Congressional Record, Volume 166 Issue 218 (Monday, December 21, 2020)

[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 218 (Monday, December 21, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H7301-H7315]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

UNITED STATES-MEXICO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP ACT

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1271, I call up
the bill (H.R. 133) to promote economic partnership and cooperation
between the United States and Mexico, with the Senate amendment
thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the Senate
amendment.
Senate amendment:

Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Mexico
Economic Partnership Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States and Mexico have benefitted from a
bilateral, mutually beneficial partnership focused on
advancing the economic interests of both countries.
(2) In 2013, Mexico adopted major energy reforms that
opened its energy sector to private investment, increasing
energy cooperation between Mexico and the United States and
opening new opportunities for United States energy
engagement.
(3) On January 18, 2018, the Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the
Department of State stated, ``Our exchange programs build
enduring relationships and networks to advance U.S. national
interests and foreign policy goals . . . The role of our
exchanges . . . in advancing U.S. national security and
economic interests enjoys broad bipartisan support from
Congress and other stakeholders, and provides a strong return
on investment.''.
(4) According to the Institute of International Education,
in the 2015-2016 academic year, more than 56,000 United
States students studied in other countries in the Western
Hemisphere region while more than 84,000 non-United States
students from the region studied in the United States, but
only 5,000 of those United States students studied in Mexico
and only 16,000 of those non-United States students were from
Mexico.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to continue deepening economic cooperation between the
United States and Mexico;
(2) to seek to prioritize and expand educational and
professional exchange programs with Mexico, including through
frameworks such as the 100,000 Strong in the Americas
Initiative, the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative,
Jovenes en Accion (Youth in Action), the Fulbright Foreign
Student Program, and the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program;
and
(3) to promote positive cross-border relations as a
priority for advancing United States foreign policy and
programs.

SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO PRIORITIZE AND EXPAND EDUCATIONAL AND
PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS WITH MEXICO.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall develop a
strategy to carry out the policy described in section 3, to
include prioritizing and expanding educational and
professional exchange programs with Mexico through frameworks
such as those referred to in section 3(2).
(b) Elements.--The strategy required under subsection (a)
shall--
(1) encourage more academic exchanges between the United
States and Mexico at the secondary, post-secondary, and post-
graduate levels;
(2) encourage United States and Mexican academic
institutions and businesses to collaborate to assist
prospective and developing entrepreneurs in strengthening
their business skills and promoting cooperation and joint
business initiatives across the United States and Mexico;
(3) promote energy infrastructure coordination and
cooperation through support of vocational-level education,
internships, and exchanges between the United States and
Mexico; and
(4) assess the feasibility of fostering partnerships
between universities in the United States and medical school
and nursing programs in Mexico to ensure that medical school
and nursing programs in Mexico have comparable accreditation
standards as medical school and nursing programs in the
United States by the Accreditation and Standards in Foreign
Medical Education, in addition to the Accreditation
Commission For Education in Nursing, so that medical students
can pass medical licensing board exams, and nursing students
can pass nursing licensing exams, in the United States.
(c) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall brief
the appropriate congressional committees regarding the
strategy required under subsection (a).

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional
committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives.

SEC. 6. SUNSET PROVISION.

This Act shall remain in effect until December 31, 2023.

Motion to Concur

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the motion.
The text of the motion is as follows:

Mrs. Lowey moves that the House concur in the Senate
amendment to H.R. 133 with an amendment consisting of the
text of Rules Committee Print 116-68.

=========================== NOTE ===========================

December 21, 2020, on page H7301, the following appeared: Ms.
Lowey moves that the House concur in the Senate amendment to H.R.
133 with an amendment consisting of the text of Rules Committee
Print 116-68.

The online version has been corrected to read: Mrs. Lowey moves
that the House concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 133 with an
amendment consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 116-68.

========================= END NOTE =========================

(For text of the House amendment to the Senate amendment, see Book II
of this Record.)
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1271, 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 gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) and the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Granger) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.

{time} 1815

General Leave

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the House amendment to the Senate
amendment to H.R. 133.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to present legislation that comprises all 12
fiscal year 2021 appropriations bills, a number of items agreed to on a
bipartisan basis between authorizing committees, and a coronavirus
relief package.
The 12 appropriations bills include a strong increase in nondefense
discretionary funding, allowing Congress to make important investments
for the people.
I am particularly proud that we have been able to fund better
education for our students; more affordable housing; food security
initiatives; safer communities, with funding to address America's gun
violence epidemic; clean air and water; action on the climate crisis;
and care for our veterans, with a special emphasis on suicide
prevention and gender-specific care.
As chairwoman of the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs, I am also proud that this legislation bolsters
international security and stability. In particular, the Middle East
Partnership for Peace fund will support people-to-people exchanges and
economic partnerships between Israelis and Palestinians.
Turning to the coronavirus relief portion of the legislation, the
bill provides $892 billion to confront the pandemic.
While Republican intransigence means the legislation doesn't include
the State and local relief that is desperately needed, the amounts it
provides for education, public health, and transportation will greatly
benefit our local communities.
Of particular importance to me, the $4 billion for GAVI will help
children

[[Page H7302]]

across the world receive the coronavirus vaccine, though far greater
investments are needed to support international COVID-19 response.
President-elect Biden has spoken about the dark winter that we face
because of this pandemic. It is my hope that this bill will be a source
of light as we face that winter.
I am proud that, through the careful use of Federal funds, the
appropriations in this bill will help set our Nation on a course to
build back better.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill that will provide
funding for the Federal Government through the end of the fiscal year
as well as provide another round of desperately needed relief for those
affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The appropriations package we will consider today is critical because
it will allow us to prevent an unnecessary government shutdown and
avoid a wasteful continuing resolution that simply straight-lines
funding until the end of next year.
The bill makes us safer by ensuring we have the funding and the tools
necessary to both discourage our enemies and defend ourselves against
them.
The funds provided in this bill are also critical to continue the
fight against public health threats both at home and abroad.
The bill ensures that longstanding provisions to protect life, reduce
burdensome regulation, and preserve our way of life are retained.
I would like to highlight some specific programs in the
appropriations package.
This bill supports another significant increase for the National
Institutes of Health, including funding for vital research on
Alzheimer's disease and to find cures for cancer.
It provides more than half a billion dollars for NASA, to help
maintain our superiority in space. We will need to continue to do more
in future years to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon.
The bill also funds the U.S. Space Force so the United States has a
leading edge against China and Russia.
The bill keeps us safe by providing the same level of funding as last
year for the border wall. It also rolls back attempts to limit the
President's authority to provide additional funds, if needed.
The bill continues to rebuild our military, modernize our nuclear
weapons stockpile, and strengthen our allies, such as Israel. This bill
strongly supports our veterans and our troops by increasing pay for our
military; addressing the healthcare needs of our brave warfighters and
their families, as well as those who previously served; and ensuring
that the United States military has cutting-edge equipment, such as the
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the V-22 Osprey, so that they can
discourage and take on any fight against our enemies.
The bill retains longstanding Second Amendment and pro-life
protections that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle wanted to
eliminate. In fact, it secures the largest pro-life victory in a
generation by maintaining the Trump administration's Title X Family
Planning regulations.
It drops the dangerous policy provisions my colleagues on the other
side of the aisle included in the House bills, including riders aimed
at defunding the police.
Billions of dollars of unnecessary emergency spending that the
majority included in their bills is stripped away in this package. Many
of these provisions are considered poison pills that were opposed by
Republicans and the White House.
Also before us today is another round of coronavirus relief.
Specifically, our package will: ensure the timely distribution of
vaccines across the country; help small businesses affected by the
economic downturn; and provide much-needed relief for airports and the
airline industry, which is so important for thousands of hardworking
Texans in and around my district.

I am glad we were able to come together on this agreement today, and
I want to thank my colleagues, Mrs. Lowey, Senator Shelby, and Senator
Leahy, for working together in good faith.
Plain and simple, this package is good for our economic security and
our national security because it addresses the most pressing threats we
face as a country. I hope it will be supported.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of
this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman
from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the distinguished chairwoman of the
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, America is grateful for Mrs. Lowey's years
of honorable, dedicated, and enlightened service. We will so miss her
leadership, bright smile, and affable nature.
I would also like to thank Ranking Member Simpson, who has been a
constant and truly valued partner, as well as our wonderful
subcommittee staff: Jaime Shimek, Scott McKee, Mark Arnone, Farouk
Ophaso, and Mike Brain, who have labored tirelessly to produce this
bill.
The Energy and Water division of this bill captures the American
spirit of ingenuity and national energy independence. It provides the
foundation of critical investments to meet the challenge of climate
change, to which $12 billion, or 24 percent of our overall bill, is
dedicated. Without question, our Energy and Water bill is this year's
most important climate change legislation, with our overall bill
dedicated to sustaining life on Earth.
Instead of the President's shortsighted and devastating cuts, our
bill invests in the future to meet serious national priorities: real
jobs, as we achieve building back better by providing $7.8 billion for
the tremendous Army Corps of Engineers, $145 million above 2020; real
innovation to invest into the future in partnership with our
universities and private-sector innovators; providing $39.6 billion for
the Department of Energy, $1 billion above 2020; real security within
the Department of Energy, as we responsibly fund a nuclear deterrent
while boosting nonproliferation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, we achieve real impact, as our bill
increases the Department's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
program, ARPA-E, Advanced Energy Research, and the Office of Science.
In sum, the Energy and Water division of this bill invests in
innovative programs to yield future opportunities for new-age jobs.
I don't support the cuts in the ATVM program related to advanced
technology for vehicles, but I will say that I support the legislation
overall and believe that our bill is needed more than ever to heal our
Nation and advance our leadership globally.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the former chairman of the full committee and
ranking member of the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill,
but I want to first congratulate our committee's chair and ranking
member for their great work on putting together this enormous and
enormously important bill.
First, I want to say how rare this day really is in another way. It
is the first time that we have had a ranking member who is a female,
Ms. Granger, and the first female chairman of the committee, Nita
Lowey. We will miss her enormously on this committee and in the
Chamber.
This bill is enormous. It is not perfect, but it reflects a fair
compromise that includes funding for many important priorities at home
and abroad and vital assistance for all those negatively impacted by
the coronavirus pandemic.
As ranking member of the Committee on State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs, I want to tell you, this bill provides critical
funding for our national security. This includes $3.3 billion in
Foreign Military Financing for Israel and robust support to combat
transnational crime and the flow of illegal drugs.
The bill is also tough on China, as it commits serious resources
behind our Indo-Pacific strategy. This includes exposing the censorship
and propaganda wielded by the Chinese Communist

[[Page H7303]]

Party and countering Beijing's debt-trap diplomacy through well-funded,
open, and transparent U.S. development by the Development Finance
Corporation and the Countering Chinese Influence Fund.
This bill also protects our core values. It maintains all pro-life
protections from last year and rejects efforts to undo the President's
historic policies that protect the sanctity of life.
This bill is also great for my district in Kentucky, if I can be
parochial. It provides the resources we need to continue to fight the
opioid epidemic, which is now more important than ever.
It fully funds my AML pilot program, which is truly breathing life
back into my southern and eastern Kentucky communities. It helps our
small businesses and so many Kentuckians who are fighting tooth and
nail to survive the coronavirus pandemic.
This package does not have everything that we wanted, but it is a
good bill, and I think a fair compromise.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues' support.
Mr. Speaker, I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas.

