Transcripts For CSPAN House Appropriations Debates 2021 Legi

Chairwoman lowey consideration of the interior environment appropriations bill, fiscal year 2021. I will not recognize to present the bill. Thank you, madam chair. I am pleased to prevent the 2021 appropriations bill. It reflects the hard work and participation of our Committee Members as well as the good ideas we have received from many sources including my colleagues and outside experts. The bill provides increased funding to support staff and other resources that Congress Needs to do its job well. The bills analytic capacity in the legislative branch and to address high priority Information Technology and security. For example, the bill provides a 25 million increase for the which covers staff, office space and other facilities. I believe it is sufficient to express our new normal as members move into a new means of interacting with constituents. It turns out to an average of office. Per member of our bill creates a new house modernization initiatives account and provides a down payment of 2 million to start the process of modernizing the house. I believe this funding is necessary to bring the house into the 21st century. This bill also provides increases to the main analytical agencies in the legislative branch to continue building their capacity including the Congressional Budget Office and Congressional Research service, and Government Accountability office. Now that i have mentioned all the parts of the bill that i know theres broad consensus on, i wanted to discuss some items that require a tougher conversation. First, i once again included language on the bill to prevent People Holding employment authorization under the daca program to work for congress and other legislative Branch Agencies. D. R. E. A. M. E. R. S. Are americans, and should be able to serve their country in this body. I included it because it is the right thing to do, and i want to welcome these members to our National Community to seek employment with congress and the leg Branch Agencies. Second, the bill includes language talking the cost of members. Justment for right now, with everything going on in our country, i believe this is necessary. However, i would like to point out that this will be the 12th Consecutive Year that no costofliving adjustment has been provided. With the average rent in 2300. Ton, d. C. At right now, every federal judge from the District Court to the Supreme Court is compensated at a much higher rate than members of congress. We need to have a real discussion on this issue, or will have a congress were only millionaires could afford to serve. Finally, the bill includes longoverdue language directing the architect to remove the statues or busts in the u. S. Capitol that represent figures who participated in the Confederate Army or government, as well as the statues of 4 white supremacists, including roger b taney. I hope this action will begin a larger conversation we need to other statues in the capital representing figures who are press various minority groups. And there may be portraits throughout the capitol complex that need to be reevaluated, too. Largerthis is part of a National Debate that other appropriations subcommittees will address, but we need to make a statement now on something we can control, the removal of statues that many visitors to the capitol find offensive. This is the peoples house, so lets make sure all people are welcome. Before i yield back, i would like to recognize the staff for the hard work and time they have put into this bill under difficult circumstances. From the majority staff committee, i would like to thank matt washington in his first cycle as a clerk of the leg branch, and sue as well as Rachel Jenkins from my personal stuff. From the minority committee, i would like to thank michelle, also in her first cycle as minority clerk, as well as ben from the Ranking Member staff. Finally, i want to thank for her three decades of service to this country. Over those three decades, you have been an effective legislator and is leader in this committee and this congress. I cant wait until we are back in our Committee Room handing your portrait, so you can take your rightful place among the titans of this committee. I ask for your support of this bill. I yield back. Lowey i would now like to recognize the subcommittee Ranking Member, ms. Herrera butler. Thank you. Thank you, madam chair. Ryan,ank you, chairman for including several initiatives in this bill that are important to me and my republican colleagues. The recommendations for fiscal year 2021 legislative Branch Appropriations bill provide 4. 19 8 billion, excluding the senate items, which historically are left to the senate to determine. It is 207 million above the fiscal year 2020 level, and 297 Million Dollars below the budget request. Bestmost of the congress has had to adjust like most of the nation to the way it does business during covid19. Our committees, agencies and ,perations around the capitol we have had to become more flexible and much more reliant on technology. Thatbill offers support will allow the house to maximize its effectiveness with the use of technology where maintaining decorum, increasing transparency and allowing the chamber to function under new and uncertain circumstances. While i am pleased that this bill supports accessibility for visitors and staff, specifically with different, or as some people call, disabilities, it specifically provides an opportunity to provide increased assistance to deaf or hard of hearing capitol hill members, visitors, for technological assisted devices. The library of congress received Adequate Funding for many of the provides. It in addition, the library received the funding necessary for Major Construction project that will have a resounding impacts on the 1. 