[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 180 (Friday, December 11, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H9295-H9296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2016

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 
560, I call up the bill (H.R. 2250) making appropriations for the 
Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and 
for other purposes, with the Senate amendments thereto, and ask for its 
immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the Senate 
amendments.
  Senate amendments:

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     That the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-
     53) is amended by striking the date specified in section 
     106(3) and inserting ``December 16, 2015''.
       This Act may be cited as the ``Further Continuing 
     Appropriations Act, 2016''.
         Amend the title so as to read: ``Further Continuing 
     Appropriations Act, 2016''.


                Motion Offered by Mr. Rogers of Kentucky

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the motion.
  The text of the motion is as follows:

       Mr. Rogers of Kentucky moves that the House concur in the 
     Senate amendments to H.R. 2250.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 560, the motion 
shall be debatable for 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the 
chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations.
  The gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and the gentlewoman from New 
York (Mrs. Lowey) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the further consideration of 
H.R. 2250.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Kentucky?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present H.R. 2250, a short-term 
continuing resolution that will fund the government through December 
16.
  As you know, our current funding mechanism expires today, at 
midnight. At this point, it is, unfortunately, necessary for us to have 
a little more time to complete our negotiations.
  This continuing resolution extends current levels of funding for 
critical government programs for 5 additional days, ensuring our 
government stays open until midnight next Wednesday. The Senate passed 
this same bill yesterday. So, with approval in the House, this bill 
will go to the President today.
  I believe we are making good progress, Mr. Speaker, on a final, full-
year appropriations package. While I had hoped that we would be done by 
this point, there are still many moving pieces. It is my hope and 
expectation that the final omnibus legislation will be completed by 
this new deadline.
  Mr. Speaker, I am not the biggest fan of continuing resolutions. They 
tend to be wasteful and inefficient. However, at this point, I see this 
procedure today as the best way forward. This continuing resolution is 
very short and limited in scope, simply buying us enough time to wrap 
up our negotiations and bring a full-year bill to the floor without a 
lapse in important government services. I urge my colleagues to support 
this bill.
  Before closing, Mr. Speaker, I have a sad announcement to make. On 
Wednesday morning, the committee lost one of its longstanding staff, 
who has been associated with the legislative branch for 25 years: Chuck 
Turner. We mourn his loss. As soon as we have further details on 
services, we will provide that information to the House.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in half-hearted support of the continuing 
resolution before us. While it saves hardworking Americans and our 
economy from a disastrous government shutdown, it reflects a failure of 
Congress to carry out one of our most basic constitutional 
responsibilities.
  It has been 2\1/2\ months since the beginning of fiscal year 2016 and 
6 weeks since we passed a bipartisan, 2-year budget agreement to set 
the guidelines for appropriations. There is no good reason we should 
not have passed spending bills by now to keep the government operating 
for the 2016 fiscal year.
  The bill before us today should be bipartisan legislation that makes 
crucial investments in biomedical research, job training, and national 
security. The bill before us today should provide relief from harmful 
sequester caps that are hurting economic growth and families' 
pocketbooks. Instead, Republicans' insistence on including dangerous, 
harmful policies in the spending bills has halted progress.
  Since the budget agreement, terrorist attacks in Paris and San 
Bernardino have brought to bear the need for improved security and 
closure in lax gun safety laws. Yet the majority wants to continue to 
deny even basic research on causes of gun violence at the Centers for 
Disease Control, not to mention we should be acting immediately to stop 
the legal purchase of guns by those on terrorist watch lists, an 
amendment I have introduced four times in 5 years that has been 
defeated every time in committee.
  The process has stalled because Republicans insist on demonizing 
legal, women's reproductive health decisions, even putting women's jobs 
at risk if their employers do not agree with their health choices.
  And finally, 2015 is on track to be the hottest year on record, with 
droughts leading to hunger and wildfires, and rising sea levels 
threatening to wipe away island nations. Yet Republicans demand 
measures that harm the environment, put the health and safety of 
Americans, their children, and the entire planet at risk.
  I hope my colleagues will work together in the coming 5 days to agree 
on appropriations bills that invest in biomedical research, education, 
infrastructure, job training, and a strong national defense. Together, 
we can provide opportunities for hardworking families and build a 21st 
century workforce and a secure America.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

[[Page H9296]]

  

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
  Pursuant to House Resolution 560, the previous question is ordered.
  The question is on the motion to concur by the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Rogers).
  The motion to concur was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________