Adriano Espaillat: “I think it is undeniable that during these uncertain times, particularly when we witnessed the regrettable incident in…”

“I think it is undeniable that during these uncertain times, particularly when we witnessed the regrettable incident in Virginia, where staffers in one of our colleague's district offices were hurt, and given the tension in the world, in our communities, in our cities, and in our district offices, it requires greater investment in security for our constituents that visit on a regular basis our offices, for our staff who are on the front lines in what we do, and for ourselves. I think that, in many ways, we are wide open, and we require the kind of investment that we have not seen in this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the distinguished ranking member of the Appropriations Committee. Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the House Republican 2024 Legislative Branch funding bill. This bill falls short of ensuring we can continue to grow a strong and well-functioning legislative branch that is essential to our democracy. As an institution, we should be increasing our ability to serve our constituents and recruit and retain talented staff and United States Capitol Police officers. We should not merely be treading water. This bill eliminates the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and does nothing to facilitate the use of funds for collective bargaining rights for congressional staffers.…”