7 million visitors who work through their doors annually, as well as satisfying over all capacity needs for the next two decades. This bill also supports the Critical Mission of the Capitol Police, as they continue their mission with distinction in response to an everchanging threat environment, ensuring safety to visitors, members and staff on the capitol complex. We thank them for their service to members, to staff, and to the visiting american public. While this bill has taken care of some important initiatives to branch,the legislative it is silent on any funding to continue our response to the coronavirus in the coming fiscal year. House. The peoples the American People expect us to safely continue our work to help citizens and instances survived this and businesses survive this pandemic. Theust ensure the safety of people who work and visit the capitol complex. The sooner we get this right, the sooner our doors can open to the public. My hope is that this happens in the near future. I am concerned that the 5 increase in bill enjoys was only able to happen because of the emergency funding used in other bills, which frees up space within the budget cap. There is an increase in overall spending in this bill, yet we have not built in some of the covid response, cleaning and necessary safety precautions that we all know we will need into the fall. That concerns me. I remain hopeful we can continue to work through this and other controversial issues as we move forward in this legislative process. Ey,that end, chairman low as regards to pictures and partners around the capitol, it will be great if we return to our room and lucy all the portraits, all the former of the Appropriations Committee, it will be nice to finally have a true decoration up in the appropriations room with a chairwoman. I dont think any of us will have controversy over. [applause] then he say thank you, again, to chairman ryan. It has been a pleasure to work with him, and to the majority and minority staff will make us look good. Thank you, and i yield back. Lowey thank you for your kind words. I would now like to recognize myself for opening remarks. I thank chairman ryan and Ranking Member Herrera Butler further work on this bill, as well as the staff for their efforts to resume member requests and craft the product before us. The fiscal year 2021 legislative Branch Appropriations bill makes key investments in our workforce, from funding for a house modernization initiatives, to increased resources for diversity and inclusion efforts, to more fully represent the needs of the Diverse Communities we serve. As our nation weathers the covid19 pandemic, we must ensure that members of congress can effectively work on behalf of their constituents, and that legislative branch employees can perform their duties safely. The fiscal year 2021 legislative Branch Appropriations bill would 640 both by providing million for the members representational allowance, a 4 increase above the fy2020 enacted levels, providing offices with the ability to meet rising costs, and ensure Safe Environments for staff. 631. 3 million to the architect of the capitol. 031. 8 million above the fy202 enacted levels. 2 million for modernization efforts in the house, and an increase of 500,000 for the office of diversity and inclusion. Groundstol and its should be a place where all americans feel welcome to work and visit. To that end, this bill would caotect the rights of da recipients to work in the legislative branch. It also includes Strong Language removing statues and imagery that honor divisive figures who were involved in the confederacy or otherwise have unambiguous records of racial intolerance. I look forward to moving this hill to the floor of the house of representatives, and i urge all members to support it. I would now like to recognize Ranking Member granger for her opening remarks. You,granger thank chairman ryan and everyone else for the work they have done to address Critical Issues in congress. The work ofcognizes the committee on modernization and takes steps to make congress more efficient and transparent on behalf of the American People. To bill funds priorities support the capitol aging infrastructure and support the health and safety of employees and visitors. The men and women of the Capitol Police demonstrate the high standards of professionalism, and this bill recognizes their sacrifice by ensuring they have the resources they need to continue to keep the complex safe. Unfortunately, i have concerns that will prevent me from supporting this will in its current form. 11 months ago, and bipartisan budget agreement set the top line spinning level for fiscal year 2021. There was consensus at the time that tells would not contain. Olicy riders this bill violates the spirit of that agreement. The total cost of the bill increases by 5 , and there are new riders inserted that more the bill. E i hope we can come together on these issues as the process moves forward. I want to thank the subCommittee Members on their work as well as minority and majority staff. Thank you, madam