[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 19 (Tuesday, January 27, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E76-E77]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          SUPPORTING H.R. 7006

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 27, 2026

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the FY2026 Financial 
Services and General Government and National Security, Department of 
State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.
  Due to the perseverance of my colleagues, Ranking Members DeLauro, 
Hoyer, and Frankel, the legislation before us protects funding for 
Democratic priorities, reasserts Congress's power of the purse, and 
rejects Republicans' poison pill riders.
  The fiscal year 2026 National Security, Department of State, and 
Related Programs Appropriations bill upholds U.S. leadership abroad and 
invests into vital programs that support humanitarian aid, development, 
and democracy building. This bill, while imperfect, rebukes President 
Trump's attacks on foreign aid by allocating $5.5 billion for 
humanitarian assistance, $9.4 billion to support the State Department's 
Diplomatic Programs, and $3.5 billion for global health programs that 
support maternal and child health and fighting infectious diseases. All 
of these areas were cut significantly in the President's budget and the 
House Republican appropriations bill. In addition to the improvements 
made to humanitarian assistance programs, this bill also makes strides 
in international conservation

[[Page E77]]

and environmental programs. The conferenced agreement removes 
Republican policy riders that would have prohibited any funding to the 
Green Climate Fund, the Clean Technology Fund, and implementation of 
the Paris Climate Agreement, and saved the Global Environment Facility 
from elimination.
  The fiscal year 2026 Financial Services and General Government bill 
provides critical assistance to small businesses in the Twin Cities by 
rejecting cuts to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) 
Fund. The CDFI Fund promotes economic development in distressed urban, 
rural, and tribal communities. CDFIs leverage capital from the CDFI 
Fund to catalyze investment in the Twin Cities that grows our small 
businesses, develops housing units, increases access to financial 
services, and creates jobs. Over the past year, President Trump has 
proposed eliminating the CDFI Fund, has fired CDFI Fund staff, and 
withheld funding that Congress appropriated intended for our small 
businesses. As Trump administration and ICE are terrorizing our 
community and small businesses, it is more important than ever that the 
CDFI Fund remain fully funded to assist small business owners as our 
community rebuilds after this crisis.
  While these bills were not ideal, I urge my colleagues to support 
this bipartisan agreement.

                          ____________________