Norma Torres: “And I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. Mr. Speaker, this rule makes 39…”

“And I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. Mr. Speaker, this rule makes 39 amendments in order to the appropriations bill we have been considering this week. Unfortunately, this appropriations package is made up of three individual appropriations bills. Also, in what is a surprise to us in the minority, this rule also includes a surprising $15 billion in rescissions--cuts--to programs our communities depend on. Why aren't we given the opportunity to bring up these bills individually? Considering that nearly 200 amendments were offered to this package while many of us were working in our districts, it is obvious to me that these bills would have benefited from a longer debate. This rule makes in order 39 amendments to the underlying package, which includes H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2019; H.R. 5894, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 2019; and H.R. 5786, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2019.…”