I recognize myself six minutes. Minutes. The chair the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Frelinghuysen i rise to present an amendment to h. R. 3219 to make america secure appropriations act. This legislative package provides critical appropriations for National Security, including for the department of defense, department of veterans atares and department of energys Nuclear Programs and the legislative branch bill. My colleagues, this is the primary constitutional duty of the congress to ensure the safety of the homeland and the American People. This legislation was carefully crafted to meet that responsibility, funding our critical material priorities, supporting veterans and making our borders more secure. The core of this package is full year funding in the department of defense and intelligence community. And i thank chairwoman granger. Provides 658. 1 billion, an increase of 61 billion in base discretionary funding for fiscal year 2018 enacted levels. This is no doubt, this is a significant increase from the current spending levels and certainly from the last eight years. But this increase is vitally important to continue the process we started this spring, to rebuild, repair and equip our armed forces that we started in 2017 appropriations package. Mr. Chairman, secretary of dens mattis has made readiness and modernization of our forces his top priorities. It is a fact that we have too many aircraft that cant fly, too many ships that cannot sail, too many troops who cant deploy either because they are not properly trained or not enough of them. How do we get there . In recent years we have just getting by, reducing investments in our military as the world becomes more dangerous and avoiding tough choices. The package before us will sustain a much needed rebuilding of our military after a half decade of cuts. While our troops remained in constant combat and they do so today. We boosted missile defense, a program that has taken on critical importance, as north korea unabatedly tries to marry its Nuclear Warheads with new ballistic missiles. And we increase funding for the vital training that prepares our war fighters for any contingency. This legislation also supports our military families, after all they serve too. 4 pay increase for our service men and women, the largest such increase raise in eight years, and they deserve it. Within the military construction and veterans portion of this bill, and i thank chairman dent for his leadership, military infrastructure funding is increased by 25 above current levels. Continuing our efforts to rebuild our armed forces and ensuring that our war fighters have the support they need. We cannot forget those who have served. This measure increases funding for the department of Veterans Affairs by 5 , over current levels, to provide our veterans and their families with access to medical care. And other benefits theyve earned and deserve. Within the energy and water section of this legislation, i thank chairman simpson for his leadership, funding is prioritized for critical Nuclear Programs that will help strengthen our security and deter threats around the globe. We also support the maintenance of our nations waterways and support the work of the army corps. And to also ensure the resilience and security of our electricity infrastructure. We recommit to opening Yucca Mountain as a safe and secure location to permanently store the Nations Nuclear fuel and highlevel radioactive waste. And promote basic science programs which lay the foundation for new energy technologies. Finally, mr. Chairman, this package also includes funding for important legislative branch functions. I thank chairman yoder for his lee in proving for his leadership, improving security to this wonderful capitol complex, making sure visitors are always well protected. I offer thanks to members of the Appropriations Committee for their hard work and tough decisions over the past 12 over the past few months. Producing two Appropriations Bills, this year, 2017, and 2018, in less than three months. As you know, we received the president s budget on may 23, just over two months ago. Since then, weve worked nonstop to put all 12 through bills through the committee in record time. Each and every one of these bills deserves to be september to the president s desk to be sent to the president s desk. I look forward to completing our work on all of our bills. Id also like to extend my personal thanks to the entire committee and to our remarkable staff for their hard work on these bills and the eight yet to come. Mr. Chairman, i reserve the balance of my time. The chair the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentlewoman from new york is ecognized. Mr. Speaker, i yield myself four minutes. The chair the gentlewoman is recognized for four minutes. Typically the legislative branch, military construction and Veterans Affairs, energy and water, and defense bills would be debated and amended by the full house individually. Regrettably, we are debating socalled illion security minibus in only two hours. For some reason other than necessity. Substantive amendments chosen at the discretion of the chairman of the rules committee will be debated for 10 minutes. Mrs. Lowey we also expect 1. 