Bill Lee: “First, let me thank our ranking member, Congressman Van Hollen, for yielding and for his tremendous leadership on the…”

“First, let me thank our ranking member, Congressman Van Hollen, for yielding and for his tremendous leadership on the Budget Committee. Also, to Leader Pelosi and to Speaker Boehner, I just have to thank you for demonstrating that we can work together in a bipartisan way on behalf of the American people. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1314, which is the bipartisan budget agreement of 2015. Let me just say, as a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, I really know how difficult it has been to get us to where we were today. So thank you very much. This budget deal, though, is not perfect. It averts a shutdown and prevents a catastrophic default on the Federal debt. Most importantly, though, it provides relief from the sequester and it begins--it begins--to invest in the American people through programs like food stamps, a safety net which many, many people need until they are through this economic recession. We must do more to create good-paying jobs for individuals who want to work. This begins to invest in early childhood education and in public housing. This agreement also prevents a massive hike in healthcare costs for our seniors. So while this agreement is an important step forward, much work remains.…”