{time} 1830

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the distinguished majority whip.
Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, while today's vote to provide relief to
families who are suffering due to circumstances far beyond their
control is welcome, it is long overdue and insufficient to fully meet
their needs.
Democrats put forth our priorities last May to bring relief to those
who are sick, unemployed, homeless, and hungry. Republicans instead
chose to ignore and obfuscate the widespread suffering.
This short-term package will provide direct payments and unemployment
benefits extension and some assistance to help families afford rent,
food, water, and broadband. I applaud our Speaker for negotiating these
critical provisions and my colleagues who came together in a bipartisan
way to drive this compromise, but this package must be viewed only as a
downpayment.
Most of us can hardly wait to begin the new year with renewed hope.
Our resolve as we come into 2021 with a new Congress and a new
administration is to provide the leadership and support Americans need
and deserve to get us beyond this pandemic. There can be no greater
pursuit in 2021.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Idaho (Mr. Simpson), the ranking member of the Energy and Water
Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the fiscal year
2021 omnibus appropriations bill, and particularly the Energy and Water
Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
As ranking member of the subcommittee, I am pleased this bill is
significantly improved from the House bill in many ways.
First and foremost, the bill strongly supports our national nuclear
security programs, providing $15.3 billion for the Weapons Activities
account, an increase of $2.9 billion above fiscal year 2020. This
funding supports the maintenance and modernization of our nuclear
weapons system, which will ensure a credible and reliable nuclear
deterrent.
One of my personal priorities is promoting innovation and growth in
nuclear energy. This bill provides almost $1.4 billion for research,
development, and demonstration activities, including increased funding
for the Advanced Small Modular Reactors Program and the Advanced
Reactors Demonstration Program, both programs focused on building the
next generation of carbon-free technologies to be deployed here and
abroad.
The bill also includes critical water storage projects in the
drought-prone West, such as the Anderson Ranch Dam raise in my district
in Idaho.
Mr. Speaker, before I yield back, I would like to thank the full
committee ranking member, Kay Granger, who has so ably led our
Republican Conference on appropriations matters all Congress long. And
full committee Chairwoman Lowey deserves our thanks for her many years
of service in this committee and to the Nation. We will miss her.
Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Chairwoman Marcy
Kaptur and I, again, worked well with our Senate partners, Lamar
Alexander and Dianne Feinstein, to advance national and constituent
interests throughout the programs that are funded in this bill.
Finally, I would like to thank staff on both sides of the aisle for
their hard work--extremely hard work--particularly this last month,
working to help bring this bill to completion.
Mr. Speaker, this appropriations package, which includes the Energy
and Water division, is a strong bill, and I urge my colleagues to
support it.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), the chairman of the
Subcommittee on Defense, who has spent the last 35 years in the
Congress.
Mr. Speaker, we all share his knowledge, which he shares with us so
willingly, and we appreciate his service, not just to the committee,
but to the Congress, to the country, and we wish him the very, very
best. We thank him for his service in the Congress and on this
committee.
(Mr. VISCLOSKY asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding and
her kind remarks.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues support H.R. 133.
The Defense portion of this bill continues to focus on the well-being
and morale of those in uniform. For example, the bill provides an
additional $116 million for upgrades to childcare facilities and
directs the military services to present innovative ideas to address
the serious backlog for childcare.
However, I must also share my concerns over DOD and its lack of
compliance with many congressionally directed reporting requirements.
For example, last year, the committee directed the Department to submit
a report on its contracts for advertising services with socially and
economically disadvantaged small businesses. The report was 5 months
late.
The Department has also habitually redirected funding in
contravention of congressional intent. One DOD official referred to
these transfers of billions of dollars as anomalies. I refer to them as
habitual abuses. I hope in the future it will recognize Congress'
constitutional prerogatives.
Mr. Speaker, finally, since it was mentioned, this will be my last
floor statement after nearly 44 years of working in the House. I want
to thank all of the wonderful staff who have made what successes we
have enjoyed possible.
I also want to thank my parents, John and Helen Visclosky, and my
sister, Annamarie Visclosky, who believed in me when I was an
unemployed, young former staffer and made my incredible life journey
possible.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Calvert), the ranking member of the Defense
Subcommittee.
Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation.
First, I want to thank Chairwoman Lowey for her hard work and her
dedication to this institution, and I wish her well in her retirement.
And I certainly want to thank our ranking member for her hard work
and all the things that went into getting this bill together. I know it
is difficult. We certainly appreciate it.
And, finally, Chairman Pete Visclosky, not only my chairman, but my
close friend, who has worked hard on this bill, and he has done a
wonderful job over the years and is certainly a patriot who deserves
the credit in putting this Defense bill together.
The Constitution grants Congress the explicit and sacred
responsibility to provide for our Nation's defense. This bill before us
today does just that. It provides funding for many key programs
consistent with the National Defense Strategy and its focus on great
power competition with China and Russia.
The bill prioritizes and funds programs essential to our continued
military dominance. It provides our combatant commanders with the
resources and equipment they need to carry out their missions around
the world.
We continue key investments in fifth-generation combat aircraft,
ships,

[[Page H7304]]

and two Virginia-class submarines, while also continuing to invest in
the essential research and development of new technologies essential to
maintaining U.S. military superiority.
We continue to prioritize the health and welfare of our men and women
in uniform. The funding in this bill reflects the longstanding concerns
that so many of our Members have had with Defense health programs,
sexual assault prevention, suicide prevention, and the long-awaited
electronic health record, which we need to get fixed.
We must get this bill signed into law as soon as possible. According
to the DOD comptroller, a continuing resolution wastes $1.7 billion per
month and stops many of the modernization priorities that are the
cornerstone of maintaining our military's superiority over near-peer
threats such as China and Russia.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we were able to overcome politically
charged issues to negotiate this final passage. I urge all the Members
to vote for it.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to
the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the chair
of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and
Related Agencies, and now the chair of the full committee, where I know
she will serve with her great knowledge with distinction.
Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York, and
I hope to fill her shoes in what she has done to promote the welfare of
the lives of the people of this country. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this bill.
We are at a critical moment. We are not just living through a public
health crisis, but an economic one; two crises, which have magnified
existing inequalities.
Tens of millions of workers are unemployed. Millions of families are
facing hunger, many for the first time in their lives. Small businesses
are going under, and over 300,000 Americans have lost their lives.
The COVID relief package that we are voting on today is a start, and
I thank my colleagues in the House of Representatives for elevating it
to provide important relief.
It brings back the enhanced Federal unemployment insurance, direct
payments, a second round of PPP loans, $13 billion in emergency food
assistance, and a temporary boost to the monthly food stamp program.
And, critically, it includes my Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes
Act.
Despite strong Republican opposition, it provides nearly $2 billion
to maintain the paid leave option. I will fight for paid sick days and
paid family and medical leave in the new year so that no worker is left
behind.
In the Labor-HHS provisions, we were able to secure $155 billion in
life-or-death funding: $73 billion for the Department of Health and
Human Services and $82 billion for the Department of Education.
However, it is only a start, and we must do so much more. We need aid
to cities and States. We need a child tax credit and much more money
for childcare.
Let us act and get the people the help they need.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), the ranking member of the Labor, Health and Human
Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to have the Labor, Health
and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies' bill included in
this important appropriations package. As we have done every year since
I have served on the subcommittee, we have been able to reach a
compromise. I want to highlight a few of the many provisions in the
Labor-HHS section of the bill.
The agreement boosts funding for the National Institutes of Health by
$1.25 billion. I am proud to say this increase represents the sixth
straight year of sustained increases for the NIH, thanks to bipartisan
and bicameral support.
And funding resources, expertise, and investments we have made over
the past 6 years in biomedical research, along with public health
planning through mechanisms like the Infectious Disease Rapid Response
Reserve Fund, are helping us come out of this pandemic faster than
predicted.
Make no mistake, this is not an accident. It is a result of years of
quiet investment, planning, and scientific dedication. I am glad this
conference agreement continues these investments in biomedical
research. It will benefit the Nation.
Finally, the bill also funds the President's childhood cancer
initiative and continues support to end the HIV epidemic.

This conference agreement before us today also increases funding for
education and training programs, including $52 million for an increase
in career and technical education, a $10 million increase for TRIO and
GEAR UP. We have increased funds for Impact Aid and special education
and provided funds for veterans to integrate back into the workforce.
Finally, the bill continues existing funding restrictions, including
those important to the pro-life community, and drops new controversial
language.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to conclude by thanking Ranking Member Kay
Granger and Labor, Health and Human Services Chair Rosa DeLauro. Ms.
Granger has been a valiant leader navigating our members through some
difficult decisions to bring us here today.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to acknowledge the negotiating skills of the
chair of the Labor-HHS Subcommittee, Ms. DeLauro. I very much look
forward to serving with her as both the chair of my subcommittee, as
well as the chair of the full committee in the next Congress.
Last, but certainly not least, I also want to thank our full
committee chair, Mrs. Lowey, who has had an outstanding career and
navigated us to this point.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to
the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the
chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies.

{time} 1845

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the combined
fiscal year 2021 government spending and coronavirus relief package.
The package before us today does not have everything the American
people need. It shortchanges key relief programs, like aid to our first
responders and State and local governments.
But the American people are suffering and need immediate relief.
Support from Congress is long overdue.
The package includes critical Democratic priorities we fought for,
like money for small businesses, extended unemployment benefits,
individual stimulus checks, and public health funding to eradicate the
coronavirus.
It contains legislation I authored to reauthorize the EARLY Act,
which educates young and at-risk women with breast cancer.
The appropriations bills in this package advance key priorities, like
$250 million for Everglades restoration, fighting child exploitation on
the internet, and protecting migrants and holding DHS accountable.
As chair of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs
Subcommittee, we fund improved healthcare for veterans, modernize the
VA electronic health record system, and improve military infrastructure
to ensure readiness.
And we did not include funding to reimburse the President for his
theft of military funds for the racist border wall.
The Democratic House passed our coronavirus relief bill in May and
our appropriations bills in July. Republicans failed to do their job.
They have showcased unprecedented incompetence and cruelty this year.
Why did Republicans block this relief package until now?
They thought we were too generous with the American people, and they
wanted to protect corporations who put workers in harm's way, and then
tried to shackle the Federal Reserve in a last-minute effort to make it
harder for the Biden administration to help struggling small
businesses.
Democrats will keep fighting for additional aid once President-elect
Biden takes office. That cannot come soon enough.

[[Page H7305]]

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Moolenaar), a member of the Appropriations Committee.
Mr. MOOLENAAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I support the legislation finishing the appropriations
process for 2021 because it funds important priorities for Michigan
families. It includes funding for the construction of a new lock at the
Soo Locks, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, rural broadband
internet access, and NIH research into cures for cancer and
Alzheimer's.
Of course, there is more work to do.
Many communities have been affected by disasters this year, including
my district, where two dams failed and communities were flooded.
Congress should do more to help all communities affected by natural
disasters this year, and I will be doing everything I can to help those
in my district apply to receive Federal assistance.
I am glad we have this bill done for the American people, and I look
forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle to craft
bipartisan legislation again in the new year.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Virginia, (Mr. Scott), the chairman of the Committee on Education and
Labor.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
yielding and for her long career helping working men and women
throughout the Nation.
I rise in support of this historic legislation. Under this bill, we
were able to secure expansion of Pell grants to make it easier for
students to access aid by streamlining the free application for Federal
student aid. We were able to eliminate the ban on Pell grants for
incarcerated students. We were able to discharge debts for many
historically Black colleges and universities. And we were able to
invest $82 billion in schools and colleges.
I am particularly proud that we were able to provide an end to the
legal prohibition of the use of Federal funds in transportation to
promote school integration. That is right. It is still illegal until
this bill passes.
Finally, I want to praise the inclusion in this legislation of the
fact that we are finally ending surprise medical bills and the problems
along those lines.
Mr. Speaker, I hope we will pass the bill and do a lot for students
and workers.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart), the ranking member of the Transportation,
Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee.
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I
also thank the chair, Mrs. Lowey, for her long career helping working
men and women throughout the Nation.
I thank Chairman Price for working with me on the transportation and
housing title of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, this bill includes $230 million for port infrastructure
programs, which is crucial to coastal States, but also, frankly, to our
entire freight network.
I am particularly pleased that this bill includes $390 million to the
Maritime Academy Training Ship Program.
This bill also renews housing assistance for millions of Americans in
need. It is our duty to meet this commitment, especially for our
elderly; our disabled; and our heroes, our veterans.
I am also very pleased the bill provides $3 billion for homeless
assistance grants.
I have seen the results of those programs firsthand, as we
effectively eliminated homelessness among veterans in Miami-Dade
County.
As a final point on the THUD bill, I would note that this agreement
drops the controversial riders, allowing us to move forward.

