[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 185 (Friday, December 18, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1827-E1829]
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. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 17, 2015

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on the underlying bill, 
H.R. 2029, the ``Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2014.''
  I want to thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey for their 
constructive work in fashioning this bipartisan and bicameral 
legislation to fund the government for the remainder of Fiscal Year 
2016.
  The bill before us is not perfect--far from it--but it is a modest 
and positive step toward preventing Republicans from shutting down the 
government again and manufacturing crises that only harm our economy, 
destroy jobs, and weaken our middle class.
  As with any compromise there are some things in the agreement that I 
support and some things that I do not.
  The bill provides a total of $1.067 trillion for the operation of the 
federal government, a substantial and necessary increase of $80 billion 
in sequestration relief.
  The bill contains all 12 regular appropriations bills for fiscal year 
2016, with no area of the government functioning under a Continuing 
Resolution, thus allowing every program to be considered on its own 
merits and prioritized, rather than be subject to arbitrary across the 
board cuts.
  Mr. Speaker, let me say at the outset that I am very pleased that 
Section 208 of the Omnibus (Division N) incorporates the Jackson Lee 
Amendment to Cybersecurity Act of 2015, which creates a voluntary 
cybersecurity information sharing process that will encourage public 
and private sector entities to share cyber threat information, without 
legal barriers and the threat of unfounded litigation--while protecting 
private information.
  The Jackson Lee Amendment incorporated in the Cybersecurity Act and 
included in the Omnibus also includes provisions to improve federal 
network and information system security, provide assessments on the 
federal cybersecurity workforce, and provide reporting and strategies 
on cybersecurity industry-related and criminal-related matters.
  I also strongly support the James Zadroga 9/11 Victim Compensation 
Fund Reauthorization contained in Title IV of Division O, which 
reauthorizes the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund for an additional five 
years, provides an additional $4.6 billion to fully fund the VCF; and 
makes technical adjustments to VCF payment schedules to ensure the 
provided funding is sufficient to pay all claims.
  In addition, Title IV creates a fund, modeled along the lines of the 
``Victim of the Terror Fund'' I proposed in H. Res. 528, to compensate 
U.S. victims of terrorism who either hold a final judgment issued 
against a state sponsor of terrorism under the terrorism exception to 
the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, or were taken hostage (or are a 
spouse or child of someone who was taken hostage) from the U.S. Embassy 
in Tehran, Iran in 1979.
  This program is funded with an initial allocation of $1.025 billion 
and will be augmented in future years through criminal and civil 
penalties levied against state sponsors of terrorism and their co-
conspirators.
  Mr. Speaker, the Omnibus provides increases in funding for several 
programs that I have strongly supported and fought for throughout my 
tenure in Congress.
  Let me list just a few of the more important ones.


                    AGRICULTURE AND RELATED AGENCIES

  $6.350 billion for Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, 
Infants, and Children (WIC), an amount sufficient to meet expected need 
in Fiscal Year 2016.


            COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES

  $19.3 billion for NASA, which is $1.27 billion more than the 2015 
enacted level.
  $347 million for Byrne-JAG grants, which is $14.7 million above the 
2015 enacted level and $2 million more than the House bill.
  $212 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) 
Program. Within this funding, $187 million is for the hiring of law 
enforcement, which is $7 million above the FY 2015 level and $187 
million above the House bill which eliminated this funding.
  $480 million for Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution 
Programs, which is $50 more than the 2015 enacted level.
  $270.2 million for Juvenile Justice, which is $18.7 million more than 
the FY 2015 level and $83.7 million above the House bill.
  $385 million for the Legal Services Corporation, which is $10 million 
more than FY 2015 level and $85 million above the House bill.
  $7.46 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF), which is 
$119.3 million more than FY 2015 and $69.3 million above the House 
bill.
  $2.57 billion overall for total State and Local Law Enforcement 
Activities, which is $246.2 million above the FY 2015 level and $405.7 
million more than the House bill; and
  $1.37 billion for the Census Bureau, which is $378.3 million more 
than the House bill, including funding to help ensure an efficient 2020 
Census utilizing innovative and cost-effective enumeration practices.
  The bill rejects House proposals to prohibit the Department of 
Justice from using funds to challenge state immigration laws or 
awarding grants to ``sanctuary'' cities; or to defend the Deferred 
Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy in the pending court case.


