Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 4373, the fiscal year 2022 State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill. This bill has many fatal flaws, in spite of Republican efforts to improve it. The concerns raised during markup were not addressed, and many of the amendments we offered at the Rules Committee have not been made in order on the floor today. I will begin with our list of major complaints. To put it simply, the spending level is too high, and the policies are too controversial. This bill alone includes a 12 percent increase over current levels, with $3 billion directed into climate change programs like the Green Climate Fund. For the sake of generations to come, we can't afford to spend like this. In addition to these unrealistic spending levels, the majority has made policy decisions that will complicate any attempts to come to a bipartisan agreement. Most concerning, this bill includes alarming changes to longstanding language to protect the unborn. Language that prohibits foreign aid from being used to pay for abortions was dropped entirely. The bill also includes other controversial changes, such as a permanent repeal of the Mexico City policy, which prohibits organizations who receive foreign assistance from performing abortions. As the former chair of this subcommittee, I am very disappointed to see lifesaving global health activities put in jeopardy because of partisan politics.…”