6 billion in border wall funding to be added through a rules gimmick meant to prevent an up or down vote on the wall. The undemocratic maneuver by the rules committee to unilaterally remove congresswoman barbara lees amendment to debate a new aumf, which received bipartisan support in the committee, is simply outrageous. All the promises of Republican Leadership, of returning to regular order, have been broken. I do, however, want to thank chairman frelinghuysen for conducting business in the Appropriations Committee markups fairly, and collegially, as the minority offered amendments late into the night. On top of the many procedural inequities, however, the majoritys increased defense spending is a mirage. Shattering budget control caps would trigger automatic acrosstheboard cut of 13 to every defense account. Yet the majority pretends the sequester, which would cut 72 billion in defense funding in this bill, isnt real. I want to make it very clear that democrats are ready to work with our republican colleagues to raise the caps on defense. But we must also raise the caps on important domestic priorities. Playing politics with the bill that funds the troops by inserting the toxic border wall to it is really beyond the pale. Why not include the f. B. I. . Or the entire Homeland Security bill . If the intention is to pass securityrelated bills, securing our homeland goes beyond the department of defense and our own budgets in the legislative branch. The republican approach to funding our government for f. Y. 018 all but guarantees a shortterm, if not a fullyear, continuing resolution. Just like every year democratic votes will be needed to enact appropriation law. And i really do hope we will soon start to Work Together in to invest responsibly both defense and nondefense priorities, to grow the economy, create jobs and secure the country. As i conclude, i want to thank our distinguished chairman, mr. Frelling mr. Frelinghuysen. His outstanding staff. As well as my outstanding staff. Can i have an additional minute . The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized. Mrs. Lowey the chair the gentlewoman is recognized. Mrs. Lowey however, i urge my colleagues to vote no on this bill which would waste 1. 6 billion on trumps border wall, use fraudulent defense numbers, guts critical investments in clean energy, includes poison pill riders energy, includes poison pill riders, and leaves the remaining spending bills with no path forward. I reserve the balance of my time. The chair the gentlewoman from new york reserves. The gentleman from new jersey is recognized. Mr. Frelinghuysen mr. Chairman, im pleased to recognize the former chairman and now the chairman of the Foreign Operations Committee for four minutes, mr. Hal rogers, the gentleman from kentucky. The chair the gentleman from kentucky is recognized for four minutes. Mr. Rogers mr. Chairman, thank you. Thank you, mr. Chairman, for yielding the time. And congratulations to you on your Maiden Voyage in this role that youre occupying. Very expertly, i might add. The forced march that we undertook in the committee for the last three weeks, clearing all 12 bills through the full committee, in a historically record time, and we had a good drill sergeant, mr. Sergeant. For doing a great job. We held 74 oversight and budget hearings, heard from over 400 witnesses, with the overarching goal that each of the 12 bills we pass out of our committee address the needs of our constituents. Im proud to say that these bills do just that. Advance our National Defense and secure our borders. Take care of our veteran, provide Critical Infrastructure funding, increase resources to combat the opioid epidemic, maintain our presence as a leader in global diplomacy. All the while maintaining fiscal discipline. Im disappointed that we wont consider all 12 of these bills before the august recess. But this Security Package is an important step forward. It will ensure that we as the congress uphold our most sacred responsibility to provide for our nations common defense. Under the previous administration, our department of defense faced needless uncertainty. Im proud that we are now turning the tide, providing our troops and their commanders with the necessary resources to respond to threats from countries like russia, china and iran, as well as crush the violent extremists who wish to do us harm. As promised to the American People, were rebuilding and modernizing our military as an International Powerhouse by better equipping our troops, strengthening counterterrorism efforts, and reestablishing confidence with our allies. At a time when our enemies continue to advance around the globe, the u. S. Must remain at the forefront of military readiness and advanced technology to strengthen National Defense at home and abroad. This bill also maintains our commitment to those brave men and women after their service has come to a close. Providing for greater oversight and accountability at the v. A. And modernizing Electronic Health records to help our veterans receive the high quality of care they deserve. Im also pleased that this legislation includes the energy and water appropriations bill. Which funds many of our National Security interests and builds upon our countrys essential infrastructure needs. In particular, this bill protects the Appalachian Regional Commission, a. R. C. , from proposed elimination. And ensures that its critical programs will continue in our hardesthit be a lashean Coal Communities appalachian Coal Communities. A. R. C. Has led efforts to innovate, partner and invest in the region, to build Community Capacity and strengthen Economic Growth. These investments have led to the creations of thousands of new jobs. It has improved local water and sewer systems, improved our schools, increased access to health care, and provided critical assistance to emerging businesses. After