                                DEFENSE

  $288.3 million for sexual assault prevention and response programs, 
$5 million more than the House bill and $25 million more than the 
request.
  $125 million for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Psychological 
Health research.
  $282 million for cancer research, roughly the same as the House bill, 
$407 million more than the request, and $1.5 million more than FY2015.
  1.3% pay raise for military personnel as proposed in the budget 
request and included in the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act.
  $26.7 million for the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, the same as 
the House bill, $20 million more than requested.
  $25 million for STARBASE, a STEM education program for fifth graders, 
the same as the House bill, $25 million more than the request, and the 
same as FY2015.


           ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES

  $2.1 billion for Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, which is $404 
million more than the 2015 enacted level.
  $6.0 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers, which is $350 million 
more than the 2015 enacted level.
  $1.3 billion for water resources projects within the Department of 
Interior, which is $135 million more than the 2015 enacted level.
  $206 million for activities to modernize the electricity grid, which 
is $19 million more than the House bill and $59 million than the FY2015 
enacted level.
  $6.2 billion for environmental cleanup activities, which is $309 
million more than the House bill and $337 million more than the FY2015 
enacted level.
  The Omnibus eliminates the majority of riders proposed in the House 
bill, including those related to Waters of the United States, guns on 
Corps lands, Clean Water Act agriculture exemptions and ceiling fan 
standards.


               FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT

  $871 million for the Small Business Administration (SBA), which is 
$16.6 million less than the 2015 enacted level (as a result of reduced 
loan subsidy costs) and $18.5 million higher than the House-passed 
level.
  $729.8 million for the District of Columbia, which is $50.3 million 
more than the 2015 enacted level and $51.8 million more than the House-
passed level.
  $6.8 billion for the Judiciary, which is $80 million more than the 
2015 enacted level.
  The Omnibus eliminates the majority of riders proposed in the House 
including those prohibiting funds: to subsidize abortion services in 
connection with a multi-state plan offered under the Affordable Care 
Act exchanges negotiated by OPM; to implement the Affordable Care Act 
(ACA) individual mandate and prohibiting HHS transfers to IRS for ACA 
implementation; implement the net neutrality order until the current 
court cases are resolved; and to travel to Cuba for educational 
exchanges not involving academic study pursuant to a degree program.


                           HOMELAND SECURITY

  $13.03 billion for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is $451 
million more than the FY2015 enacted level and $59 million less than 
the House level.
  $4.93 billion for the Transportation Security Administration, which 
is $225.8 million less than the 2013 enacted level.
  $7.44 billion for the Transportation Security Administration, which 
is $211.3 million more than the FY2015 enacted level and $207.5 million 
more than the House level.
  $923.8 million for Cybersecurity and Communications, an increase of 
$27.5 million above the 2013 enacted level.

[[Page E1828]]

  $4.62 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, $268.9 
million above the 2015 enacted level.
  $2.54 billion for State and Local Grants, an increase of $10 million 
above the 2015 enacted level and $308.6 million more than the request.
  $1.93 billion for the U.S. Secret Service, which is $267.8 million 
more than the FY2015 enacted level.
  $10.92 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard, which is $880 million more i 
than the FY2015 enacted level and $805.9 million more than the House 
level.
  $100 million for Pre-Disaster Mitigation, which is $75 million more 
than the FY2015 enacted level and the House level.
  $190 million for Flood Mapping, which is $90 million more than the 
FY2015 enacted level and the House level.
  $50 million in new funding to help state and local communities 
counter violent extremism and to help state and local law enforcement 
prepare for and respond to complex, coordinated terrorist attacks.
  $100 million in new funding for DHS to address cybersecurity 
vulnerabilities of DHS IT systems.
  Controversial House riders related to abortion services and 
immigration enforcement are not included in the bill.
  Among the contentious riders not included were provisions:
  1. related to the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals 
program and the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program;
  2. to eliminate ICE's discretion to release certain categories of 
detainees from custody, except for removal;
  3. intended to prohibit Americans from bringing back merchandise from 
Cuba; and
  4. prohibiting the award of terrorism preparedness grants to states 
or political subdivisions of states that do not permit law enforcement 
officers to assist or cooperate with the enforcement of federal 
immigration law.


              INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES

  $4.203 billion for Wildland fires, which represent the 10-year 
average of costs.
  $4.8 billion for the Indian Health Service, which is $165 million 
more than the 2015 enacted level.
  $450 million is provided for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, an 
increase of $144 million above the 2015 enacted level.
  $2.851 billion for the National Park Service, which is $237 million 
more than the 2015 enacted level.
  $147.9 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts and the 
National Endowment for the Humanities, which is $1.9 million more than 
the 2015 enacted level and $1.9 million more than the House bill.
  $2.796 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which is $195 
million more than the 2015 enacted level and $30 million more than the 
House bill.
  $2.455 billion for the U.S. Forest Service (non-fire), which is $35 
million more than the 2015 enacted level and $99 million more than the 
House bill.


   LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES

  $9.26 billion for Head Start, which is $570 million more than the 
2015 enacted level, and $14 million more than the House bill.
  $2.7 billion for job training through WIA Training and Employment 
Formula Grant program, which is $86 million more than the 2015 enacted 
level.
  $835 million for Seniors' Nutrition programs, which is $20 million 
more than the 2015 enacted level and $14 million more than the House 
bill.
  $2.36 billion for Child Care & Development Block Grants, which is $36 
million more than the 2015 enacted level.
  $244.7 million for Historically Black Colleges, $63.3 million for 
Historically Black Graduate Institutions, and $9.9 million for 
Predominantly Black Institutions, a total of more than $319 million, 
which represents an increase of about $23 million over the 2015 enacted 
level.
  $56,758,601 for the National Institute on Minority Health and Health 
Disparities (NIMHD) Research Centers in Minority Institutions equal to 
the enacted 2015 level.
  $22.5 billion for Pell Grants, the same as the 2015 enacted level but 
$370 million more than the House bill, and which, when combined with 
mandatory funding, will enable the maximum grant to increase to an 
estimated $5,915, an increase of $140 in the 2016-2017 school year.
  $3.4 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program 
(LIHEAP), which is the same as the 2015 enacted level and $25 million 
more than the House bill.
  $11.9 billion for Special Education state grants (IDEA), which is 
$415 million more than the 2015 enacted level and $87 million less than 
the House bill.
  $1.6 billion for worker protection agencies at the Department of 
Labor, which is $3 million more than the 2015 enacted level and $39 
million more than the House bill.
  $445 million as an advance appropriation for the Corporation for 
Public Broadcasting (CPB), which is the same as the 2015 enacted level 
and the House bill. An increase of $40 million is provided for 
Television Interconnection in 2016, which is $40 million more than the 
House bill.
  $948 million for Unaccompanied Minor Children, which is the same as 
the 2015 enacted level and $130 million more than the House bill.
  $1.1 billion for the Corporation for National and Community Service 
(CNCS), which is $40 million more than the 2015 enacted level and $407 
million more than the House bill.
  The Omnibus abandons the futile but wasteful effort by House 
Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act.