This omnibus itself continues strong investments also into our
national defense. It funds Everglades restoration and prioritizes
school safety initiatives.
Once again, Chairman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger led the way
through these very difficult times by working day and night and never
giving up.
A final word to Chairwoman Lowey as she manages her final bill. You
know, you can agree or disagree with this honorable Member from New
York, but she is always honorable, straightforward, a true gentlewoman,
and she has been a huge asset to this institution and to our country.
Godspeed, Madam Chairwoman.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
New Jersey (Mr. Pallone). We came to Congress together, and he is the
chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
I rise in strong support of this final omnibus package that includes
critical legislation from the Energy and Commerce Committee.
First, this agreement includes $69 billion to crush the coronavirus
by supporting the rapid and equitable distribution of COVID-19
vaccines, as well as critical testing and contact tracing.
Second, this package finally ends surprise medical bills for American
consumers. These surprise bills have burdened millions of patients with
crushing medical debts. It saves money, which pays for a 3-year
extension to fund community health centers and other vital healthcare
programs.
Third, the bill phases down HFCs. This is a big win in the fight
against climate change, along with the reauthorization of the Pipeline
Safety Act, which reduces methane leaks.
And, fourth, we provide major assistance for struggling families to
better afford their internet service.
These are just a few of the key provisions from the Energy and
Commerce Committee.
But I want to end by thanking the chair, Nita Lowey. As she
mentioned, she and Eliot Engel, myself, and Rich Neal are the last in
our class. I hate to say it that way. She has been an outstanding
legislator and a great friend. My only regret is that she is going to
just leave Richie Neal and myself to carry on here. So I really wish
she would not leave, but I know she wants to, and I wish her the best.
I love you, Nita.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), the ranking member of the Agriculture,
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee.
Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for
yielding.
I also add my thanks to my good friend, Chair Lowey, upon her
retirement from Congress. Thank you so much for your grace-filled
leadership all these years. I am very happy for you in this new phase
of life.
Also, Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Agricultural, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee publicly here, Chair Sanford Bishop. He has such a
professionalism and courtesy and a working, friendly bipartisan spirit.
I really think it is important that America hears that.
Mr. Speaker, this bill underwrites the stabilization policies for our
farmers and ranchers, the protection of our drug supply, and what I
call the farm of the future.
Now, these elongated deliberations have created extra time for us
here in Congress. I know you would probably prefer to be in Maryland. I
certainly would prefer to be in Nebraska. But we have had important
work to do here.
Given the extra amount of time, I took some liberties and I visited
with a young farmer near here, Mr. Speaker. He lives in the Shenandoah
Valley. And on a cold Virginia night, I actually sanitized my own shoes
and walked with him in his poultry house, and we talked. We talked
about costs, fertilizer reuse, mechanical versus digital monitors, and
options for integrating renewable energy into his operations.
Checking his birds is a routine he dutifully performs. And that is
what America's farmers are about: constancy, vigilance, hard work. And
whether it is in the field or among livestock, the day in and day out
life of the farmer in Nebraska or Virginia or Georgia is what keeps
America strong and helps feed the world.
This bill supports our production agricultural system in many
traditional ways, while we also witness an opportunity to expand the
farm family. New forms of small-scale niche agriculture marry high-tech
with high-touch, connecting the rural to the urban, the farmer to the
family, and the farm to the table. This is the future of farming.

[[Page H7306]]

Of particular importance, the bill supports rural broadband, as well
as protecting our drug supply. It is an important bill from the
constructs of the most basic systems in America.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentleman from Nebraska.
Mr. FORTENBERRY: Mr. Speaker, the bill supports rural broadband. And
that is more than wires laid. It is about creating an ecosystem of
livability so that the benefits of telehealth and tele-education and
telework, along with precision agriculture, can be distributed
equitably throughout the country.
The inspiring COVID vaccine approvals by the FDA have shown us what
we can do together, and this bill also protects our drug supply while
keeping unsafe drugs out.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that these provisions make it into law.
That is why I am happy to support this bill.
Again, Chair Lowey, thank you for your leadership.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman
from California (Ms. Waters), the chairwoman of the Committee on
Financial Services.
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
The relief in this bill is desperately needed, as families struggle
during the pandemic crisis. The negotiations were difficult. They were
tough. I wish we could have done even more, but I am pleased we have
done as well as we could have done to provide relief for so many in
desperate need for their government to come to their aid.
As chairwoman of the Financial Services Committee, I am proud to have
secured $25 billion in emergency rental assistance. We need much more.
We also got an extension of the eviction moratorium and $12 billion in
low-cost, long-term capital and grants to the minority depository
institutions and the credit unions and the community development
financial institutions.
I thank Ranking Member McHenry, Chairman Crapo, and Ranking Member
Brown for working with me on these provisions.
I am so pleased that the legislation includes stimulus payments for
families and individuals. Not enough, but I am pleased.
I am also pleased it includes new funding for unemployment insurance.
Not enough, but I am pleased.
I am also pleased we have support for Los Angeles International
Airport in my district and small business forgivable PPP loans. This
bill will also expand the amount of PPP loans for which restaurants are
eligible by a considerable amount.
Let me be clear: Much more is needed, but this bill is a most
important first step, and I am very pleased that we are able to come to
the aid of all of our constituents.
I thank Nancy Pelosi for the tremendous job that she did in
negotiating to get us to this point.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee
(Mr. Fleischmann), the ranking member of the Homeland Security
Subcommittee.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Before I begin, I wish to convey my warm thoughts and sentiments to
Mrs. Lowey from New York, who is chairman of this committee. It has
been a privilege to work with you for almost a decade in my capacity,
and I wish you the best in your future. And I thank you for your
service to this great House.

{time} 1900

Mr. Speaker, tonight, I rise in support of the bill we have before
us, which is the result of months of negotiations on how best to manage
our government's resources in fiscal year 2021 and respond to the COVID
pandemic that has gripped so many of our communities.
Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member of the Homeland Security
Subcommittee, I thank my full committee leader, Ms. Granger, for her
great leadership in pulling this omnibus together. I also thank
Subcommittee Chairwoman Ms. Roybal-Allard from California, along with
Senators Capito and Tester across the hall, for their work and comity
in resolving these difficult and challenging issues. It is a pleasure
to have served with Chairwoman Roybal-Allard in this role.
Mr. Speaker, I think we have a very balanced agreement. We continue
to provide $1.375 billion for border security and funds flexibility for
Immigration and Customs Enforcement to respond to detention needs.
Further, we have significant investments in many of our Nation's
security components, including the great United States Coast Guard,
cybersecurity and infrastructure, and FEMA grants to our States and
localities to respond to disasters.
Further, the bill before us eliminates the riders and policy
provisions contained in the House-reported bill that would have
inhibited the Department of Homeland Security from fulfilling its law
enforcement responsibilities at our borders and in the interior of our
country.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this package. It is time for
the fiscal year to get underway.
Mr. Speaker, I wish all a happy and healthy new year.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Lee), a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, first, let me thank Chairwoman
Nita Lowey for once again doing such a phenomenal job. I am going to
miss her tremendously.
Let me just say how much I support this survival bill, which provides
a few months of relief for those suffering from the severe impacts of
COVID.
Mr. Speaker, I also thank Congresswoman Chair DeLauro and Chairman
Pallone for their work with our Tri-Caucus to include $2.8 billion for
testing and vaccine support in the communities of color hardest hit by
COVID.
Mr. Speaker, I also thank our subcommittee chairs and staff for
including so many of our priorities and for their diligent work on
this.
It is really shameful that it has taken Republicans so long to
realize that their constituents are desperate for help and need their
government to give them a lifeline during this terrible time, also.
Eight million people have slipped into poverty since the start of
this pandemic, and one in four adults are suffering from hunger during
COVID-19. 318,000 people have died from the Trump administration's
scandalous mismanagement.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the
gentlewoman.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill. Let's give
this lifeline to people. Let's move forward and build on this
downpayment.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Arrington).
Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation to
provide relief to our fellow Americans, accelerate our Nation's
economic recovery, and ensure our great Nation comes back better,
stronger, and healthier than ever.
I don't want to belabor my deep concerns with the process except to
say, Mr. Speaker, that it is fundamentally broken and that it was
unnecessarily prolonged for purely political reasons. The American
people waited, and waited for months. They deserve better, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear friend, fellow Texan and ranking member,
Kay Granger; our leader, Kevin McCarthy; Kevin Brady; and many others
who helped finalize this agreement.
It is far from perfect. I haven't met perfect legislation since
coming to Washington. But it does a good job of supporting our
struggling families, small businesses, healthcare professionals,
teachers, and other frontline workers at a time when many desperately
need it, and all of this at a fraction of Speaker Pelosi's $3.3
trillion bailout bonanza, which included cash for illegals, legalizing
marijuana, and a host of other unnecessary and irresponsible
provisions.
Mr. Speaker, it is no small feat to keep our annual spending below
the budget cap, and I commend my colleagues, including Chairwoman
Lowey, for that.
To do that and prevail in protecting troops and including their pay
raise, funding for the border wall, preserving

[[Page H7307]]

the sacred protections for our unborn, I have got to tell you, that is
pretty darn good.
It is hard for me to stand for some of this stuff in this bill, this
omnibus. But on balance, it is good for the country, and I am standing
with Chairwoman Lowey, and I am standing with my fellow Texan, Kay
Granger.
God bless America.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Pelosi), my friend for 32 years in the House, the
outstanding Speaker of the House.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for bringing this
important legislation to the floor. I thank her and Ranking Member Kay
Granger for bringing this in a very strong bipartisan way.
I spoke this morning at some length, so it is on the record as to my
attitude here. I salute the legislation that is here and urge passage,
but I do want to take a minute to thank the Madam Chair.
She has served in the Congress for a long time. We have sat side by
side over the years with Rosa DeLauro, Steny Hoyer, and Mr. Clyburn as
appropriators. I have seen her writings-based astute political
knowledge, her strategic thinking, her encyclopedic knowledge of the
legislation produce the results, understanding what the process will
bear and what the country needs first and foremost.

So, Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Lowey. I don't know how many more
times we will thank her, but hopefully, when the coronavirus goes away,
we can all join in embracing her great leadership and expressing
gratitude.
Mr. Speaker, I want to just again take a moment in recognition of the
other chairs who worked to make this legislation so, so effective with
direct payments through the employee retention tax credit, the
unemployment insurance, to name a few.
Congresswoman Velazquez with Small Business, under her leadership and
working in a bipartisan way, small businesses, which are the heart of
our economy, have received almost $1 trillion in these coronavirus
bills, almost $1 trillion. We support that, but I also would hope there
would be some commensurate recognition of the jobs of small business,
the jobs of State and local government. They have received only $160
billion in all of these bills, $160 billion.
Does that sound familiar? That is exactly the amount of money that
the Republicans put in the CARES bill to give to the wealthiest in our
country, yet for all the States and localities, and it was retroactive,
having nothing to do with coronavirus, $160 billion. They thought that
was commensurate with the responsibilities of our healthcare workers,
our State and local police and fire, first responders, transportation,
sanitation, food workers, our teachers, our teachers, our teachers.
So, yes, there is more work to do, and it will cost some money, but
it will protect jobs. Most importantly, it will meet the needs of the
American people to crush the virus and to do so in a way that brings us
all into the future in a very safe way.
I thank Congresswoman Velazquez for her extraordinary leadership in
that regard.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Maxine Waters for coming to the need of people,
renters, landlords, et cetera, with her important legislation--of
course, we want more, but for now, this will see us through--her
Community Development Financial Institutions legislation, her MDIs,
making all that available in the small business piece, available to so
many more people.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Scott from Virginia. Student loans,
childcare, I thank him for making it right.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Pallone for his leadership again and again.
Vaccines, the vaccine issue is so important, how it is delivered, how
it is produced, distributed. Going from vaccine to vaccination, from
lab to arm, so much is required, and much of it is in this bill.
Testing and tracing are still needed. We still need to provide a relief
fund that goes along with that. I thank him for the personal interest
he took in broadband.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. DeFazio on transportation and WRDA.
Yesterday morning, we didn't even have WRDA in the bill. That is why
this all has taken longer to do. So, I thank him for the important role
that he played. We all know about the airlines and the rest, but there
is so much more.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Peterson for his work on nutrition. People
are hungry in our country, and we had to fight for nutrition money, but
I thank him for his persistence.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. McGovern for his advocacy in the Congress
for children and hunger, as well as Rosa DeLauro. But Mr. McGovern has
gone on hunger strikes and the rest. He really values what is in this
bill on nutrition to feed the hungry in our country.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Maloney for saving our Postal Service.
Just a brief reference to say thank you. This has been a long,
difficult negotiation. These chairs, their members of the committees,
and their staffs have been invaluable. Shalanda and Chris, I thank them
so much for making all this happen.
Mr. Speaker, I reference the statement I made this morning about one
thing and another, about the attitude we have to this and the need for
us to recognize this as a first step and the need for us to address the
important contribution of our health workers, police and fire first
responders, sanitation, transportation, food workers, our teachers, our
teachers, our teachers.
If we are going to safely reenter the economy and our schools, we
must crush the virus.
I have hope to crush the virus. That is why we could support this
bill. It doesn't go all the way, but it takes us down the path, a first
step.
I have hope of crushing the virus, and I have hope because of the
election of Joe Biden as President of the United States, a President
who will follow science. He will follow science, and he will recognize
that we have to meet the needs of all the American people wherever they
live in our country, especially addressing Barbara Lee's concerns about
the communities of color that have been underserved in so much of what
we have done.
Mr. Speaker, I have great appreciation for Madam Chair Nita Lowey.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Madam Chair for yielding, and I thank
Ranking Member Kay Granger for her work.
Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to do a video, as we all are
communicating with one another virtually, about my colleague and friend
with whom I have served for over three decades, Nita Lowey.
I went to school in Nita Lowey's district many, many years ago. When
she came here, we became friends. Shortly thereafter, she came on the
Appropriations Committee, and we served together, as Speaker Pelosi
said, on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related
Agencies Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee. I served on that
committee for 23 years. I have great affection for that committee.
We served under a gentleman named Bill Natcher from the State of
Kentucky. He used to stand when he presented that bill to the floor and
say: ``This is the people's bill.''
Mr. Speaker, this is the people's bill.

{time} 1915

This is a bill that must pass. They say that good things come to
those who wait. They have waited too long, had too much pain,
physically; too many deaths; too much psychological damage; too many
lost jobs. This is, however, a good thing that will come to those who
need it so badly.
I want to thank Chairwoman Lowey, who has performed such
extraordinary service on the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, Education, and Related Agencies for a long time; and the
Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs for a
long time; and for the Appropriations Committee.
I want to thank my friend, Kay Granger. We are perceived as being
awfully partisan, and this has been a partisan project as well. It took
us from May 15 until today to get this done. We passed, in the interim,
October 1, another bill of substantially lesser sum than the one we
passed in May, and a little more than what we are passing--actually,
twice what we are passing today. All of it was needed.

[[Page H7308]]

The American people have been waiting and watching and hoping that
Congress would not only be able to avert a shutdown but also to provide
much-needed COVID-19 relief.
Mr. Speaker, we now have a bipartisan agreement, and the legislation
will achieve both of those aims.
Kay Granger, as I said, is somebody who was a mayor in Texas, and
mayors know they have to get things done, and Congresswoman Granger has
been somebody who wants to get things done. She and Nita Lowey have
been a team in getting things done. I thank both of them.
This bill completes the appropriations process by investing in the
American people, in our national defense, in economic opportunity, in
strengthening safety net programs that keep Americans out of poverty.
As I said, I thank both Nita Lowey and Kay Granger.
I particularly want to thank an extraordinary Member of this body.
She is not called a Congresswoman. She is not a Member of this body,
but she is a person without whom we would not be nearly as successful
as we have been over this last year. She has made this year less
painful for millions and millions and millions of Americans.
Her name is Shalanda Young. She sits right behind me, an
extraordinary talent whose leadership makes seminal contributions to
all the sections of this bill and to previous bills dealing with
appropriations and the COVID-19 pandemic.
She is, in many ways, an indispensable person when we come to dealing
with bills of this magnitude. She works for Mrs. Lowey, as does Chris
Bigelow. Both have done extraordinary service.
Shalanda Young, Mr. Speaker, represents the best of us. I say that
because she represents a lot of the staff we have here. She is
extraordinarily talented, extraordinarily patriotic, and
extraordinarily dedicated to the work of the American people, and
extraordinarily underpaid.
Members are going to be underpaid in this bill, too. We beat our
chest, and we have money in there that says we don't get a COLA one
more time. Aren't we so courageous. I am disgusted by that, Mr.
Speaker, and I want all of America to know; I want all of my
constituents to know. Every Member in this place, whether I agree with
them or not, is worth a COLA, at least trying to keep them even with
the cost of living in this country. We struck it one more time, as we
pretend that we think the COLA is unjust.
However, that is de minimis to this bill, but, certainly, will not
dissuade me or ought not to dissuade anybody from voting
enthusiastically, energetically, and proudly for this bill.
As a result of this omnibus, the next President will be able to start
his administration focusing on immediate challenges instead of trying
to finish the previous year's work.
I want to say something on that one more time. I have talked to Ms.
Granger, who is going to be here. There is no reason, Mr. Speaker, why
we can't pass appropriation bills by September 30, the ending of the
fiscal year, October 1 being the beginning of the new fiscal year.
I am frustrated, as the majority leader who is supposed to be able to
make things work here, with my colleagues. We did make it work here,
but our Senate colleagues did not pass a single bill prior to the
election, so here we are.
In addition, this end-of-the-year package includes critical clean-
energy legislation passed by the House earlier this year that makes
important progress toward addressing the climate crisis while ensuring
that America can create good jobs by leading the clean-energy economy.
We were also able, in this bill, Mr. Speaker, to include legislation
that protects patients from surprise bills by removing them from the
fight between insurers and providers and implementing a fairer process
for resolving disputes.
On COVID-19 relief, while we were unable to secure agreement on every
priority that Democrats and some Republicans wanted--we don't always
get everything we want. So be it. That is the process.
We were able, however, to include many of the provisions we included
in previous bills on May 15 and October 1, which I referred to earlier,
for which Democrats have been fighting for months and that Americans
desperately need.
These include resumption of expanded unemployment benefits, another
round of direct payments, relief for renters, and assistance to make
sure that Americans can put food on the table. In the richest country
on the face of the Earth, we have people in food lines who can't feed
themselves. That is not only wrong, but it is immoral and inconsistent
with my faith and, I think, the faith of most.
There is additional help for small business--appropriate--and
resources to help schools reopen safely.
In addition, we secured another $3.36 billion for GAVI, and I thank
the chair. It is a small program, relatively speaking, but it is about
keeping people healthy around the world.

We are a shrinking globe, and this COVID crisis came from abroad--
wherever it came from, Europe, contrary to the President saying it came
only from China. It came from Europe; it came from China. We have a
moral responsibility to make sure that it doesn't keep coming and that
we help our brothers and sisters abroad as well so that we, too, can be
healthy.
In the new year, we will continue to work to ensure that our country
can meet the challenges of COVID-19, including help for State, local,
Tribal, and territorial governments that are on the front line. Who is
delivering the shot in the arm? States and local governments.
No compromise is perfect, of course, and this is not perfect. So many
people have said that, but that goes without saying. We don't do
perfect. We are human beings. If we do the right thing, we do the best
we can. It is essential that we move forward and do our jobs for the
American people.
That is why the House did its job by passing the Heroes Act in May
and again in October and why we passed appropriation bills to fund
nearly all of government by July 26.
It is disappointing, as I have said, that the Senate waited until
November to begin serious consideration of appropriation bills. I don't
mean the subcommittees didn't work; they just didn't report anything
out.
Thankfully, though, we are taking action together. America, we are
taking action together. And you can be pleased when you see the board
light up, mostly overwhelmingly green.
I urge the President to sign this legislation without delay, just,
Mr. Speaker, as I urge him to sign the National Defense Authorization
Act in which you played such a critical role, Mr. Speaker, and we
passed earlier this month. I fear that he will veto this bill for an
unrelated, totally nongermane issue, and we may be back here on the
28th.
If we are not here on the 28th, again, Nita Lowey, I want to say to
you: Thank you. How much we appreciate your contribution, and how much
we appreciate the contribution of all of those who might be leaving
either voluntarily or involuntarily. We thank them for their service.
Mr. Speaker, let's finish the work of the 116th Congress.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Brady), the ranking member on the Ways and Means Committee.
Mr. BRADY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ranking Member Granger for
her terrific leadership on this bill and throughout this session.
This agreement is a big, important win for American workers,
healthcare providers, Main Street businesses, and families.
In this agreement, we have Republican tax relief for American
families. We permanently make it easier to deduct high medical costs
and lifetime learning costs. We extend for 5 years the tax credit for
paid family and medical leave, plus we take it one step further by
helping businesses pay off student loans for workers.
We have big wins for patients and families together. We end surprise
medical bills when you visit the ER or have scheduled medical
procedures. We require that patients be given a true and honest bill
ahead of a scheduled procedure, and we make it easier to find in-
network doctors and providers.
In addition to helping patients, we also help our doctors. We
increase their pay and stop two-thirds of planned Medicare cuts for
certain providers. We also increase doctor pay by over $3 billion and
add 1,000 new graduate medical education slots to help train more
doctors.

