[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 166 (Wednesday, November 2, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H7236-H7237]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS

  (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeLAURO. A recent graph in CQ Weekly dated October 28 depicts the 
progress made so far on this year's appropriations bills. Only one 
box--that's

[[Page H7237]]

for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee--
is blank.
  With 9.1 percent unemployment, we need a vigorous debate over this 
bill. Its jurisdiction includes job training, K-12 and higher education 
funding, and health care services. And yet unlike the other 11 
appropriations bills, Labor-H is the only appropriation bill that has 
seen no action. Instead, the chairman has posted a draft bill on the 
Internet representing his own preferences for the people's budget. But 
the chairman, by himself, is not the subcommittee; and simply posting a 
wish list without ever bringing it to the subcommittee or the full 
committee for a markup is not an acceptable substitute for public 
debate and amendment.
  This kind of action represents a clear violation of the majority's 
pledge to follow the regular order or the regular process. If no House 
markup is held, this would be the first time in nearly a decade that 
the subcommittee has failed to report a bill. It is time for the 
chairman and the majority to keep their promises and hold a markup for 
the Labor-H bill. The issues that face that subcommittee are far too 
important to be left to the chairman's personal wish list.

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