On the recordNovember 19, 2019
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is with a heavy heart that I rise today in opposition to the continuing resolution. As an appropriator, I don't want to support anything short of full-year appropriations bills, especially when it comes to funding for our national defense. Even so, in September, I urged my colleagues to join me in voting for a temporary CR to avoid a government shutdown and give the Senate time to complete their work. At that time the budget deal had just been signed into law, and the Senate had not yet started consideration of full appropriations measures for fiscal year 2020. By voting for the last CR, I argued at the time that we would provide enough time for appropriators in the House and the Senate to complete work on full-year appropriations bills. Unfortunately, not only has that not happened, there still has not even been an agreement reached on spending levels for those bills. No business in the world could survive on temporary funding doled out on a month-to-month basis. The uncertainty created by the habit Congress finds itself in of repeated CRs and the continual threat of a shutdown is crippling, especially for our military. Continuing resolutions limit the military's ability to operate, train, and care for our servicemembers and their families and continue the critical research and development that is needed to meet and defeat all threats.…





