Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019
Floor Speech
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Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend, the distinguished ranking member of the full Appropriations Committee, for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of this supplemental appropriation covering numerous disasters. Communities hit by hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and other natural disasters have been waiting too long for this needed relief. Over 40 States will be able to receive long-needed funding provided by this bill.
The bill provides critical aid to help farmers and ranchers recover from losses to crops and livestock. Funding for cities and schools that have had their infrastructure damaged by natural disasters will be able to begin necessary repairs to buildings.
The bill includes $50 million for the Department of Labor's dislocated worker national reserve. This funding will go to States to create temporary employment opportunities to assist with cleanup and recovery efforts for areas impacted by a disaster.
The bill includes over $300 million for the Department of Health and Human Services, and $80 million is provided to support community health centers for construction, equipment, and healthcare services for low- income populations. The bill provides $20 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess and mitigate environmental hazards, and $100 million is targeted to mental health and substance use services, helping people rebuild and recover.
The bill includes $30 million for childcare services and over $50 million to repair damaged Head Start facilities. The bill includes $25 million for the community services block grant, flexible funding that supports a range of social services for vulnerable populations.
The Department of Education receives $165 million to help restart operations at elementary and secondary schools and colleges and universities in areas damaged by natural disasters. This funding will also support school districts and colleges and universities outside of the affected areas receiving students displaced by the storms and other covered disasters.
Before I close, Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I didn't mention what is not in this bill, and that is more than $4 billion to deal with the intolerable situation at the southern border. This money has been requested by the administration. Most of that money is to take care of the unprecedented influx of unaccompanied minors. Our Democratic friends claim they care about these young people, but they fail to provide the funds needed that are required to feed, house, and provide medical care to this population. This is something that we need to look at and, frankly, deal with immediately.
As past chairman and now ranking member for the subcommittee that looks after the Department of Health and Human Services, I can tell you they are on the verge of running out of money, and we are going to have a real disaster with young people that I know none of us wants.
So I want to urge my friends to turn their attention to that urgent matter and work with the administration on it. I urge passage of the legislation, Mr. Speaker.
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