[[Page H7309]]

We took needed action to improve healthcare in rural areas.
It also contains strong antifraud safeguards for unemployment.
We offer crucial tax help for millions of Americans and small
businesses with another round of stimulus checks, more funds and
flexibility for PPP loans.
We also include important technical corrections to the new U.S.-
Mexico-Canada Agreement, which will help our economy rebuild from this
pandemic.
Maybe most importantly, we have big wins in this package to help us
defeat the virus once and for all with billions more in funding for
vaccines, testing, distribution, and more.
This bipartisan solution is so important to the American people. This
is a strong and needed package. Its benefits will be felt for years to
come.
I also want to finish by thanking our committee chairman, Richie
Neal, who worked so closely with me and all of our committee members on
these wins for the American people. It has been an honor to work with
him this Congress.
I am also very proud of the work and leadership that Republicans have
exemplified throughout this Congress, especially among the Ways and
Means Committee. I will gladly and strongly vote in support of this
bill, and I encourage all of my colleagues to do the same.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Before I close, I want to take a moment to recognize my good friend
and our full committee chairman, Nita Lowey, as this will be the last
bill that she will take to the floor.
She is the first woman to hold the gavel of the Appropriations
Committee, and her retirement is a huge loss to our country, to our
committee, and to me personally.
When I was named as ranking member and she was named as chair, she
called me into her office. We really had never worked together. We were
on different committees. I will never forget what she said. She said:
We are going to do it on time and on budget, and we will become best
friends.

{time} 1930

I wasn't sure she wasn't crazy, but I said: I will do that.
We became good friends, and we did things on time and on budget.
Everything was a joy working with her because she always knew what she
wanted and what she wanted to do. She was inclusive, and we did turn
and have a friendship that I will always cherish.
So I wanted to make sure that you knew that I realized I had a unique
opportunity in working with you. I learned a lot, and we had a good
time, didn't we?
I also want to take a minute to thank the members of our committee
and our staff for their hard work this year. This really is a must-pass
bill that I look forward to getting signed into law.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of
these bills, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time, and I
rise to address this House for the final time.
For 32 years, it has been my privilege to serve as United States
Representative from New York; and in the 116th Congress, it has been my
distinct honor to be the first chairwoman of the House Appropriations
Committee.
By wielding the power of the purse, this bill will make a profound
difference in the lives of millions of Americans and people around the
world.
I am proud to have worked with so many of my colleagues on both sides
of the aisle to assemble this bill and other legislative successes. You
have challenged and inspired me, and I treasure the friendships that we
have made.
My dear friend, Kay Granger, it has been such an honor getting to
know you. Texas values, New York values, no matter what they say, we
became good friends and worked so well together. Thank you, thank you,
thank you.
I would be remiss if I did not thank the talented staff who have
worked so hard to put this bill together, led by Clerk and Staff
Director Shalanda Young, the extraordinary Shalanda Young, who is way
back there.
Thank you, Shalanda Young.
And also the extraordinary deputy staff director, Chris Bigelow. What
a team. They manage. No matter how much paper and no matter what the
challenge, they seem to be able to put it all together and get it
right.
Shalanda and Chris, I thank you--and always with an assist by my
chief of staff, Elizabeth Stanley.
I do want to thank the staff director of the State, Foreign
Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, which I chair, Steve
Marchese.
There is one principle that has guided my 32 years in public service:
When you see a problem, whether it is here or in the district or in
another community, do something about it.
Too many people see a problem. They are good people, but they will
all go off to this personal activity or another personal activity.
Members of Congress know, when they see a problem, we have a
responsibility to address it and do something about it to make life
better for our community, the Nation, and the world. This bill does
something to crush this virus and set us on the course for a strong and
equitable recovery.
Mr. Speaker, for the last time and with a deep sense of gratitude for
the honor of serving in this House, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 that funds our government and
provides desperately needed relief to American families. I'm proud to
support many of the provisions in this legislation, understanding that
no compromise is perfect. Frontline workers, including public health
workers, firefighters, and other essential workers employed by state
and local governments continue to need our support.
The bill before us today provides a lifeline to those who are
struggling from the COVID-19 pandemic and the recession it has caused.
It extends critical programs first authorized by the CARES Act
including $300 per week in additional unemployment benefits, a second
round of direct payments of up to $600, $284 billion for additional
small business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program, and $13
billion in nutrition assistance for Americans facing hunger. It also
provides $25 billion to help renters pay their rent and stay in their
homes. I'm deeply disappointed that the Administration and the Senate
Majority Leader would not allow restaurants and their workers to
receive our help. With over 300 bipartisan cosponsors on the RESTAURANT
Act, these businesses and their workers should have been in this
legislation.
In addition to pandemic relief, the bill funds the government through
the remainder of the fiscal year, avoiding a costly government shutdown
before the holidays, and invests in critical priorities, including
clean energy, affordable housing, public schools, and broadband. I'm
proud to have secured $100 million for the electrification of Caltrain,
$8.9 million for environmental conservation of the San Francisco Bay,
$33 million for construction of the Linac Coherent Light Source upgrade
(LCLS-II) at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and $85.2 million
for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) at
NASA Ames.
Our country is in the midst of the worst public health crisis in a
century, and I'm proud to say that the Democrats on the Energy and
Commerce Health Subcommittee, which I have had the privilege to lead,
have stepped up to the challenge by securing provisions that include
the following:
Provide billions to ensure the free, timely, and equitable
distribution of safe, effective vaccines and more resources for a
national testing strategy:
End surprise medical billing. No patient will face an unexpected,
expensive bill just because they are caught in a web of providers.
Assist doctors and public and rural hospitals survive the pandemic by
stopping planned Medicare and Medicaid cuts.
Provide three years of funding for critical public health programs
including Community Health Centers, Teaching Health Centers, the
National Health Service Corps, and the special diabetes programs.
Restore Medicaid coverage for the citizens of the freely associated
states living in the U.S., to whom America has for too long abandoned
its commitments to.
Improve Medicare coverage for beneficiaries across the country by
simplifying Part B enrollment; permanently authorizing the use of
telehealth for mental health care; eliminating cost-sharing for
colorectal cancer screenings; and extending coverage for
immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients. I'm especially
proud to have co-led and championed the immunosuppressive drug coverage
legislation to correct a short-sighted coverage policy

[[Page H7310]]

which will save 375 kidney transplants each year. This provision
appears in Section 402 of Division CC and is based on H.R. 5534, the
Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant
Patients Act of 2019.
Improve the Medicaid program by expanding access to certified
community behavioral health clinics; eliminate spousal impoverishment
for partners of Medicaid beneficiaries receiving home and community-
based services; and continuing the Money Follows the Person rebalancing
demonstration which makes it possible for people on Medicaid to
transition to a safer home or community-based environment and still
maintain Medicaid funding.
Lower health care costs by strengthening parity in mental health and
substance use disorder benefits; removing gag clauses on health price
and quality information; ending a loophole that allowed drugs for
opioid use disorder to benefit from the orphan drug designation; and
making it easier for biosimilar products to come to market by
increasing patent and exclusivity transparency. This final provision
appears in Section 325 of Division BB, and it is a bill I'm proud to
have sponsored, H.R. 1520, the Purple Book Continuity Act. It requires
patent information for biologics to be submitted to the FDA and
published in the publicly-available ``Purple Book.'' By creating a
single, searchable list of licensed biologics, manufacturers will be
able to plan a pipeline of lower-cost biosimilar products for years to
come.
I'm also proud to have several health appropriations which I
requested included in today's agreement. These items represent the
critical advancement of life-saving research and care, including: $15
million for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program at the DOD, which
I've long championed and which comes as the world continues to mourn
the deaths this year of several iconic Americans from this very
aggressive cancer, including Congressman John Lewis and Supreme Court
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; $42.9 billion for the NIH for forward
thinking investments in medical research; $597 million for critical
biodefense and public health emergency preparedness at BARDA, which my
legislation created. Another $19.7 billion is in the COVID-19 relief
agreement for BARDA to manufacture and procure vaccines; $350 million
for the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education Program to
support pediatric medical residents' training; and $5.4 million for
research on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome at the CDC to better understand
this terrible disease.
There's still so much more the American people need. We must increase
federal funding for the Medicaid program during this health and
economic crisis, including home-and-community-based services, improve
infection control and quality in our nation's nursing homes, and
address the public health crises that continue during the COVID-19
pandemic, such as America's unacceptable rates of maternal mortality,
suicides, and overdoses. I'm proud of what we've accomplished in the
Health Subcommittee this year and energized to continue the fight in
2021.
Today's agreement includes important clean energy provisions,
including my legislation, H.R. 1420, the Energy Efficient Government
Technology Act, which appears as Sections 1003 and 1004 of Division Z.
The bill requires government agencies to develop plans to implement
best practices for energy management, purchase more energy efficient
information and communications technologies, and submit to periodic
evaluation of their data centers for energy efficiency.
Data centers are a critical part of our national infrastructure and
are found in nearly every sector of our economy. The federal government
alone has more than 2,000 data centers which store everything from
Social Security and tax records, toe-books at the Library of Congress.
Despite their importance to our government and our economy, many are
extremely inefficient when it comes to energy use.
The good news is many data centers can significantly reduce their
energy use using existing technology and best practices. This will
reduce not only the government's carbon footprint but also its energy
bills. My bipartisan legislation has the potential to save taxpayers
hundreds of millions of dollars in reduced energy costs in the future,
while setting an example for the private sector to reduce energy usage
at data centers.
We must ensure students in need can continue their studies during the
pandemic as colleges begin another semester of remote learning, and I'm
proud that our agreement includes funding for these students. Section
902 of Division N is modeled on H.R. 6814, the Supporting Connectivity
for Higher Education Students in Need Act, bicameral legislation I
introduced on May 13, 2020.
The provision provides $285 million to expand connectivity for
historically Black colleges and universities, Tribal colleges and
universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and other minority-serving
institutions, their students, and minority-owned businesses near those
colleges. The funding can be used to purchase routers, modems, wi-fi
hotspots, tablets, and laptops. Funding recipients must prioritize low-
income students. The legislation also establishes the Office of
Minority Broadband Initiatives within the NTIA to carry out programs
expand access to broadband at and in communities around HBCUs, TCUs,
HSis and other MSis.
Between 2012 and 2018, over $1.2 billion in 9-1-1 fees were diverted
to uses other than 9-1-1. While most states curtailed this horrific
practice, four states continue diverting 9-1-1 fees: New Jersey, New
York, Rhode Island, and Nevada. I first co-led the bipartisan 9-1-1 Fee
Integrity Act to require by statute that 9-1-1 fees can only be used
for 9-1-1 purposes on September 14, 2018. I'm pleased that the
legislation appears in Section 902 of Division FF.
I'm pleased that today's agreement includes funding for AI R&D. The
Joint Explanatory Statement for Division B includes direction for AI
R&D to expand at NSF and NIST, including with a focus on increasing AI
workforce diversity and developing a framework for ethical and safe AI.
I've twice written to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies requesting robust AI
R&D funding, and I thank them for their leadership in taking an
important step to increase AI funding.
I'm pleased that this legislation includes funding for several
technology and telecommunications matters that are priorities for me
and for our country, including $3.2 billion for a $50 per month
emergency broadband benefit for low income families, Pell Grant
recipients, students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and recently
unemployed individuals; $1.9 billion to `rip and replace'
telecommunications equipment made by insecure supplies, like Huawei and
ZTE, which I first asked the FCC to investigate in 2010; $250 million
for the FCC's COVID-19 Telehealth Program; and $65 million to develop
reliable broadband maps which are critical for the federal government
and all states to know where broadband support funding would be most
effective.
Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise to emphasize the appropriate
application and interpretation of Section 404 of the Intelligence
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, which has been included as
Division W of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.
Section 404 was authored by Chairman Bennie Thompson of the Committee
on Homeland Security. Its essence is to establish a specialized
fellowship program related to cybersecurity and intelligence within the
Department of Homeland Security. The program is meant for certain
undergraduate students from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and other
backgrounds. And the Secretary of Homeland Security--who shall
administer Section 404--also will have authority to hire successful
fellowship participants as Department employees, and into positions
involving cyber or intelligence.
The broader and most compelling goal being, of course, to ensure that
the Department and the Federal government are doing their utmost to
recruit, hire and retain a highly diverse workforce. The language of
Section 404 must be interpreted and implemented by the Department
broadly, with a mind towards attainment of this lawful objective; under
no circumstances should it be read in an inappropriately narrow or
needlessly restrictive fashion.
Although Section 404 does not require that students attend
Historically Black Colleges or Universities or Minority-Serving
Institutions in order to participate in the fellowship program, the
Secretary of Homeland Security--who will administer this authority--
should make extensive efforts to promote the fellowship among students
from HBCUs and MSIs.
Together with the other Members of the Homeland Security and
Intelligence Committees, I will look forward to receiving the report
required by Section 404, which will permit Congress to confirm that, in
fact, the Department is conducting the necessary outreach to HBCUs,
MSIs, and other Institutions of Higher Education; and, consistent with
the approach I have set forth here, reading and applying Section 404's
language in a manner that fulfills the initiative's overarching goal.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to lend my support of this
fiscal year 2021 appropriations package.
I thank the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Mrs. Lowey, and my
friend, Chairman Serrano, as they prepare to retire for their many
years of dedication and hard work to this institution and I wish them
both well.
I also want to thank Ranking Member Granger for her outstanding
leadership this year.
I'm pleased that this bill supports the Trump Administration's Moon
to Mars Artemis initiative and rejects radical demands to defund the
police. It also restores long-standing Second Amendment protections
that have enjoyed historical, bipartisan support yet were excluded

