[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 154 (Friday, September 26, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2016]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CONSOLIDATED SECURITY, DISASTER ASSISTANCE, AND CONTINUING 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2009

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 24, 2008

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, it is with no small amount of misgiving 
that I will cast my vote in favor of this Continuing Resolution today. 
While I know that my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee worked 
diligently and in good faith to fashion a responsible and responsive 
bill for this Congress to consider, I regret that the White House did 
not do the same.
  First and foremost, I do not believe this document should be 
repealing the twenty-seven year old congressional moratoria on offshore 
drilling. While I--like many of my colleagues--am willing to consider 
new ideas for responsible development in the context of broader, 
forward-looking legislation like The Comprehensive American Energy 
Security and Consumer Protection Act this House passed last week, I do 
not support unrestricted drilling three miles off our coastline, and I 
don't believe the American people do, either. Restoring common-sense 
environmental safeguards and developing a genuine vision for this 
Nation's energy future needs to be an early action item for an Obama 
Administration and the 111th Congress.
  Second, while I am gratified that this CR includes important 
assistance for our struggling families in the form of additional funds 
for Pell Grants, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, and low 
income home energy assistance, I am disappointed that it does not 
include the kind of robust stimulus our economy clearly needs right 
now. It is simply astonishing that the President would threaten to veto 
$50 billion for job-creating infrastructure improvements, unemployment 
insurance, food stamps and health care support for our states and 
citizens at the same time he is asking for $700 billion to bailout Wall 
Street. This, too, must and will change under an Obama Administration 
and a strengthened Democratic Congress in 2009.
  In spite of these and other shortcomings, we clearly must fund the 
federal government through the beginning of next year--and the Defense, 
Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bills included in 
this package, while not perfect, all, on balance, have my support.
  Mr. Speaker, I will vote for this temporary spending measure today--
mindful that Congress will be back to address its deficiencies in a few 
short months.

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