[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 93 (Monday, June 13, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E890]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2017

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                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 9, 2016

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5325) making 
     appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2017, and for other purposes:

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, I rise today in reluctant opposition to 
H.R. 5325, Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2017.
  Although I support most of the programs and services this bill helps 
to fund including the Capitol Police, the independent budgetary and 
economic analysis of the Congressional Budget Office and the 
nonpartisan oversight work of the Government Accountability Office, as 
well as the language to stop this year's COLA for Congress, I must 
oppose the bill on the grounds that it has become a vehicle for the 
House Majority to advance an ideological agenda.
  Funding in the bill has been used to finance the Benghazi Committee, 
to defend the misnamed ``Defense of Marriage Act,'' to sue the 
President over the Affordable Care Act and to fund the witch hunt 
against Planned Parenthood. Now the Majority wants to use this 
appropriations bill to order the Library of Congress to use politically 
charged terminology to refer to classes of people in the United States.
  It is unfortunate that the Majority has chosen to play politics with 
this appropriations bill instead of devoting the time to shaping 
policies that actually serve the country.

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