[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 185 (Tuesday, November 19, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H8967-H8969]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 3055, COMMERCE, 
    JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG 
ADMINISTRATION, INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS 
      AFFAIRS, TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 708 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 708

       Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be 
     in order to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 
     3055) making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce 
     and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes, with 
     the Senate amendment thereto, and to consider in the House, 
     without intervention of any point of order, a motion offered 
     by the chair of the Committee on Appropriations or her 
     designee that the House concur in the Senate amendment with 
     an amendment inserting the text of Rules Committee Print 116-
     38 in lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the 
     Senate. The Senate amendment and the motion shall be 
     considered as read. The motion shall be debatable for one 
     hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking 
     minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The 
     previous question shall be considered as ordered on the 
     motion to its adoption without intervening motion.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Massachusetts is 
recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield 
the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), 
pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During 
consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose 
of debate only.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Rules Committee met and

[[Page H8968]]

reported a rule, House Resolution 708, providing for consideration of 
the Senate amendment to H.R. 3055. One hour of general debate has been 
provided, controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Appropriations.
  Mr. Speaker, funding the government may seem like an arcane exercise 
to some watching this debate today, but it is the most basic 
responsibility any Member of Congress has. And failure to follow 
through could be devastating.
  Remember what happened during the Trump shutdown? The President and 
Republican leaders who controlled the Congress then caused the longest 
government shutdown in American history.
  Hundreds of Federal workers were forced to miss paychecks. The men 
and women who keep our country safe struggled to put food on the table. 
Members of the Coast Guard, FBI agents, Border Patrol officers, and TSA 
agents waited in long lines at food banks to provide for their 
families. Millions of households were at risk of experiencing a gap in 
their SNAP benefits without a backup plan. And I could go on and on.
  These debates are not just some abstract political exercise. They 
have real-life consequences. And that is why this majority passed bills 
to fund roughly 96 percent of the Federal Government earlier this year, 
but Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans couldn't get their work 
done.
  So today we find ourselves needing to take action, once again, before 
funding runs out later this week. And, once again, this majority is not 
shirking its responsibilities. We are taking the lead through a bill 
that not only keeps the lights on, it addresses the most critical 
budget priorities we face.
  In addition to funding the government through December 20, the 
underlying measure also gives our military a 3.1 percent pay raise. It 
fully funds a fair and accurate 2020 Census, and it keeps critical 
public health programs going for another month, so consumers don't see 
a gap in care. Families, businesses, and communities need this 
certainty while talks continue on a longer-term deal.
  Just as important as what is here, Mr. Speaker, is what is not here. 
There are no controversial policy provisions, nothing designed to make 
Members run to their partisan corners. This is simply about whether key 
programs remain authorized and funded, whether members of our military 
are able to avoid the pain of budget uncertainty, and whether we 
guarantee an accurate 2020 Census.
  You know, we fight about a lot of issues on this floor, but this bill 
should not be one of them. I know President Trump's disposition is to 
govern by tweet. That is what helped bring on the last Republican 
shutdown. I don't know if he has logged on in the last few minutes and 
tried to throw a wrench into the process, but I hope that regardless of 
what he does or doesn't say in the next few days, Republicans will join 
us in agreeing that we should not be shutting the government down.
  We should pass this bill. We should allow appropriators to have more 
time to negotiate and continue this process in an orderly way. Make no 
mistake, this majority will continue fighting hard for our priorities. 
We are going to keep defending vital programs, and we will be providing 
a check on the Trump administration. But we are going to fight for what 
we believe in while averting another costly shutdown because it is the 
right thing to do, and it is the responsible thing to do.
  I don't expect that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are 
always going to share our priorities, but I do know that there are many 
in the House, and I include my ranking member who was also an 
appropriator in that category, who is sincerely dedicated to making 
sure we do our job to making sure we fund our government, to making 
sure that we achieve a reasonable compromise, and to making sure that 
we avoid another shutdown that has such catastrophic effects.
  So I urge all my colleagues to join with us. Let's allow more time 
for talks to continue while saying enough to government shutdowns.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend, the gentleman 
from Massachusetts (Chairman McGovern) for yielding me the customary 30 
minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we are here on a bill that represents one of the most 
fundamental roles of the United States Congress, and that is to fund 
the government, and to keep it open.
  This continuing resolution ensures critical government funding will 
remain in place through December 20. While short-term measures are 
never ideal, this extension of funding is necessary to ensure that the 
House and the Senate can continue to negotiate and reach agreement on a 
full-year appropriation for fiscal year 2020.
  As Members of Congress, we are obligated each year to pass 
legislation that funds the government and keeps it open so that it can 
continue to provide services that many of our constituents are counting 
on. With today's bill, we ensure that the government remains open until 
December 20, which will give Congress time to reach an agreement 
funding the entire government for the rest of the fiscal year.

