Mike Honda: “I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Let me start by thanking Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Fattah…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Let me start by thanking Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Fattah for their ongoing enthusiasm and support for many of the key programs funded by this bill. I am grateful for their support, including provisions addressing key concerns of mine such as the growing rape kit backlog and long delays in testing DNA evidence; preventing the politically motivated termination evaluation of a fundamental science observatory, SOFIA; and ensuring the Federal Marine Debris program, which will focus on plastics in our Nation's waterways and oceans. Despite the inclusion of these and other beneficial programs, this bill unfortunately falls short of supporting a robust and effective portfolio of Commerce, Justice, and Science programs. This bill was crafted under the restrictive spending cap imposed by sequestration. This unworkable funding cap has forced unacceptable cuts that greatly weaken key programs serving our country. For example, at a time when the funding for the constitutionally mandated decennial Census should be on a significant ramp-up, this bill underfunds the Census Bureau by $387 million. At the direction of Congress, the Census Bureau is testing sweeping reforms to Census methods that would reduce the overall cost of the enumeration substantially by bringing the Census into the 21st century.…”