[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 128 (Friday, July 28, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1079]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018

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                               speech of

                         HON. SUZANNE BONAMICI

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 26, 2017

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3219) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes:

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 
3219, the Make America Secure Appropriations Act. I am deeply 
disappointed that this bill includes an indefensible $1.6 billion for 
the President's so-called border wall. It also violates the bipartisan 
Budget Control Act (BCA) spending caps, strips a long-overdue provision 
to sunset the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), and 
bars any efforts to close Guantanamo Bay.
   H.R. 3219 includes Fiscal Year 2018 funding for the Legislative 
Branch, the Veterans' Affairs Department, the Department of Defense, 
and Energy and Water programs at the Department of Energy and 
Department of the Interior. Although I have many concerns with the 
bill, I am pleased that it increased funding for the Army Corps of 
Engineers, including funding for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, 
which will help dredge and maintain Oregon ports. I am also grateful 
that a bipartisan amendment that I championed with Rep. Scott Perry to 
increase funding for the Water Technologies Office at the Office of 
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) was adopted. This will 
allow Oregon State University to continue their cutting-edge research 
and development of sustainable hydropower, pumped storage, and marine 
energy. I am deeply concerned, however, that the bill reduces overall 
EERE funding and eliminates the Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy 
(ARPA-E) program. I also do not support the inclusion of harmful policy 
riders that prevent implementation of National Oceans Policy 
protections and authorize the withdrawal of the Waters of the United 
States rule.
   I am supportive of provisions in the bill that uphold our commitment 
to our nation's veterans. The bill provides robust funding for Medical 
and Prosthetic Research, and prioritizes funding to hire needed 
doctors, nurses, and medical staff at VA medical centers. Additionally, 
the bill addresses the ongoing disability claims backlog by requiring 
regional offices to report on processing performance and remediation 
efforts.
   Unfortunately, the bill also included $1.6 billion to fund parts of 
President Trump's border wall, a waste of money that will not secure 
the border and will have long lasting humanitarian, diplomatic, and 
environmental consequences. The bill also appropriates Defense spending 
at $621 billion, which is $72 billion above the BCA caps. Without a fix 
to the caps, this funding level would trigger a mandatory 13.2 percent 
cut in all defense accounts. This reckless cut is irresponsible. 
Finally, the bill was stripped of a provision to sunset the 2001 
Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which has been used for 
more than 15 years to justify ongoing military actions overseas. It is 
long past time for Congress to reassert our authority and 
responsibility to debate matters of military force. The Majority's 
decision to remove this provision--which passed out of the 
Appropriations Committee with broad bipartisan support--shows a 
disregard for our duties and the legislative process. Additionally the 
bill bars any funds from being used to close the detention center at 
Guantanamo Bay, or to transfer detainees. For those reasons, I am 
strongly opposed to H.R. 3219 and urge my colleagues to vote no.

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