spoke about germaneness earlier, I don't understand how this amendment was made in order, especially when the Department of Defense bill has in the gentlewoman's amendment exclusions with reference to the military.

In the amendment, which the Clerk has in front, it exempts sections 7, 8, and I believe it is 10. I am trying to do it from memory, Mr. Chair. Those sections deal with the Department of Defense.

The Department of Defense is totally excluded from anything that the gentlewoman would like to resolve with her amendment. Therefore, it makes it totally nongermane.

For that reason alone, I strongly object to this amendment because it is nongermane as to this bill. The comments that have been made are about making sure that the Department of Defense somehow is making sure they follow the law.

The Department of Defense is excluded in this amendment, so the gentlewoman's reference to the Department of Defense being laser focused on this amendment is very confusing to me, Mr. Chair, when it is excluded, and it is nongermane to this bill.

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I once again state, especially with the exemptions to the military, that this piece of legislation is not germane to the Defense appropriations bill.

We have to stop in this institution putting nongermane issues, especially authorizing issues, into appropriations bills. We each have our roles, and we need to respect them.

The gentlewoman is concerned about the Biden administration somehow doing something inappropriate by making sure that every American has the opportunity and the acknowledgment of when and how to vote.

Maybe she is concerned, Mr. Chair, because the OSC, which is the Office of Special Counsel, found 13 violations by senior Trump administrators, including two violations in connection with the 2020 RNC.

Their report outlined how these 13 officials used their authority to influence and interfere or affect the results of the 2022 Presidential election.

Maybe that is why she is concerned, because she saw abuses in the previous administration. I believe this administration will uphold the law. They stated that they will.

Mr. Chair, once again, this amendment is not germane to this bill, and it is not necessary, but I do share the gentlewoman's concerns that the previous administration violated the law.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise as the designee of the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), and I move to strike the last word.

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley), the distinguished ranking member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley) for the MTR, and I look forward to voting for it.

Let me just add, the Ukrainian Supplemental Assistance Initiative has long-term spending which has been in the bill since 2016. As the gentleman pointed out, that is one of the reasons why Ukraine was ready to stand up to this unjustified, hostile invasion by Russia.

Let us work together and coordinate closely with our allies. Let us support the MTR.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Amendment No. 171 Offered by Ms. Titus

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this amendment.

In the case of Ukraine, I continue to remain concerned that allowing these munitions to go onto the battlefield undermines our moral authority and places the United States in a position that contradicts 23 of our NATO allies, who have joined the convention on cluster mines.

To be clear, though, I am a strong supporter of the Biden administration's policy in Ukraine. This is a difficult position that the Ukrainian military has been put in.

Yes, Russia has used these types of munitions inside of Ukraine. When we were short on delivering the security that we promised Ukraine, cluster bombs became something that the administration put in the mix. I wasn't supportive of that, but I do realize that this is the choice between the lesser of two evils in the war that Ukraine has been forced to fight because of the Russian invasion.

I want to get to a place where we don't have these choices in front of us and where we are not transferring these weapons.

Mr. Chair, regrettably at this time, I will be unable to vote for passage of this bill.

And I cannot recommend to my colleagues that they support it.

Every Member in this chamber knows what needs to happen for this bill to become law.

The partisan riders need to come out so the bill can get bipartisan support.

Instead the bill now includes additional divisive amendments today that will further jeopardize Congress' ability to enact a Defense appropriations bill on time.

And in doing so we are failing to heed Churchill's advice--to learn from history--and not repeat the mistakes from last year.

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