Donna Shalala: “On Wednesday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 1060, providing for consideration of H.R.…”

“On Wednesday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 1060, providing for consideration of H.R. 7608, the State, Foreign Operations, Agriculture, Rural Development, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2021, under a structured rule. The rule makes in order 132 amendments. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chair and the ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations. The rule provides that the chair of the Committee on Appropriations or her designee may offer amendments en bloc, which will be debatable for 30 minutes. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the bill in this rule. This appropriations package provides urgent and essential resources not only for the American people, but particularly for my fellow Floridians. Among its provisions, the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs bill provides emergency funding for coronavirus preparedness, response, and relief. There is much we do not know about this virus. The one thing we do know is that it respects no border. South Florida, which is now the epicenter of this pandemic, and as the capital of the Americas, knows all too well how diseases can spread. This emergency funding will save lives both at home and abroad.…”