[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 183 (Wednesday, December 16, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H9338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2016

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 78) making further continuing 
appropriations for fiscal year 2016, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
  The text of the joint resolution is as follows:

                              H.J. Res. 78

       Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 
     Continuing Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-53) is 
     further amended by striking the date specified in section 
     106(3) and inserting ``December 22, 2015''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on the consideration of H.J. Res. 78.
  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.J. Res. 78, a short-term 
continuing resolution that will fund the government through December 
22.
  This morning, we posted a full-year omnibus funding bill. The bill 
will responsibly fund the government for the remainder of fiscal 2016 
year at the level set by the Bipartisan Budget Act passed in October. 
We are set to consider it later this week.
  However, our current funding mechanism expires today at midnight. To 
allow for enough time to read and process this legislation, it is 
necessary at this point that we pass another continuing resolution to 
keep the lights on in our government.
  The legislation we have before us today simply extends current levels 
of funding for critical government programs and services for 6 
additional days through next Tuesday. It is very short and limited in 
scope, buying us enough time to shepherd the omnibus through to 
enactment and then for the bill to be enrolled, sent to the President, 
and signed into law.
  So I urge my colleagues to support this bill, to give us the time to 
consider the full appropriations package, and bring the fiscal year 
2016 appropriations process to a close.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  For the second time in a week, I rise in half-hearted support for the 
continuing resolution before us. This is the third time the Republican 
majority has brought us to the brink of a shutdown in just the past 11 
weeks. It has been over 2\1/2\ months since we passed a bipartisan 2-
year budget agreement that set guidelines for appropriations. We should 
have final bills signed into law by now. There are no excuses for these 
constant delays.
  Unfortunately, Republicans' insistence on including dangerous, 
harmful policies in spending bills that would restrict women's 
reproductive health decisions, harm the environment, and roll back 
consumer protections, just to name a few, delayed the ability of 
Congress to come to a fair, bipartisan agreement on time.
  However, we did know throughout this process that Republicans would 
need Democratic votes to pass the omnibus. That is why I am pleased to 
say we were able to get rid of more than 150 poison pill riders, 
including those related to women's health, labor, such as efforts to 
block the fiduciary rule and the joint employer rule, consumer 
financial protection, clean air and water--all gone. However, I was 
disappointed we were unable to reverse a 19-year-old prohibition on 
Federal funding for the research of gun violence.
  The budget agreement enacted in November provided additional funding, 
allowing us to make critical investments, reflecting Democratic values. 
There are some large increases to the National Institutes of Health and 
the Army Corps of Engineers, for example, Head Start, energy research, 
COPS hiring, nutrition funding, and so much more. We also prevented 
further cuts to the EPA and other agencies routinely targeted by 
Republicans. I am disappointed that the omnibus does not deal 
adequately with Puerto Rico's crisis. It does carry the 9/11 health and 
compensation fund. The omnibus carries some tax matters, including the 
Cadillac tax and solar and wind tax credits.
  In all, the package is a mixed bag. Each Member will have to read the 
details for him- or herself.
  While I will vote to keep the government open today, Mr. Speaker, the 
American people deserve a Congress that does its job on time and puts 
the interests of hardworking families ahead of special interests.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the joint resolution, H.J. Res. 78.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the joint resolution was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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