Barbara Lee: “I thank Chair DeLauro for her tremendous leadership, as well as our Speaker, for ensuring that our government stays open…”

“I thank Chair DeLauro for her tremendous leadership, as well as our Speaker, for ensuring that our government stays open and responds to key emergencies here at home and abroad. It is really a shame that we have to vote on this measure here today a second time with the end of the fiscal year looming because of the refusal of Senate Republicans to protect the full faith and credit of the Federal Treasury. Nonetheless, we must get this bill done and to the President's desk today. This bill contains crucial funding for my State in the West, our Western communities that have been so badly impacted by wildfires. In California, we are on the front lines of this climate emergency. This bill includes $28.6 billion to directly address the rising cost of climate change. Californians have lost homes, crops, livelihoods, and even lives because of the climate crisis. We need to get them this urgent help right away. As chair of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, I am really pleased that this legislation also includes over $6.3 billion to continue support for Afghan evacuees, refugees, and the growing humanitarian needs of the Afghan people. At least 18.4 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance due to the conflict, severe drought, and the COVID pandemic. President Biden was right to end our war in Afghanistan.…”