[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 185 (Friday, December 18, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1825-E1826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2016

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 17, 2015

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the 
Omnibus Appropriations bill. After a thoughtful and thorough review, I 
have decided to vote in favor of the Omnibus Appropriations bill. I 
have reservations about several provisions in the bill, but ultimately 
I believe that the good contained in this bill outweighs the bad. My 
vote was cast in favor of keeping the government operating and to 
continue to make critical investments agency programs that benefit all 
Americans. I also firmly believe that we cannot afford another shutdown 
and this bill provides the Federal Government with funding through 
September 30, 2016.
  The omnibus provides much needed increases for a broad range of 
education programs including Head Start, Title I grants, aid to HBCUs, 
the TRIO and GEAR UP programs,

[[Page E1826]]

and rural education. Providing the resources low-income families need 
to increase their academic success is one of my highest priorities, and 
this legislation is a first step in the right direction.
  Furthermore, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), 
and other minority serving institutions are set to receive an 
additional $40 million in funding. HBCUs have created and fostered a 
generation of African-American professionals, and still play a vital 
role in educating our youth. My district is home to some of the most 
prominent HBCUs in the Country, and as a Vice Chair of the Bipartisan 
Congressional HBCU Caucus, securing adequate funding for these 
institutions is critically important to me.
  I am also pleased that this bill provides funding through the 
Department of the Interior that will be used to preserve historic civil 
sites. The struggle for civil and voting rights is an integral part of 
American history. Our district is known as the civil rights district, 
and we have the potential to benefit from this competitive grant 
process. I fought to secure two amendments that made this funding 
possible in order to preserve important civil rights sites for future 
generations.
  The bill includes many increases in programs that are critical to 
improving access to quality health care and innovative medical 
research. I am particularly pleased to see a much needed increase in 
funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National 
Science Foundation (NSF). These investments in research are essential 
to providing long-term stability for our research communities in 
Birmingham and across the state. The package recognizes that HIV and 
Hepatitis should be a priority by reinvesting in the Health Resources 
and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC). As the mental health crisis becomes more urgent, 
the deal's increased funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Agency (SAMHSA) is a welcome sign of progress for the mental 
health community.
  There is an urgent need to address racial health disparities in 
Alabama's 7th Congressional District, and I am pleased this bill 
recognizes that need. By funding Racial and Ethnic Approaches to 
Community Health (REACH), Congress has made an investment to help 
eliminate health disparities across a range of diseases, including 
heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
  This is not a perfect bill, but I am proud that both sides of the 
aisle were able to work out a compromise that benefits our nation, and 
helps us continue to grow.

                          ____________________