  This continuing resolution not only maintains government funding, but 
it also rightly extends authorizations for some key programs that 
otherwise would expire, programs like community health centers, a 
special diabetes program, and the special diabetes program for Native 
Americans. And we are also adding an adjustment to raise pay for our 
members of the armed services by 3.1 percent.
  Even though it is good news that we are preventing a government 
shutdown with this continuing resolution--as my friend knows, I 
certainly plan to support it when it comes to the floor--today's 
measure sadly represents a missed opportunity for the House of 
Representatives. The fact that we are here today on our second 
continuing resolution of this fiscal year is a reminder that Congress 
is not getting its work done, at least when it comes to appropriations.
  Last year, despite the fact that we were in the midst of an election 
cycle, Congress still managed to get appropriations bills covering 80 
percent of full-year spending passed into law by the start of the 
fiscal year. Today, by contrast, we have passed exactly zero 
appropriations bills into law, despite being almost 2 months into the 
fiscal year.
  This state of affairs is disappointing, and while I recognize that 
this is certainly not entirely the fault of the House of 
Representatives, we still have yet to pass all 12 bills out of our own 
House. The job won't get any closer to completion until we pass all 12 
appropriations bills for this fiscal year. The American people deserve 
no less from us and our full attention on this pressing matter.
  Again, I share my friend's frustration at this process, but I am 
actually somewhat optimistic that in the next 30 days we can get that 
job done and get out of this cycle of continuing resolutions and 
actually have a fully functional government with 12 appropriations 
bills. Certainly, I intend to work to achieve that aim. I know my 
friend and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on the 
Appropriations Committee will do that, and I sincerely hope we can be 
successful.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge opposition to the rule, but support for the 
underlying bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, we don't have any additional speakers on 
our side, so we are ready to close any time the gentleman is.
  Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I urge opposition to the rule. And while I am encouraged that we are 
considering a continuing resolution to keep the government open and 
operating until December 20, our work for this fiscal year is not done. 
It is not going to be done until we pass all 12 appropriations bills 
into law.
  While the House is focused on other areas, we have neglected some of 
our key responsibilities in both Chambers, quite frankly, for funding 
the government for fiscal year 2020. Our constituents demand that we 
get our job done.
  So, Mr. Speaker, again, I reiterate my commitment. I know the 
commitment of my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee, on both 
sides of the aisle, to work diligently to come to an agreement so we 
can we can bring before this body compromised legislation between a 
Republican Senate and

[[Page H8969]]

a Democratic House, legislation that we can all, frankly, send to the 
President with a great deal of pride. This underlying legislation gives 
us the time to do that.
  I thank my friend for cooperating, and I look forward to working with 
him on that measure, as well as the eventual completion of the 
appropriations process.
  So, Mr. Speaker, while I oppose the rule, I support the underlying 
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1230

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Let me begin my closing by again thanking the gentleman from Oklahoma 
(Mr. Cole) not only for his work on the Rules Committee but also for 
his work on the Appropriations Committee. I think he understands the 
importance of making sure that we don't have any more government 
shutdowns, but he also understands that in this place, no matter who is 
in charge, you don't always get 100 percent of what you want and that 
sometimes compromise is appropriate and necessary to do the right 
thing.
  Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman knows, we on this side tried to 
accommodate the minority in terms of the underlying measure, changing 
the underlying measure at the minority's request. Unfortunately, a 
Member on the minority side objected, so we were not able to do that, 
but I do have nothing but the highest respect for the gentleman, and I 
appreciate his words.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, I know that some of my friends on the other side of 
the aisle would have drafted a different bill if they were in charge. I 
want my colleagues to know that if I could wave a magic wand and have 
my own way in everything, I would, too.
  For example, I would have removed the 4-month extension of the 
PATRIOT Act's FISA provision from this bill. I have voted against this 
program in the past and for bipartisan reforms that would strip the 
government of this unchecked and, I believe, unconstitutional spying 
power.
  I may be the chairman of the Rules Committee, but I don't believe it 
should be my way or the highway on everything. I don't believe in 
blowing up a bipartisan, bicameral negotiation just because I didn't 
get my own way on a particular provision.
  But make no mistake, Mr. Speaker, I hope that we have a standalone 
and robust debate on the FISA when the extension expires next year. As 
I said, this is a 4-month extension that we are talking about. 
Meaningful reforms, I think, are long overdue.
  Let me remind my colleagues what is at stake today. 800,000 Americans 
had their paychecks held hostage for 35 days during the President's 
last shutdown. Workers couldn't pay their bills. Communities lost 
access to health and safety services. Our national security was 
endangered. Our economy was harmed. The nonpartisan Congressional 
Budget Office estimates that it cost us billions of dollars for the 
President's shutdown.
  The choice before us today is whether we are going to vote to cause a 
repeat of that devastation or not. I think the costs are too high, and 
I would like to think my Republican friends have learned their lesson.
  Look, no one expects either side to stop fighting for what they 
believe in, but let's do it while the lights are on.
  There is really nothing terribly controversial here. This is not a 
radical proposal. It is about keeping the government funded through 
December 20, giving the men and women of our military a raise, fully 
funding the Census, and encouraging Senator McConnell and Senate 
Republicans to finally get their work done.
  House appropriators, I would say in a bipartisan way, did most of 
their work. The Senate remains a problem on getting a yearlong budget 
deal.
  Quite frankly, if it were possible, the Senate majority leader should 
be sued for malpractice due to his inaction. But we are where we are, 
and we should all be able to agree on that. Mr. Speaker, I strongly 
urge a ``yes'' vote on this rule and on the underlying bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the 
previous question on the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous 
question.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

                          ____________________