On the recordJuly 30, 2020
As the vice ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, Mr. Speaker, I stand today in opposition to H.R. 7617, the second set of fiscal year 2021 appropriations bills to be considered by the House. This minibus of six bills includes the two largest, Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, as well as the titles covering Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, and, finally, Transportation-Housing and Urban Development. While I am always encouraged to see the process of funding government underway in Congress, Democrats, unfortunately, chose a deeply flawed approach in exercising this function for fiscal year 2021. Remember, nearly a year ago, Mr. Speaker, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, which set budgetary levels for fiscal years 2020 and 2021. This bipartisan and bicameral compromise was the result of a good faith negotiation between the President and congressional leadership. Last year, my friends on their side of the aisle actually kept that agreement, and we had an orderly appropriations process, a successful outcome, and we have had no government shutdowns, no long-term continuing resolutions.…
