[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 15, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E253-E254]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HAITI DEVELOPMENT, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND INSTITUTIONAL TRANSPARENCY 
                             INITIATIVE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 9, 2022

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, the House will proudly pass an omnibus 
government funding bill that delivers For The People: strengthening 
national security, bolstering economic prosperity and advancing 
democratic governance.
  And this legislation will offer a strong foundation on which 
Democrats will continue our focus on Building a Better America: with 
lower costs, bigger paycheck and more jobs.
  Thank you, Madam Chair Rosa DeLauro, for your tireless work in 
assembling this omnibus package. You have been a masterful force in 
crafting a package that will help us meet the needs of American 
families.
  Let us also salute Ranking Member Kay Granger, as well as our 
committed counterparts in the Senate: Chairman Pat Leahy and Ranking 
Member Richard Shelby.
  This legislation addresses many of the top priorities for our country 
and in our communities for the long-term.
  For families, this means strong public schools; clean air and water; 
more public health resources; safe food and lower costs of insulin. 
With this bill, we are especially proud to increase the maximum Pell 
Grant by $400; as well as establishing funding for President Biden's 
bold new ARPA-H initiative to finally defeat cancer.
  For workers, it means better-paying jobs, support for our small 
businesses and a strong social safety net.
  For women and girls, it means the long-overdue reauthorization of the 
Violence Against Women Act: one of our nation's most powerful tools to 
safeguard safety, dignity and rights.
  For our veterans, it means reliable benefits, reducing backlogs for 
veterans and their families seeking assistance, and meeting the needs 
of the VA's health care system.
  For our national security, it means honoring the service of our 
troops with improvements to defense readiness and modernization, 
stronger defenses against cyber attacks and promoting our democratic 
values abroad.
  Enacting this omnibus will also unlock billions in more federal 
dollars under our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law--delivering key 
investments in nearly every community across the country.
  Doing so will help us rebuild our nation while reinvigorating our 
middle class: creating millions of good-paying jobs improving roads and 
bridges, public transit, ports and airports, water systems and 
broadband, and more
  As we proceed on this legislation, war rages on in Ukraine. This 
omnibus includes $13.6 billion in emergency supplemental funding for 
humanitarian, military and economic assistance for Ukraine.
  Today, I had the privilege of an extensive telephone conversation 
with President Zelensky. It afforded me the opportunity to praise the 
extraordinary courage and resolve of the Ukrainian people as they 
defend their communities and their democracy.
  I also conveyed to him the sympathy of the Congress for the loss of 
life and livelihood in Ukraine--especially after Putin's barbaric 
attack on a maternity hospital, killing parents and children.
  He expressed the gratitude of the Ukrainian people for the assistance 
that the United States has provided to date. But much more needs to be 
done. This legislation takes a strong step forward.
  I am proud of the strong leadership of President Biden in his role in 
unifying NATO and

[[Page E254]]

other allies to cripple Russia's economy in response to Putin's 
diabolical, premeditated assault on Ukraine and its democracy.
  Again, I thank Chair DeLauro for her masterful leadership--and I urge 
a ``yes'' vote.

                          ____________________