chairwoman. By jun i yield back. Chairwoman lowey are there any other members wanted to make general comment on the bill . You are recognized. Rep. Castor i want to thank chairman ryan and Ranking Member Herrera Butler further work on this very important and also extend thanks to chairman lowey and Ranking Member granger. I want to touch on a few aspects of this bill. I am pleased to see the open World Leadership Center emerging as an even starting with the emerging Democratic Leaders in the former soviet space. There is no question we can do more as a legislative branch and helping others be more effective in a parliamentary setting, and this moves america down that road. Number two, i am pleased with the inclusion in this measure of direction to the u. S. Botanic gardens to increase funding to expand outreach programs to build upon the Botanical Gardens agriculture training and education initiative, especially in urban challenged communities that are food short. There is such potential for advancement there. Congress has a long way to go if we want to lead the nation in paycheck fairness, and a study completed in 2019, the first of its kind, however staff participation was only 51 in that. Thus, this bill requests the cao to implement the study to collect a larger sample size and better understand staff pay disparities that exist across the house of representatives. Hard,ct chairman ryans Ranking Member Herrera Butler and Committee Staff for diligently working to incorporate these priorities and others. I yield back and ask for support. I want to begin by thanking the chair of the subcommittee and Ranking Member for their hard work to craft this bill and help us manage the capital campus. It is a very important job. I would like to flag something for their attention as they continue their work and legislation moves forward. I am concerned about the library of Congress Plans to rebalance its book and manuscript work. The request calls for the elimination of decertification. That is the first the full committee has heard about plans to eliminate this program. As a former member of the thatmmittee, my view is the decertification program has been a success for more than 20 years. The library acknowledges that it that. 5 million books remain to be treated, with 500,000 books of critical importance to the library collection. 500,000 books require at least two years of more work. The library says that would like to move these books to cold storage. I am concerned cold storage costs more than ds edification. Deacidification. Cold storage further does not provide safekeeping for these critically important books. Library study data simply does not support the conclusion that it is time to move away from ification, from a cost or preservation basis. I used to be a historian. My son was the chief archivist of the chickasaw nation for five years. So it is something i care about. Preserving original documents is important. We have a National Archive for a reason. We could digitally preserve everything, the constitution of the u. S. , the declaration of independence, but we know there is Intrinsic Value in the original document. I dont know how allowing the record, is ah is a good idea in conducting the study. I dont have a problem with the study. Lets just not have people who have already decided what they want to do, making a study as to whether their decision is correct. I dont oppose a review of the program. I just ask we fully fund the dea cidification program and fully fund the study going forward. I ask the chair and Ranking Member to take a hard look. Awayme i see us moving from preserving original documents to just shoveling just shuffling them off into storage, 100yearold records put in storage, that doesnt look good after a couple of years, the Chemical Interaction that goes on, even in the best kind of storage. Preservation is something we should keep first and foremost at the library. So the subcommittee chair and Ranking Member, i ask you to look at this and make the right judgment in the end. I would like to respond. I appreciate your comments and your experience. HaveHerrera Butler and i had an ongoing conversation with the library. We appreciate your input. This is a conversation that you will now be part of. Thank you for offering your services. Chairman ryan i would like as a point of personal privilege to suggest my good friends and all my wonderful colleagues that we have eight people who have requested time. It would be very nice if you could all be brief. Oure we are concluding time, and many are moving on to airports and other forms of transportation. Thank you. Mislead. Miss lee. Least toative i am support the leg Branch Appropriations and i will be brief. It is crucial to view Funding Priorities through the lens of Racial Justice and ensure all our creations bills this year beyond to meetnd this moment and work toward dismantling racism. Billeeply grateful this includes language to remove confederate statues and busts, including those who have perpetuated racism from the unlighted states capital. This is an issue myself and chair Bennie Thompson have been working on for years. We must confront the horrors of institutional slavery and those who fought to preserve it. These painful symbols of support for the continuation of slavery, trees, and slavery, treason and racism have no place in our country and in our statues in the n should be and should not be enshrined and glorified in the United