[[Page H7311]]

from the House-passed Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act.
I am also pleased that this bill rejects issues which previously held
up a COVID relief agreement. This bill provides individuals, families,
health care providers, and businesses the assistance which we can agree
on, to help everyone get through this pandemic. It also looks to the
future by providing additional funding to expand internet access in
rural areas.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, The House amendment to the Senate
amendment to H.R. 133, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021,
includes many important provisions. Among them is Section 203 of Title
II, Division BB, based on H.R. 7539, the Strengthening Behavioral
Health Parity Act--an important step forward in improving the effective
enforcement of mental health parity laws that govern group and
individual health plans and coverage. I am pleased to see this
legislation advance as part of our continuing efforts to ensure the
promise of parity is realized for all.
As Chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, which has
legislative jurisdiction over employee health benefit plans (including
provisions of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act or ERISA) as well as oversight
jurisdiction over the United States Department of Labor, I would like
to provide additional clarification for the record regarding the
interactions between this legislation and existing enforcement and
compliance efforts by the Secretary of Labor.
First, no provision of Section 203 in any way restricts, alters, or
otherwise interferes with the existing enforcement and oversight
authority of the Secretary of Labor, including the Secretary's
authority to investigate, audit, and seek equitable or other relief to
enforce any requirements of federal law. The requirement that the
Secretary examine the comparative analyses of at least 20 plans
annually serves as a floor, not a ceiling, on the Department's
enforcement actions, and the Department remains authorized to continue
to utilize its broad authority under Sections 502, 504, 506 of ERISA
and other laws to enforce all requirements of this bill, Part 7 of
ERISA, and any other requirements of federal law.
Second, no provision of Section 203 in any way restricts, alters, or
otherwise interferes with the rights of group health plan participants
to bring an action to enforce their rights under Section 502 of ERISA,
nor does it impact judicial review of any statutory violations. This
bill also should not be interpreted to create any additional
presumption in favor of health plans and issuers during judicial review
of nonquantitative treatment limitation (NQTL) determinations, and the
Secretary remains authorized to seek equitable or other relief,
including relief regarding the re-adjudication of claims. All
provisions should be interpreted to ensure the broadest access to
relief for plan participants.
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support
of the 900 billion dollar economic relief package which has been agreed
to by Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. While this
package is far from what is actually needed, it is necessary to act
right now and we do not have any additional time to wait. This bill
will direct billions of dollars in aid to unemployed individuals who
are suffering with no other hope or help in sight.
It will provide up to $600 in stimulus checks, it will extend
unemployment benefit checks, extend a moratorium on evictions for 1
month, 325 billion for business relief with 275 billion going to
paycheck protection, 82 billion for schools, 20 billion for vaccine
distribution. While this is not quite exactly what I was looking for,
it will hold us until President Biden takes the reins and leads us on.
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, the American people are
incredibly frustrated, and rightly so. This relief package, while a
step forward, should have been passed months ago. House Democrats first
passed the Heroes Act in May; at the same time, Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell called for a `pause' and Senate Republicans refused to act
until now.
More than 315,000 Americans have died from COVID-19. Experts have
said if we had made a larger investment in testing and tracing, many of
these deaths could have been prevented. Millions of Americans are
unemployed and many are facing food insecurity. Our state and local
governments, including first responders, have been on the frontlines of
this pandemic but are being left out of this relief package. We can and
we must do more.
As I have said before, we cannot get the economy up and running until
we conquer the virus.
Today's relief package makes significant investments in testing and
tracing efforts, vaccines, therapeutics, and medical supplies and
funding for underserved communities, all of which are critical to
crushing this pandemic.
This package provides help for the millions of Americans who are
struggling right now. It strengthens critical programs for those who
are unemployed by extending and enhancing unemployment insurance and
rental assistance. It also offers $600 in direct payments to low- and
moderate-income Americans and includes a $13 billion increase in food
assistance programs to help the millions of families facing food
insecurity.
This bill also includes vital funding for small businesses, including
specific funding for arts and cultural programs and smaller businesses
who weren't able to access the initial relief funding.
These are welcome steps forward, but they are just a down payment on
what needs to be done.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, which includes my bipartisan Water Power Research
and Development Act.
As we work to mitigate the climate crisis and transition to a 100
percent clean energy economy, we cannot ignore our ocean. It covers
more than 70 percent of the surface of our planet, and we can capture
the power of its waves, currents, and tides to power our homes,
buildings, and communities.
Marine energy has tremendous potential as one of the last untapped
renewable energy sources, and federal investment can help unlock it.
Earlier this year, I was pleased to work with my House Oceans Caucus
CoChair, Congressman Don Young, and another marine energy enthusiast
from the east coast, Congressman Ted Deutch, to introduce the
bipartisan Water Power Research and Development Act. The bill would
reauthorize funding for research, development, demonstration, and
commercialization of marine energy within the Department of Energy's
Water Power Technologies Office. Importantly, the bill authorizes
funding for existing and new National Marine Energy Centers, including
the Pacific Marine Energy Center--operated by Oregon State University,
the University of Washington, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Researchers at Oregon State University are leading the way on this
innovative work. Through the Pacific Marine Energy Center, OSU is
currently in the process of developing PacWave, the first of its kind
wave energy test facility off the Oregon Coast. Their leadership
scaling up the PacWave testing facility will catalyze this nascent
industry. Additionally, we are fortunate to have the advanced
manufacturing capacity of companies like Vigor, which recently
constructed an 826-ton wave energy device that was deployed off the
shores of Hawaii. It was not until I visited Vigor to see the device
that I grasped the scale of this resource and what we can gain from it.
I appreciate the support of Chairwoman Johnson in helping to secure
the inclusion of the Water Power Research and Development Act in
today's comprehensive energy package and end of year spending bill, and
I am thrilled that it will soon be signed into law. I urge all of my
colleagues to support this bill, which is an important step forward in
advancing ocean climate action.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this relief
bill because the American people cannot wait another day.
Over 315,000 Americans are dead. Three out of every 4 small
businesses have seen their revenues fall, and thousands have shut their
doors for good.
Food insecurity has doubled for families with children, and millions
of Americans are turning to food banks for the first time.
In most states, 1 in 5 households are behind on rent. More than 10
million people are unemployed.
But it's been over six months since the House passed the Heroes Act,
comprehensive legislation to address these issues months ago.
And all this time, Republicans have refused to lift a finger to
provide relief to struggling families. It is shameful that it took this
long for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to come to the
table.
And let me be clear--$600 in direct payments and an additional $300
per week in unemployment is not enough--in fact, it's just half of the
aid that we passed in the CARES Act.
So, while I am disappointed in my Republican colleagues and recognize
this bill is not ideal or as comprehensive as the Heroes Act-it will
provide some much-needed relief to the American people until we can
pass a more robust stimulus under the Biden Administration.
I'd particularly like to thank all the staff from member offices, to
committee offices, to leadership and floor staff, who worked long hours
and through the weekend to help put this package together.
For small businesses, this bill takes action to authorize a second
round of PPP loans to the hardest hit businesses. Importantly, it will
set aside funding reserved for small businesses with 10 or fewer
employees and those in underserved communities. It also utilizes small
banks and mission-based community lenders to guarantee fair access to
small employers.
And finally, this bill provides for what we have been hearing on the
ground from small

[[Page H7312]]

businesses--the need for cash infusions through grants. By establishing
new guardrails and allocating $20 billion to the EIDL grant program, we
are targeting the hardest hit small businesses to receive these grants.
Meanwhile, as shuttered entertainment venues, including our cultural
institutions and movie theaters, that depend on large crowds to survive
have been closed by the pandemic and faced difficulties accessing PPP
and other SBA programs, this bill creates a new $15 billion dollar
grant program to target these establishments that have experienced a
dramatic decline in revenue.
But our efforts do not end here. We will continue to seek more
assistance next year because Main Street, especially our independent
restaurants, and working families deserve for us to come back to the
table to provide a lifeline while we await vaccine distributions.
So today, I'm voting yes but I urge my fellow members, let's not stop
here. Let's come back in January and pass more relief for the American
people.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to one of
the many important provisions of today's legislation. In particular, I
rise to discuss Section 1109 of Title XI of Division FF, relating to
aquatic ecosystem protection, which comes from the FUTURE Western Water
Infrastructure and Drought Resiliency title that I authored in H.R. 2
earlier this year.
Today's provision is an improved version of that legislation, and it
is the result of the ongoing bicameral water infrastructure
negotiations between the committees of jurisdiction. I am grateful for
the work done on both sides of the Capitol and both sides of the aisle
to bring this to fruition. This aquatic ecosystem protection provision
is designed to fund broadly-supported fish passage projects in the
western states, and the specific intent is to help projects like the
one in the Eel and Russian River basins in California, where we have a
chance to significantly improve fish passage and habitat on the Eel
River while providing long term certainty and reliability for Russian
River water users.
The Potter Valley Project Ad Hoc Committee has been refining this
effort for several years, and we now have a Two-Basin Partnership that
is taking the next steps. The intent of this new aquatic ecosystem
protection statute is to support the important work of the Two-Basin
Partnership, as well as other community-supported restoration projects
like it around the west.
I am including in the Record letters of support from the Round Valley
Indian Tribes, Humboldt County, Sonoma County Water Agency, Mendocino
County Inland Water and Power Commission, and California Trout--
collectively known as the Two-Basin Partnership--as well as from the
Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, and California Trout--collectively
known as the California Salmon and Steelhead Coalition.
I thank my colleagues for working with me to bring this legislation
to fruition, and thank the staff in both the House and Senate who have
helped in this effort, especially Matthew Muirragui from the House
Natural Resources Committee and John Driscoll, Logan Ferree, and Ben
Miller on my personal staff. I look forward to working with the next
administration to support this win-win outcome for the North Coast and
North Bay.