eight years of strangulation by regulation in the obama administrations war on coal, appalachia needs the a. R. C. Now more than ever. Mr. Chairman, thank you again for allowing me to speak on behalf of this bill. Is it everything we wanted . No. It is critical that we prioritize our National Security nd thats what this bill does. Mr. Chairman, the motto of our appropriationses committee is this Appropriations Committee is this, a vision without funding is a hallucination. Weve got a visionary leader in our chairman, but weve got to provide the funding to make the dreams that we have come true. Thats what appropriations does. I yield back. The chair the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from new jersey reserves. The gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Mrs. Lowey mr. Chairman, i am very pleased to yield six minutes to the gentlelady from ohio, ms. Kaptur. The chair the gentlelady from ohio is recognized for six minutes. Ms. Kaptur thank you so very much. I wanted to thank Ranking Member lowey for the time and also thank chairman frelinghuysen on his Maiden Voyage. Not his first voyage, but his first as chair of the full committee. And the members of our fine subcommittee, and especially the staff. I want to thank chairman simpson for his fine leadership and i value the hard work you put into this bill and your attitude throughout the whole process. I want to thank our staff on both sides of the aisle for the many hours of hard work and dedication. To tanya on our side and donna for the majority. And to t. J. On my own staff. I appreciate that the chairman has allowed robust funding to the corps of engineers, which translates into real jobs from coasttocoast. And i also am pleased that this bill restores the more than 900 million that the Administration Proposed to cut from the science account. And provides reasonable funding for Energy Saving weatherization in both cold and hot climates across our nation. Unfortunately the artificially low allocation has forced the chairman to make deep cuts to some of the most important programs in the bill, most notably the office of Energy Efficiency and renewable energy. Too many here in washington have been fooled by the rhetoric that poses a false choice between the environment and the economy. But today 288,000 americans work in Auto Industry supply chain jobs. In manufacturing the parts that make vehicles cleaner and more fuel efficient. In addition, 360,000 people work in the solar energy and the Fastest Growing job in america is wind turbine technology. Investment in energy is an investment in jobs and our future. 83 cut from the vehicle tech nolings office, now thats a backward move, 60 cut to the advanced Manufacturing Office and this member is unwilling to see that go to the chinese and 57 cut to solar energy, one of the Fastest Growing job sectors in our country. 65 cut to wind energy and pa e, the most complex technologies, zero, the program eliminated. Whoa. These go to offshore competitors who are hacking into our Bank Accounts by firms involved in these industries hundreds of times a month, trying to coop American Technology that american taxpayers helped to develop in an era chases shortterm quarterly profits and ever improving earnings report, we owe it to our constituents to play the long game, making investments that may take decades to pay off, but they will. The long time horizon and Large Capital investments of the Energy Sector for america means that more than any other pathbreaking Energy Research needs federal support until it becomes commercially viable, because Energy Research is complex. Though energy is an overlooked ingredient in economic spreemssi, those masters are leading in america. President s have targeted energy independence. That makes National Security sense. Ut this year, that target is finely in sight. A recent report expects the United States to be a Net Energy Exporter by 2026. Would you. The department of energy deserves great credit for bringing us to this point beginning back in the old 1970s and 1980s when it got started. It took 30 years of department of Energy Support with the private sector to unleash the fracking revolution that has changed our world and where was that Technology Developed . At the department of energy and it didnt happen in a year or two, it took years. The next revolution will be the clean energy revolution. We must not forfeit that gain. Finally, i would like to raise my concerns over the controversial riders that threaten the enactment of this bill but our most Precious Resource water. Exempting the rule from the administrative act creeds too much authority to the executive branch and something i cannot support. For that reason and the draconian cuts to clean energy, i ask members to oppose the clean water and Energy Package and busting the spending caps and building a border wall that doesnt keep us safe. I believe there is no excuse for any democrat to support the overall bill before us. Thank you, mr. Speaker. And i yield back. The chair the gentlewoman yields back. The gentleman from new jersey is recognized. Mr. Frelinghuysen i recognize the chair of the defense subcommittee, congresswoman kay granger for five minutes. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized for five minutes. Ms. Granger today we consider the make america secure appropriations act which includes the defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2018. I ask all members for their support on this very important legislation. Congress number one responsibility is to provi