Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding, and I thank her for her leadership. I want to associate myself with…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding, and I thank her for her leadership. I want to associate myself with the words about the chairman, Mr. Rogers, and thank him for his years of commitment and dedication to this Nation. I also want to acknowledge my good friend Sam Farr, and I thank him so very much for being so strong and committed to the right things of this body and the Nation. I thank him for his service. I join with my colleagues. Many have said this is the wrong way to fund the government, that appropriations legislation done by the Appropriations Committee was ready and done. I join my colleague who says that we caved. We conceded to not doing our job in the 114th Congress, and for that reason, I am very concerned. Earlier today we had the WRDA bill, and I support that bill for the many projects that are going to help the citizens of Texas. I wish I could say the same thing as we go into the continuing resolution, for, yes, we have suffered in the State of Texas. There is $1 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers, $1.8 billion for the Community Development Block Grant, and $1 billion for the Federal highway. Certainly, I would say, in the WRDA bill is the authorization for helping the people of Flint and a reform of the Safe Drinking Water Act to make sure we protect our children from lead-filled water. That is a good thing, but it is not a good thing to only put $100 million in for Flint. But I support my colleague from Michigan (Mr.…”