                            VETERANS AFFAIRS

  $71.414 billion in discretionary funding for Veterans Affairs, which 
is $6.4 billion more than the 2015 enacted level.
  $630.7 million for prosthetic research, which is $41.8 million above 
the 2015 enacted level.
  An additional $2.369 billion for the Medical Services account and 
$105 million for Medical Facilities for fiscal year 2016.
  Of the additional funds included for fiscal year 2016, $1.5 billion 
is dedicated for the treatment of Hepatitis C within the VA system, an 
additional $50 million is included for the Caregiver Program, and an 
additional $15 million is included for mobile Vet Centers.
  The Omnibus provides new tools and resources to address the backlog 
of veterans' disability claims by increasing personnel, enhancing 
training and quality oversight, and strengthening accountability.


            STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED AGENCIES

  I would have preferred that the bill provide more than $2.22 billion 
for Embassy Security, Construction and Maintenance, an amount that is 
$102 million less than the 2015 enacted level. Our diplomats who risk 
their lives serving in dangerous outposts around the world deserve all 
the resources required to keep them safe.
  $2.78 billion for Development Assistance (DA), which is $274 million 
more than the FY 2015 level but $218 million.
  $4.32 billion for Economic Support Fund (ESF), which is $428 million 
less than the FY 2015 level.
  $1.28 billion for USAID Operating Expenses (OE), which is $66.6 
million more than the FY 2015 level.
  $5.9 billion in total funding for humanitarian assistance accounts, 
which is $899 million more than the FY 2015 level.
  And the FY 2016 Committee mark and $1.66 billion more than the
  $410 million for Peace Corps, which is $30.5 million more than the 
2015 Committee mark and the FY 2015 level and equal to the 
Administration's request.
  $8.5 billion for Global Health (GHP), which is $49.5 million more 
than the FY 2016 Committee mark and FY 2015 level and $322 million more 
than the Administration's request.
  $575 million for bilateral family planning, which is equal to the 
2015 enacted level.
  The final agreement does not include a policy rider codifying the 
``Global Gag Rule,'' which prohibits non-governmental organizations 
(NGOs) receiving federal funds from providing women information about 
certain health services.


TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES

  $16.3 billion for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is 
$563 million more than the 2015 enacted level.
  $500 million for National Infrastructure Investments (TIGER), which 
is equal to the 2015 enacted level and $400 million more than the House 
bill.
  $2.2 billion for Capital Investment Grants, which is $57 million more 
than the 2015 enacted level and $256 million more than the House bill.
  $50 million for Railroad Safety Grants, $25 million for rail 
infrastructure improvements and $25 million for positive train control 
grants.
  $17.7 billion for Section 8 Tenant Based Rental Assistance renewals, 
which is $195 million more than the 2015 enacted level.
  $60 million for HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH), 
which is $15 million below the 2015 enacted level but $60 million more 
than the House bill, and $60 million more than the President's budget 
request.
  $10.4 billion for Section 8 Project Based Rental Assistance renewals, 
which is $885 million more than the 2015 enacted level, and is 
sufficient to meet expected need based on updated estimates.
  $4.5 billion for Public Housing Operating Fund, which is $60 million 
more than the 2015 enacted level and $60 million more than the House 
bill.
  $1.9 billion for Public Housing Capital Fund, which is $25 million 
more than the 2015 enacted level and $219 million more than the House 
bill, and $50 million below the President's budget request.
  $3 billion for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which is 
equal to the 2015 enacted level.
  $110 million for Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control, which is the 
same as the

[[Page E1829]]

2015 enacted level and $35 million more than the House bill.
  $300 million for flooding disasters that occurred in calendar year 
2015.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that Title III of Division O 
of the Omnibus keeps faith with the first responders who risked their 
lives and sacrificed their health in aid of the fellow human beings who 
were trapped or perished in the World Trade Center on September 11, 
2001.
  Specifically, Title III of Division O includes the James Zadroga 9/11 
Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act which reauthorizes the 
World Trade Center Health Program through 2090, establishing annual 
caps for funding for the first 10 years, then increasing the caps to 
account for inflation in future years and allowing the funding to carry 
over if necessary.
  Mr. Speaker, as I stated, this bill is not perfect, but on balance it 
is a significant improvement over the spending bills considered in the 
House last year.

                          ____________________