[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 186 (Wednesday, November 20, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1483-E1484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     VOTE EXPLANATION ON H.R. 3055

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 20, 2019

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, yesterday I voted against H.R. 3055, a 
Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government through December 20, 
2019.
  Let me be clear: I strongly support the majority of the funding 
extensions and protections in this CR. This includes the well-deserved 
3.1 percent pay raise to our men and women in uniform, of which I also 
voted in favor earlier this year in separate legislation. The 
compensation for our men and women in uniform should never be 
compromised by Congress's inability to pass annual funding legislation.
  I am also pleased that this CR includes a provision that would 
protect federal highway funding and generate new jobs. Using my 
position as Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee, I worked to ensure that the CR included a provision that 
would repeal Section 1438 of the FAST Act of 2015. Section 1438, which 
was included at the insistence of Republican leaders in 2015, will 
rescind $7.6 billion of federal highway funding in Fiscal Year (FY) 
2020 if it is not repealed.
  I strongly support repeal of Section 1438, which is long overdue. 
Transportation agencies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia 
are counting on Congress to prevent this massive, multi-billion dollar 
cut from going into effect. Although I unfortunately had to vote 
against the CR for unrelated reasons, I applaud my colleagues for 
taking this issue seriously and including the rescission repeal in this 
must-pass bill. I'm pleased we are taking a positive step to finally 
give states the certainty they need to carry out long-term projects 
that create jobs and help their communities.
  Furthermore, I strongly support the extensions in the CR to protect 
funding for Community Health Centers, which provide a vital lifeline 
for health care services to thousands of Oregonians and millions of 
Americans across the country. I am also pleased that this legislation 
extends funding for the National Health Service Corps and the Teaching 
Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, two health care 
workforce programs that provide resources to support the training of 
health providers in rural and underserved areas.
  In addition, I am pleased that this legislation protects funding for 
important health care programs including Medicare and Medicaid 
programs, disproportionate share hospitals, the Community Mental Health 
Services Demonstration Program, the Special Diabetes Program, and funds 
to respond to the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
  I also strongly support the funding extensions provided to ensure the 
Census Bureau has the funding it needs to continue carrying out the 
2020 Decennial Census.
  Moreover, I support the CR's funding extension for the critical 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which allows 
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to match state child 
care expenditures and make scheduled contingency fund payments. The 
legislation also ensures that the current caseload in the Commodity 
Supplemental Food Program, which serves low-income seniors, is 
maintained.
  However, I opposed the CR because it includes absurd provisions to 
extend mass surveillance programs under the Foreign Intelligence 
Surveillance Act (FISA). This includes Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, 
which has allowed for mass surveillance of Americans' call records, as 
well as roving wire tap provisions and so-called ``lone wolf'' 
authority.
  I am strongly opposed to these data collection and mass surveillance 
programs, which I believe are unconstitutional. I voted against the 
original PATRIOT Act in 2001, and I have continued to oppose 
reauthorization of this and related mass surveillance programs unless 
and until significant reforms are made to protect the constitutional 
privacy rights of U.S. citizens.

[[Page E1484]]

  For years, I have urged congressional leadership under both parties 
to take up meaningful reform of these government spying programs and 
allow for sincere, robust debate on how to restore Americans' 
constitutional rights to privacy while also protecting our nation's 
security. In July, I was one of 7 Democrats to vote against the 
Intelligence Authorization Act because it did not contain any 
significant reforms to curb government surveillance.
  That's why I joined my colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to 
the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees urging them to finally 
take up meaningful surveillance reform legislation before Section 215 
and related FISA provisions expire on December 15 of this year.
  Regrettably, this CR is yet another example of Congress's habit of 
kicking the can down the road instead of engaging in long-overdue, 
substantive debate on surveillance reform legislation. Congress owes it 
to the American people to end government mass surveillance and restore 
Americans' civil liberties and constitutional rights.
  As I've always said, while we must ensure that law enforcement 
officials have the tools they need to assess, detect, and prevent 
future terrorist attacks, I don't believe we have to shred the 
Constitution and Bill of Rights in order to fight terrorism.
  The bottom line is that it is beyond time for Congress to provide 
long-term stability and funding in its annual appropriations process. 
The Democratic-led House completed nearly all of its appropriations 
bills before September 30, the end of the Fiscal Year. Because the 
Senate did not get its work done in time, bridge funding in the form of 
continuing resolutions has been needed to keep the government open. 
Congress needs to get its act together and halt the ridiculous and 
irresponsible lurching from short-term fix to short-term fix.
  I hope the Senate can get its work done so we can finally stop the 
budget gimmicks and spend our time working on important issues like 
fighting climate change, improving access to health care, upgrading our 
dilapidated infrastructure, investing in public education, and more. 
That is what Americans expect, and that is what they deserve.

                          ____________________