Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 - Extended Remarks

Floor Speech

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, it is with no small amount of misgiving that I will cast my vote in favor of this Continuing Resolution today. While I know that my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee worked diligently and in good faith to fashion a responsible and responsive bill for this Congress to consider, I regret that the White House did not do the same.

First and foremost, I do not believe this document should be repealing the twenty-seven year old congressional moratoria on offshore drilling. While I--like many of my colleagues--am willing to consider new ideas for responsible development in the context of broader, forward-looking legislation like The Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act this House passed last week, I do not support unrestricted drilling three miles off our coastline, and I don't believe the American people do, either. Restoring common-sense environmental safeguards and developing a genuine vision for this Nation's energy future needs to be an early action item for an OBAMA Administration and the 111th Congress.

Second, while I am gratified that this CR includes important assistance for our struggling families in the form of additional funds for Pell Grants, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, and low income home energy assistance, I am disappointed that it does not include the kind of robust stimulus our economy clearly needs right now. It is simply astonishing that the President would threaten to veto $50 billion for job-creating infrastructure improvements, unemployment insurance, food stamps and health care support for our states and citizens at the same time he is asking for $700 billion to bailout Wall Street. This, too, must and will change under an OBAMA Administration and a strengthened Democratic Congress in 2009.

In spite of these and other shortcomings, we clearly must fund the federal government through the beginning of next year--and the Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bills included in this package, while not perfect, all, on balance, have my support.

Mr. Speaker, I will vote for this temporary spending measure today--mindful that Congress will be back to address its deficiencies in a few short months.

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