[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 202 (Tuesday, December 27, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1360-E1361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE SENATE AMENDMENT TO HOUSE AMENDMENT 
TO SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 2617, AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD 
AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2023; 
  RELATING TO CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 4373, FURTHER 
ADDITIONAL CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS ACT, 2023; RELATING 
TO CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENTS TO H.R. 1082, SAMI'S LAW; AND FOR 
                             OTHER PURPOSES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. SUZANNE BONAMICI

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 23, 2022

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Fiscal Year 
2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.
  One of the most basic and important responsibilities of Congress is 
to keep the government funded and operating, and it is our obligation 
to spend taxpayer money wisely. A budget is a statement of values and 
priorities, and this budget focuses on helping hardworking families get 
ahead, supporting vulnerable populations at home and abroad, and 
growing the economy.
  This bipartisan bill invests in affordable child care, helps to 
address the climate crisis, increases the maximum Pell Grant award by 
$500, provides $47 billion for the National Institutes of Health to 
help develop treatments and cures for chronic diseases, secures funding 
for manufacturing jobs created by the historic bipartisan Creating 
Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act, 
serves veterans exposed to harmful chemicals by providing $5 billion in 
mandatory funding under the Honoring our Promise to Address 
Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, and includes nearly $45 billion in 
emergency and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The FY23 omnibus bill also 
includes the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which requires employers to 
give pregnant workers basic accommodations like an extra bathroom break 
and stool to sit on, preventing pregnant workers from being 
discriminated against in the workplace.
  This legislation includes several bills and investments I have fought 
for this Congress. The bill establishes a permanent, nationwide Summer 
Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program to address food insecurity 
among children when school is out. As the Chair of Education and Labor 
Committee's Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee, I have been 
working on needed updates to our federal child nutrition programs. This 
is an important victory that builds on the successes of the Pandemic-
EBT program and it will help prevent summer hunger. I have also been 
fighting for increases in funding to nutrition programs for seniors 
through the Older Americans Act, and I am grateful that this year's 
bill responds to increasing need amid growing demand and rising costs 
by including more funding for OAA Title III nutrition programs.
  My Retirement Savings Lost and Found Act is enacted under this 
omnibus funding bill. These provisions will create an Office of the 
Retirement Savings Lost and Found to provide workers with tools to 
locate and manage accounts after leaving an employer. Tracking 
retirement savings accounts after leaving an employer can be extremely 
difficult, and many people lose access completely. The Retirement 
Savings Lost and Found Act will give workers tools to access and 
preserve their hard-earned savings.
  Economic inflation caused by increased consumer demand, global supply 
chain disruptions, and the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia 
have shifted global markets and affected everyday costs. Higher prices 
are straining household budgets and depriving workers of the full 
benefits of our growing economy. I am pleased that this legislation 
includes a nearly $2 billion increase for the Child Care and 
Development Block Grant program and an almost $1 billion increase for 
Head Start. These long overdue investments follow my continued calls to 
improve the care economy for families and care workers, including in 
two letters I led that were signed by more than half of the Democratic 
Caucus. Additionally, this legislation will help families with rising 
energy costs by providing $5 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy 
Assistance Program and expanding who can access the services of 
Community Action Agencies. Although these are needed investments to 
address housing affordability and childcare access, there is still much 
more we need to do, including extending the powerful, enhanced Child 
Tax Credit that House Democrats included in the American Rescue Plan 
and updating the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to remove barriers to 
housing development.
  Ocean acidification, harmful algal blooms (HABs), and are hypoxia are 
significant threats to coastal communities, industries, and Tribes 
across the United States. The ocean is resilient, but we cannot afford 
to wait to take action. I am pleased that this legislation invests in 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Integrated 
Ocean Acidification Program to expand scientific research and 
monitoring of ocean acidification to identify risks and inform 
vulnerable communities, industries, and coastal and ocean managers of 
ways to prepare. The bill also includes harmful algal bloom and hypoxia 
research and monitoring investments through NOAA to strengthen research 
about environmental stressors on our ocean and coastal resources and 
expand competitive research grants to study threats to ocean health. 
Although the bill does not include specific investments in blue carbon 
ecosystems, I will continue to advocate for natural climate solutions 
and appreciate the investments in improving the resilience of such 
ecosystems included in the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan 
Infrastructure law.
  The Pacific Northwest must also be ready for a potential Cascadia 
Subduction Zone earthquake and related tsunami, so I appreciate that 
this legislation contains funding for NOAA's Tsunami Warning Centers 
and for the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) to help 
prepare vulnerable communities in the event of a tsunami. Additionally, 
harnessing energy from waves, currents, and tides is an exciting 
frontier in the clean power sector, and I am pleased that this 
legislation includes funding for the Department of Energy's Water Power 
Technologies Office, which supports investments in hydropower, marine, 
and hydrokinetic energy technologies, including research at the Pacific 
Marine Energy Center in Oregon.
  Education is one of the best investments our country can make. Every 
student in our country deserves access to a high-quality, well-rounded 
education, and this legislation makes investments in many important 
programs. I'm pleased that the omnibus legislation includes a more than 
$70 million for the Institute of Education Sciences and encourages the 
pursuit of quick turnaround, high-reward projects to improve student 
achievement and advance education equity--language based on bipartisan 
legislation I introduced this year. Additionally, the legislation's 
$1.38 billion investment in Title IV-A of the Every Student Succeeds 
Act will provide students with greater opportunities to receive an 
engaging, well-rounded education and support the development of safe, 
healthy, welcoming learning environments. I am also grateful that this 
year's federal budget continues the long, bipartisan recognition of the 
importance of the arts and humanities by providing $207 million each 
for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National 
Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The NEA was instrumental in 
supporting local arts organizations during the height of the pandemic, 
and this additional funding will allow it to foster greater creativity 
and promote equity in the arts around the country.
  Additionally, I secured more than $35 million in Community Project 
Funding for 15 projects in NW Oregon that will make our communities 
stronger and create new opportunities for families and workers. 
Addressing the climate crisis and expanding access to affordable 
housing are top priorities in my work, and these projects reflect my 
commitment to putting forward real solutions to address the challenges 
we face. These projects will bolster the economy in Oregon by building 
more affordable housing, making our roads safer and more sustainable, 
supporting small businesses, enhancing workforce development to provide 
people the skills needed for advanced manufacturing and a good job, and 
promoting equity in foster care:
  Notably missing from this end-of-year package is comprehensive 
immigration reform. Further inaction harms our communities and economy. 
Dreamers, essential workers like farmworkers, educators, and nurses, 
and

[[Page E1361]]

many more are stuck in our antiquated immigration system. Next year, I 
will continue fighting to secure the dignity of immigrants in our 
communities.
  I would like to thank Chair DeLauro and her staff for their tireless 
work to negotiate this important legislation, and I look forward to 
voting in favor.

                          ____________________