Dear Chairman Huffman: The Round Valley Indian Tribes,
Humboldt County, Sonoma County Water Agency, Mendocino County
Inland Water and Power Commission, and California Trout,
collectively known as the Two-Basin Partnership, write in
strong support of the aquatic ecosystem restoration provision
included in H.R. 2, which we understand you and your staff
have negotiated for inclusion in the omnibus appropriations
bill.
The Potter Valley Project is a hydroelectric facility that,
in addition to generating a small amount of electricity,
diverts water from the Eel River into the Russian River
basin. The Project's main facilities include two dams on the
Eel River, a diversion tunnel and a hydroelectric plant.
Citing economic concerns, current Project owner Pacific Gas &
Electric announced in January 2019 that it would not seek a
new license from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to
continue operating the facilities. PG&E's decision to not re-
license the Project left an uncertain future for both Eel and
Russian River interests. Instead of leaving it up to the
utility and federal regulators to determine the region's
water future, local leaders decided to work together to
protect the interests of both river basins. The Two-Basin
Partnership is a direct outgrowth of that collaborative
effort, which brought together diverse stakeholders to
develop a compromise solution for the future of this aging
and non-economically viable hydroelectric project.
The Partners have joined together as the applicant for the
Project, with the collective goal of restoring 288 linear
river miles of spawning habitat at the headwaters of the Eel
through the removal of Scott Dam, while ensuring water supply
reliability on the Russian River. Additional components of
the proposed Project Plan include improving a water diversion
infrastructure at Cape Horn Dam and developing infrastructure
to provide water to meet summer irrigation needs for farmers
and ranchers in Potter Valley.
As you know, this legislation would directly support the
Two-Basin Solution's shared objectives, which include:
minimizing or avoiding adverse impacts to water supply
reliability, fisheries, water quality and recreation in the
Russian River and Eel River basins; improving fish passage
and habitat on the Eel River sufficient to support recovery
of naturally reproducing, self-sustaining and harvestable
native anadromous fish populations including migratory access
upstream and downstream at current project dam locations; and
protecting tribal cultural, economic, and other interests in
both the Eel and Russian River basins.
On behalf of the Two-Basin Partners, we strongly support
this inclusion and your continued support of our efforts on
the Eel and Russian Rivers.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Willits,
Councilmember, Round Valley Indian Tribes.
Grant Davis,
General Manager, Sonoma Water.
Hank Seemann,
Deputy Director-Environmental Services, Humboldt County
Public Works Department.
Janet Pauli,
Chair, Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission.
Curtis Knight,
California Trout.
____

December 18, 2020.
Dear Chairman Huffman: The Nature Conservancy, Trout
Unlimited, and California Trout, collectively known as the
California Salmon and Steelhead Coalition, write in strong
support of the aquatic ecosystem restoration provision
included in H.R. 2, which we understand you and your staff
have negotiated for inclusion in the omnibus appropriations
bill.
The Coalition is a strategic partnership founded to
increase streamflows in California's North and Central Coast
watersheds, with the goal of restoring and protecting wild
salmon and steelhead and creating water reliability for
people. We are working toward a California where water use
management harmonizes and meets the needs of people, needs of
fish and ecosystems. It is for these reasons that the
Coalition is working together to support the Potter Valley
Project relicensing effort as a major restoration
opportunity.
The current Potter Valley Project Plan is built around a
unique collaboration among conservationists, county
governments, tribes, farmers and other water interests to
shape a new future for the Project, a set of obsolete
hydroelectric facilities in the upper Eel River and Russian
River Watersheds. This effort, if successful, will implement
one of the largest dam removals in the history of the United
States while strengthening the security of local water
supplies.
The project consists of two dams on the upper Eel River--
Scott and Cape Horn--as well as a system of trans-basin
tunnels that divert approximately 60,000 acre-feet of water
per year from the Eel to the Russian to generate
hydroelectric power. This water ultimately flows to
agricultural and municipal users in the Russian River
Watershed. But, perhaps more importantly, the project blocks
fish from reaching 288 linear stream miles above Scott Dam
that were once the spawning grounds for some of the largest
salmon and steelhead runs in California.
In January 2019, PG&E chose to discontinue its efforts to
renew the project's license, which expires in 2022, from the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). This left the
door open for a different entity to license the project.
Seeing this as an opportunity to remove the dams blocking the
headwaters of the Eel River, California Trout joined with a
diverse coalition--Sonoma Water, Mendocino County Inland
Water and Power Commission, and Humboldt County--to notify
FERC that they would explore taking over the re-licensing of
the project. Over the subsequent year, those parties--joined
by the Round Valley Tribe--worked with a team of technical
consultants to develop a proposed plan to take over the
project and implement a ``Two-Basin Solution'' that would
remove Scott Dam, improve fish passage at Cape Horn Dam and
build new infrastructure to deliver secure water supplies to
farmers who currently rely on the project.
In the spring of 2020, the three Coalition groups helped
negotiate an initial plan proposing the removal of Scott Dam
and the implementation of a Two-Basin Solution to modernize
this project to improve water supply reliability for farms
and communities in the Russian and Eel River Basins; the plan
will also help to restore struggling salmon and steelhead
runs by reconnecting the river to its headwaters. In April
the Coalition secured a $1.1 million CDFW grant that will be
used to develop that proposal into a complete re-licensing
plan. We have also made inroads with the communities that
would be most affected by dam removal and lobbied for state
and federal funding that will be needed to further develop
and implement the plan.

[[Page H7313]]

We strongly support the inclusion of aquatic ecosystem
restoration funding in the omnibus that could facilitate the
watershed-level restoration of a key salmon river in
California. Thank you for your leadership and support.
Sincerely,
Curtis Knight,
Executive Director, California Trout.
Matt Clifford,
Staff Attorney, California Water Project, Trout Unlimited.
Jay Ziegler,
California Director of External Affairs and Policy, The
Nature Conservancy.

Mr. HALL. Mr. Speaker, the first wave of stimulus spending proved
frustrating for a lot of small and medium sized business.
Many mom and pop businesses ran in to loan processing problems
because there were problems with their applications.
Many applicants did not know that their applications needed to be
cured from any defects or that there were defects with their
application.
Some other small businesses were rejected because their lender ran
out of allocation because the lenders were focused on larger loans.
That is why, Democrats were able to secure $325 billion in small
business aid this time around.
Democrats secured critical funding and policy changes to help small
businesses, including minority-owned businesses, and nonprofits recover
from the pandemic.
This deal includes over $284 billion for first and second forgivable
PPP loans, dedicated set-asides for very small businesses and lending
through community-based lenders like Community Development Financial
Institutions and Minority Depository Institutions, and expanded PPP
eligibility for 501(c)(6) nonprofits, including destination marketing
organizations, and local newspapers, TV and radio broadcasters. $20
billion is included for new EIDL Grants for businesses in low-income
communities, $3.5 billion for continued SBA debt relief payments, and
$2 billion for enhancements to SBA lending.
This deal also includes $15 billion in dedicated funding for live
venues, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions.
Small businesses that took a PPP loan and saw their revenues fall by
25% will be eligible for a second loan.
Congress will also allow PPP borrowers to take tax deductions for
covered business expenses.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 1271, the previous question is ordered.
The question of adoption of the motion is divided.
The first portion of the divided question is: Will the House concur
in the Senate amendment with the matter proposed to be inserted as
Divisions B, C, E, and F of the amendment of the House?
The question is on the first portion of the divided question.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution
965, the yeas and nays are ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 327,
nays 85, not voting 18, as follows:

[Roll No. 250]

YEAS--327

Adams
Aderholt
Aguilar
Allen
Allred
Amodei
Arrington
Axne
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Barr
Barragan
Bass
Beatty
Bera
Bergman
Beyer
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bost
Brady
Brindisi
Brooks (AL)
Brown (MD)
Brownley (CA)
Buchanan
Bucshon
Burgess
Bustos
Butterfield
Byrne
Calvert
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson (IN)
Carter (GA)
Cartwright
Case
Casten (IL)
Castor (FL)
Chabot
Cheney
Chu, Judy
Cicilline
Cisneros
Clark (MA)
Clay
Cleaver
Cline
Clyburn
Cohen
Cole
Collins (GA)
Conaway
Connolly
Cooper
Costa
Courtney
Cox (CA)
Craig
Crawford
Crenshaw
Crist
Crow
Cunningham
Davids (KS)
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny K.
Davis, Rodney
Dean
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Delgado
Demings
Deutch
Diaz-Balart
Dingell
Doyle, Michael F.
Emmer
Engel
Eshoo
Estes
Evans
Ferguson
Finkenauer
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fletcher
Flores
Fortenberry
Foster
Foxx (NC)
Frankel
Fudge
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia (CA)
Garcia (TX)
Gianforte
Gibbs
Golden
Gonzalez (OH)
Gottheimer
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green, Al (TX)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Haaland
Hagedorn
Hall
Harder (CA)
Harris
Hartzler
Hastings
Hayes
Heck
Hern, Kevin
Herrera Beutler
Higgins (NY)
Hill (AR)
Himes
Holding
Horn, Kendra S.
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Hudson
Huizenga
Hurd (TX)
Jackson Lee
Jacobs
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Johnson (TX)
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Kaptur
Katko
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (PA)
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim
Kind
King (NY)
Kinzinger
Kirkpatrick
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster (NH)
Kustoff (TN)
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamb
Lamborn
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latta
Lawrence
Lawson (FL)
Lee (NV)
Lesko
Levin (CA)
Lieu, Ted
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lujan
Luria
Lynch
Malinowski
Maloney, Sean
Marshall
Matsui
McAdams
McBath
McCarthy
McCaul
McCollum
McEachin
McHenry
McKinley
McNerney
Meeks
Meuser
Mfume
Miller
Mitchell
Moolenaar
Morelle
Moulton
Mucarsel-Powell
Murphy (FL)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Newhouse
Norcross
Nunes
O'Halleran
Olson
Palazzo
Pallone
Palmer
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Pelosi
Pence
Perlmutter
Peters
Peterson
Phillips
Pingree
Porter
Price (NC)
Quigley
Reed
Reschenthaler
Rice (NY)
Richmond
Riggleman
Roby
Rodgers (WA)
Roe, David P.
Rogers (KY)
Rooney (FL)
Rose (NY)
Rouda
Rouzer
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Rutherford
Ryan
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scalise
Scanlon
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Serrano
Sewell (AL)
Shalala
Sherman
Sherrill
Shimkus
Simpson
Sires
Slotkin
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (WA)
Smucker
Soto
Spanberger
Speier
Stanton
Stauber
Stefanik
Steil
Stevens
Stewart
Stivers
Suozzi
Swalwell (CA)
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tipton
Titus
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres Small (NM)
Trahan
Trone
Turner
Underwood
Upton
Van Drew
Veasey
Visclosky
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walorski
Waltz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watkins
Wenstrup
Westerman
Wexton
Wild
Williams
Wilson (FL)
Wittman
Womack
Woodall
Yarmuth
Young
Zeldin

NAYS--85

Amash
Armstrong
Babin
Banks
Biggs
Bishop (NC)
Blumenauer
Boyle, Brendan F.
Buck
Budd
Burchett
Castro (TX)
Clarke (NY)
Cloud
Comer
Correa
Cuellar
Curtis
Davidson (OH)
DeFazio
DeSaulnier
DesJarlais
Doggett
Escobar
Espaillat
Gabbard
Gallagher
Garcia (IL)
Gohmert
Gomez
Gonzalez (TX)
Gooden
Gosar
Green (TN)
Grijalva
Hice (GA)
Higgins (LA)
Hollingsworth
Huffman
Jayapal
Jeffries
Jordan
Keller
Kelly (MS)
Kennedy
Khanna
Lee (CA)
Levin (MI)
Lofgren
Long
Maloney, Carolyn B.
Massie
Mast
McClintock
McGovern
Meng
Mooney (WV)
Moore
Mullin
Norman
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Perry
Pocan
Posey
Pressley
Raskin
Rice (SC)
Rose, John W.
Roy
Schakowsky
Schweikert
Sensenbrenner
Steube
Takano
Taylor
Tiffany
Timmons
Tlaib
Vargas
Vela
Velazquez
Watson Coleman
Weber (TX)
Welch

