[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 189 (Monday, December 14, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 3288, CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010

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                               speech of

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 10, 2009

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill.
  Too many of our fellow citizens are suffering as a result of the 
biggest economic downturn in 75 years. In light of the number of 
Americans who continue to be unemployed or under-employed, it is 
essential that we focus our efforts on helping Americans find jobs. 
H.R. 3288 is responsible legislation which will help employ Americans, 
assist communities suffering from decreases in tax payments, and 
provide more stability to our economy.
  H.R. 3288 would put an estimated 1.5 million Americans back to work 
by investing $41.8 billion in improving our transportation 
infrastructure. The bill also provides 4.5 billion for commuter and 
passenger rail projects to help reduce congestion and provide more 
environmentally-friendly ways for Americans to get to work and travel. 
I am pleased that my colleague from Pennsylvania Patrick Murphy and I 
were able to get language removed from this bill preventing Amtrak from 
being able to offer discounted fares to commuters on the Northeast 
Corridor. Since it was first included in the 2006 Fiscal Year, this 
language prevented Amtrak from being able to offer a more than 50 
percent discount off peak fares to commuters on any of its lines. This 
resulted in a 20 percent fare increase to my constituents. The removal 
of this provision recognizes the need to make public transportation 
more affordable and more accessible, and I expect it will result in 
discounted Amtrak ticket rates.
  Our economy nearly collapsed last year because of the combination of 
reckless and abusive financial services and mortgage-industry 
practices, and astounding regulatory failures. To help re-establish 
real oversight and control over our financial markets, the bill 
provides $1.111 billion to strengthen and enforce rules that govern 
investments and financial markets and to detect and prosecute 
fraudulent schemes, and allow the hiring of another 420 investigators, 
lawyers and analysts to support the mission of the Securities and 
Exchange Commission. The bill also provides $292 million to strengthen 
the Federal Trade Commission's capacity to protect consumers and combat 
anti-competitive behavior. Additionally, the bill allocates $118 
million for the Consumer Product Safety Commission to continue 
implementing bipartisan consumer protection legislation enacted in 2008 
in response to massive toxic product scandals, including children's 
toys from China.
  The bill also provides $1.4 billion for training and support services 
to workers affected by mass layoffs and plant closures, and $125 
million for competitive grants to community colleges and partnership 
with local adult education providers to prepare workers for careers in 
high-demand and emerging industries. To assist affected parents in 
ensuring that their children get good meals and quality health care, 
the bill provides $7.2 billion for Head Start, an investment that will 
help nearly 1 million children from low-income families.
  To help America's students pay for a college education, this bill 
maintains the discretionary portion of the maximum Pell Grant at 
$4,860, which, combined with a mandatory supplement of $690, will 
support a $5,550 maximum Pell Grant in FY 2010. Since January 2007, the 
maximum Pell Grant has been increased by $1,500 or 37 percent--from 
$4,050 to $5,550. In FY 2010, more than 8 million college students will 
receive Pell Grants.
  This bill maintains investments in math and science education by 
providing $180 million toward the Department of Education's Mathematics 
and Science Partnerships. The program is the only national teacher 
development program available to teachers across the U.S.
  It is widely understood that early language education is the key to 
language proficiency later on. In order to start addressing the 
pressing needs for skilled linguists and other language professionals 
that currently exist, this bill maintains investments in the Foreign 
Language Assistance Program at $27 million, which is currently the only 
federal program that supports foreign language education at the 
elementary and secondary school level.
  This bill also contains provision and funding for programs to protect 
Americans' access to health care coverage until national health care 
reform is enacted. To that end, the bill provides $2.2 billion to 
provide primary health care to 17 million patients, of whom 40 percent 
are uninsured, in 7,500 service delivery sites. These centers provide 
high quality care in both urban and rural underserved areas across the 
country. The bill also seeks to increase the number of health care 
professionals by providing $498 million to support the training of 
health professionals in fields where there are shortages, such as 
nursing. And to help find cures for the diseases afflicting Americans, 
the bill provides $31 billion for NIH-funded biomedical research to 
improve health and reduce health care expenditures.
  At a time when the recession has created a fiscal crisis for state 
and local governments, requiring them to let go of key law enforcement 
and related personnel, federal support for state and local law 
enforcement programs has never been more important. To help keep police 
on the beat, the bill provides $792 million to support local law 
enforcement agencies with hiring, technology, training, body armor, and 
sex-offender enforcement management grants. This includes $298 million 
specifically for COPS Hiring Grants to hire or retain approximately 
1,400 police officers. The bill also provides $519 million for the 
Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program, which helps local law 
enforcement agencies engage in a broad range of activities to better 
fight and prevent crime. I'm pleased that this year several 
municipalities in my district will receive funding for projects under 
this program, including the Borough of Jamesburg (to modernize 
communications), the city of Trenton (for an anti-gang program), and 
the township of North Brunswick (for a video surveillance system).
  Meeting our obligations to America's veterans is a national trust. 
The bill provides over $109 billion for the operation of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs, with $45.1 billion allocated for medical care. In 
a breakthrough long sought by veterans, the bill also provides advance 
appropriations for the VA to ensure a stable and uninterrupted source 
of funding for medical care for veterans, providing $48.2 billion for 
FY 2011.
  I am very pleased that this bill reflects a strong commitment by this 
Congress to provide robust, secure funding for science. The bill keeps 
the U.S. on track to double the funding for basic research by providing 
over $31 billion for the National Science Foundation, the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration. An additional $31 billion will support biomedical 
research through the National Institutes of Health. These investments 
in our science and innovation infrastructure will help create jobs 
immediately while stimulating the discoveries and investments that will 
ensure sustained economic growth in the future.
  I am also pleased that this bill includes $17.4 million in disability 
access funding under the Help America Vote Act, including $12.1 million 
to help ensure that polling places are accessible and $5.3 million for 
protection and advocacy funding. The bill also includes $70 million in 
funding to help States meet the voting system requirements of the Help 
America Vote Act, and better protect and preserve the integrity of 
elections. This sum is much less than I requested, and it is less than 
the $100 million passed in the House, but it will go a long way in 
helping States improve the administration of elections--the foundation 
of our Democracy.
  Finally, this bill makes much needed investments in our foreign 
affairs institutions, including funding increases that will allow the 
State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to 
hire additional foreign service personnel to address the neglected 
staffing needs of these agencies. Key initiatives continue to receive 
vigorous support, including efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and other 
diseases, agriculture and food security programs, basic education 
programs, microfinance and microcredit, and the Peace Corps. I am 
especially pleased that the final bill recognizes the important 
contributions that scientists and scientific engagement can make to our 
international relations.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
critical funding bill.

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