[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E96-E97]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          SPACE LAUNCH LIABILITY INDEMNIFICATION EXTENSION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 15, 2014

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the FY14 Omnibus 
Appropriations bill. This is not perfect legislation. It falls far 
short of the funding levels necessary to make vital investments in 
education, scientific research, and infrastructure that we need to 
ensure our nation will remain at the cutting edge of the global 
economic competition. However, it is a significant improvement over the 
immediate and deep cuts we would have faced under sequestration and 
allows us to make important choices about our budget priorities.
  Today's bill makes vital investments in children and families. While 
it does not include the President's full early childhood education 
proposal, it gives a major boost to Head Start and Early Head Start and 
continues funding for the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge 
Grant. It includes enough funding for the Special Supplemental 
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children to meet the need in 
the coming year. However, while it brings funding for K-12 and special 
education grant programs almost up to pre-sequestration levels, we need 
a far greater investment in these programs to keep our promise to 
America's children.
  The bill also increases funding for scientific research at the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Institutes of 
Standards and Technology, and the Department of Energy Office of 
Science. However, while it provides a significant increase for the 
National Institutes for Health, it does not completely repair the 
damage done by sequestration and continues to underfund vital research 
for lifesaving cures. Funding also falls short at the National Science 
Foundation. These are investments that we must make in the future to 
remain competitive in the global economy.
  The bill also includes full funding for important safety and 
reliability improvements at WMATA, an essential investment for my 
constituents and for the federal government, which relies on the system 
to bring thousands of employees to work every day. It includes $70 
million for the Chesapeake Bay Program to restore the health of a 
resource that is critical to the environment and economy in my home 
state of Maryland.
  However, I am disappointed that the bill continues to fund Overseas 
Contingency Operations (OCO) at a level above the Pentagon's request. 
My colleague Representative Mick Mulvaney and I worked on a bipartisan 
basis to remove this excess funding during consideration of the defense 
budget in the House and in the final FY14 Defense Authorization bill. 
At a time when we are stretching every dollar to meet our nation's 
needs, we should not create a slush fund for unrequested defense 
spending.
  I also continue to oppose the inclusion of many unnecessary policy 
riders, such as those related to the District of Columbia and 
Guantanamo, that are regularly added to appropriations bills.
  Today's legislation includes security assistance for Egypt. While 
Egypt and the United States maintain a longstanding partnership, the 
Egyptian government must work towards a peaceful democratic transition. 
I encourage the President to condition the release of aid on progress 
toward an inclusive, democratic government that strengthens human 
rights and the rule of law.
  Finally, today's bill includes a much-needed and much-deserved one 
percent cost-of-living increase for the 230,000 wage grade federal 
employees--an issue I've raised as necessary to ensure fairness among 
public servants. It also includes a provision contained in legislation 
I introduced with my colleague Representative Mike Thompson, H.R. 3808, 
that exempts medically retired personnel and survivor benefit plan 
annuitants from the temporarily reduced cost-of-living-adjustment 
provisions of the recently-passed budget agreement.
  Mr. Speaker, no legislation is perfect, particularly one of this 
magnitude. However, this bill represents an important compromise that 
will move us forward, provide more certainty, and prevent another 
costly, unnecessary government shutdown. I urge my colleagues to 
support it.

[[Page E97]]



                          ____________________