NOT VOTING--18

Abraham
Bishop (UT)
Brooks (IN)
Carter (TX)
Duncan
Dunn
Guthrie
King (IA)
Loudermilk
Marchant
Murphy (NC)
Rogers (AL)
Spano
Walker
Webster (FL)
Wilson (SC)
Wright
Yoho

{time} 2025

Messrs. GRIJALVA, JEFFRIES, and WEBER of Texas changed their vote
from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Mr. McCARTHY changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the first portion of the divided question was adopted.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.

members recorded pursuant to house resolution 965, 116th congress

[[Page H7314]]

Garamendi (Sherman)
Gianforte (Suozzi)
Gonzalez (TX) (Gomez)
Grijalva (Garcia (IL))
Haaland (Davids (KS))
Hastings (Wasserman Schultz)
Heck (Kildee)
Jayapal (Raskin)
Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)
Kelly (IL) (Clarke (NY))
Kennedy (McGovern)
Khanna (Sherman)
Kilmer (Kildee)
Kim (Davids (KS))
Kirkpatrick (Stanton)
Lamb (Sherrill)
Langevin (Lynch)
Larson (CT) (Cicilline)
Lawrence (Kildee)
Lawson (FL) (Demings)
Lieu, Ted (Beyer)
Lipinski (Schrader)
Lofgren (Jeffries)
Lowenthal (Beyer)
McEachin (Wexton)
McNerney (Raskin)
Meng (Clark (MA))
Mitchell (Spanberger)
Moore (Beyer)
Moulton (McGovern)
Mucarsel-Powell (Wasserman Schultz)
Nadler (Jeffries)
Napolitano (Correa)
Neal (Lynch)
Neguse (Perlmutter)
Pascrell (Pallone)
Payne (Wasserman Schultz)
Peters (Kildee)
Peterson (McCollum)
Pingree (Cicilline)
Pocan (Raskin)
Porter (Wexton)
Price (NC) (Butterfield)
Richmond (Butterfield)
Rooney (FL) (Beyer)
Rouda (Aguilar)
Roybal-Allard (Garcia (TX))
Ruiz (Dingell)
Rush (Underwood)
Ryan (Kildee)
Schakowsky (Underwood)
Schneider (Casten (IL))
Schrier (Spanberger)
Serrano (Jeffries)
Sewell (AL) (Cicilline)
Shimkus (Pallone)
Sires (Pallone)
Smith (WA) (Courtney)
Speier (Scanlon)
Thompson (MS) (Fudge)
Titus (Connolly)
Vargas (Correa)
Veasey (Beyer)
Velazquez (Clarke (NY))
Watson Coleman (Pallone)
Welch (McGovern)
Wilson (FL) (Hayes)
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mfume). The Chair will now put the
question on the second portion of the divided question.
The question is: Will the House concur in the Senate amendment with
all of the matter proposed to be inserted by the amendment of the House
other than Divisions B, C, E, and F?
The question is on the second portion of the divided question.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution
965, the yeas and nays are ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 359,
nays 53, not voting 17, as follows:

[Roll No. 251]

YEAS--359

Adams
Aderholt
Aguilar
Allen
Allred
Amodei
Arrington
Axne
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Barr
Barragan
Bass
Beatty
Bera
Bergman
Beyer
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bost
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brady
Brindisi
Brown (MD)
Brownley (CA)
Buchanan
Bucshon
Bustos
Butterfield
Byrne
Calvert
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson (IN)
Carter (GA)
Cartwright
Case
Casten (IL)
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chabot
Cheney
Chu, Judy
Cicilline
Cisneros
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Cline
Clyburn
Cohen
Cole
Collins (GA)
Comer
Connolly
Cooper
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Cox (CA)
Craig
Crawford
Crenshaw
Crist
Crow
Cuellar
Cunningham
Davids (KS)
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny K.
Davis, Rodney
Dean
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Delgado
Demings
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Diaz-Balart
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle, Michael F.
Emmer
Engel
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Estes
Evans
Ferguson
Finkenauer
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Fletcher
Flores
Fortenberry
Foster
Foxx (NC)
Frankel
Fudge
Fulcher
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia (CA)
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Gianforte
Gibbs
Golden
Gomez
Gonzalez (OH)
Gonzalez (TX)
Gottheimer
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green, Al (TX)
Grijalva
Guest
Guthrie
Haaland
Hagedorn
Hall
Harder (CA)
Harris
Hartzler
Hastings
Hayes
Heck
Hern, Kevin
Herrera Beutler
Higgins (NY)
Hill (AR)
Himes
Holding
Horn, Kendra S.
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Hudson
Huffman
Huizenga
Hurd (TX)
Jackson Lee
Jacobs
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Johnson (TX)
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Kaptur
Katko
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kelly (PA)
Kennedy
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim
Kind
King (NY)
Kinzinger
Kirkpatrick
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster (NH)
Kustoff (TN)
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamb
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latta
Lawrence
Lawson (FL)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Lesko
Levin (CA)
Levin (MI)
Lieu, Ted
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lofgren
Long
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lujan
Luria
Lynch
Malinowski
Maloney, Carolyn B.
Maloney, Sean
Marshall
Mast
Matsui
McAdams
McBath
McCarthy
McCaul
McCollum
McEachin
McGovern
McHenry
McKinley
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Meuser
Mfume
Miller
Mitchell
Moolenaar
Moore
Morelle
Moulton
Mucarsel-Powell
Murphy (FL)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Newhouse
Norcross
Nunes
O'Halleran
Ocasio-Cortez
Olson
Omar
Palazzo
Pallone
Palmer
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Pence
Perlmutter
Peters
Peterson
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Price (NC)
Quigley
Raskin
Reed
Reschenthaler
Rice (NY)
Rice (SC)
Richmond
Riggleman
Roby
Rodgers (WA)
Roe, David P.
Rogers (KY)
Rooney (FL)
Rose (NY)
Rouda
Rouzer
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Rutherford
Ryan
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scalise
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Serrano
Sewell (AL)
Shalala
Sherman
Sherrill
Shimkus
Simpson
Sires
Slotkin
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (WA)
Smucker
Soto
Spanberger
Speier
Stanton
Stauber
Stefanik
Stevens
Stivers
Suozzi
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Titus
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres Small (NM)
Trahan
Trone
Turner
Underwood
Upton
Van Drew
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Visclosky
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walorski
Waltz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watkins
Watson Coleman
Welch
Wenstrup
Westerman
Wexton
Wild
Williams
Wilson (FL)
Wittman
Womack
Woodall
Yarmuth
Young
Zeldin

NAYS--53

Amash
Armstrong
Babin
Banks
Biggs
Bishop (NC)
Brooks (AL)
Buck
Budd
Burchett
Burgess
Cloud
Conaway
Curtis
Davidson (OH)
DesJarlais
Gabbard
Gaetz
Gallagher
Gohmert
Gooden
Gosar
Green (TN)
Griffith
Grothman
Hice (GA)
Higgins (LA)
Hollingsworth
Jordan
Keller
Kelly (MS)
Lamborn
Massie
McClintock
Mooney (WV)
Mullin
Norman
Perry
Posey
Rose, John W.
Roy
Schweikert
Sensenbrenner
Smith (MO)
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Taylor
Tiffany
Timmons
Tipton
Tlaib
Weber (TX)

NOT VOTING--17

Abraham
Bishop (UT)
Brooks (IN)
Carter (TX)
Duncan
Dunn
King (IA)
Loudermilk
Marchant
Murphy (NC)
Rogers (AL)
Spano
Walker
Webster (FL)
Wilson (SC)
Wright
Yoho

{time} 2108

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ changed her vote from ``present'' to ``yea.''
So the second portion of the divided question was adopted.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

Personal explanation

Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote on December 20,
2020 and December 21, 2020 due to not being in DC. Had I been present,
I would have voted as follows: ``no'' on rollcall No. 248; ``no'' on
rollcall No. 249; ``no'' on rollcall No. 250; and ``no'' on rollcall
No. 251.

members recorded pursuant to house resolution 965, 116th congress

Allred (Wexton)
Axne (Davids (KS))
Barragan (Beyer)
Bera (Aguilar)
Bishop (GA) (Butterfield)
Blumenauer (Beyer)
Bonamici (Clark (MA))
Boyle, Brendan F. (Jeffries)
Brownley (CA) (Clark (MA))
Bustos (Kuster (NH))
Cardenas (Carbajal)
Carson (IN) (Butterfield)
Case (Cartwright)
Castor (FL) (Demings)
Cisneros (Carbajal)
Cleaver (Davids (KS))
Cohen (Beyer)
Costa (Correa)
Davis (CA) (Scanlon)
Dean (Scanlon)
DeFazio (Davids (KS))
DeGette (Blunt Rochester)
DelBene (Cicilline)
DeSaulnier (Matsui)
Deutch (Rice (NY))
Doggett (Raskin)
Escobar (Garcia (TX))
Eshoo (Thompson (CA))
Finkenauer (Underwood)
Fletcher (Raskin)
Frankel (Clark (MA))
Garamendi (Sherman)
Gianforte (Suozzi)
Gonzalez (TX) (Gomez)
Grijalva (Garcia (IL))
Haaland (Davids (KS))
Hastings (Wasserman Schultz)
Heck (Kildee)
Jayapal (Raskin)
Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)
Kelly (IL) (Clarke (NY))
Kennedy (McGovern)
Khanna (Sherman)
Kilmer (Kildee)
Kim (Davids (KS))
Kirkpatrick (Stanton)
Lamb (Sherrill)
Langevin (Lynch)
Larson (CT) (Cicilline)
Lawrence (Kildee)
Lawson (FL) (Demings)
Lieu, Ted (Beyer)
Lipinski (Schrader)
Lofgren (Jeffries)
Lowenthal (Beyer)
McEachin (Wexton)
McNerney (Raskin)
Meng (Clark (MA))
Mitchell (Spanberger)
Moore (Beyer)
Moulton (McGovern)
Mucarsel-Powell (Wasserman Schultz)
Nadler (Jeffries)
Napolitano (Correa)
Neal (Lynch)
Neguse (Perlmutter)
Pascrell (Pallone)
Payne (Wasserman Schultz)
Peters (Kildee)
Peterson (McCollum)
Pingree (Cicilline)
Pocan (Raskin)
Porter (Wexton)
Price (NC) (Butterfield)
Richmond (Butterfield)
Rooney (FL) (Beyer)
Rouda (Aguilar)
Roybal-Allard (Garcia (TX))
Ruiz (Dingell)
Rush (Underwood)
Ryan (Kildee)

[[Page H7315]]

Schakowsky (Underwood)
Schneider (Casten (IL))
Schrier (Spanberger)
Serrano (Jeffries)
Sewell (AL) (Cicilline)
Shimkus (Pallone)
Sires (Pallone)
Smith (WA) (Courtney)
Speier (Scanlon)
Thompson (MS) (Fudge)
Titus (Connolly)
Vargas (Correa)
Veasey (Beyer)
Velazquez (Clarke (NY))
Watson Coleman (Pallone)
Welch (McGovern)
Wilson (FL) (Hayes)

____________________