Alan Simpson: “I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this incredibly important piece of…”

“I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this incredibly important piece of legislation. It is an important step back to regular order and reasserts congressional control over Federal spending. The Energy and Water Development portion totals $34.06 billion, an increase of $777 million above fiscal year 2013. The bill provides critical increases for our nuclear weapons stockpile and our Nation's water infrastructure while supporting a balanced investment in our energy resources. {time} 1515 I want to thank the ranking member of the subcommittee, Marcy Kaptur, and former chairman of the subcommittee, Rodney Frelinghuysen, for all of their hard work in bringing this bill through to the House floor in regular order. I would also like to recognize Senators Feinstein and Alexander for their partnership in putting together a truly bipartisan bill. Madam Speaker, these Members are passionate advocates for their positions; and not surprisingly, their priorities are not always the same as mine. But I can say with confidence that the long hours we all put in during the last month have paid off. The Energy and Water portion of the omnibus is a true compromise which strengthens common priorities. The largest increase in the Energy and Water bill is to support our nuclear weapons stockpile. There is no room for mistakes in this work. The reliability of the most destructive weapons ever developed depends on it, as does our national security.…”