Ranking Member Cole Hearing Remarks on H.R. 3771, H.R. 6929 and H.R. 5118

Hearing

As delivered during today's hearing:

Under ordinary circumstances, I'd tell you that it is a pleasure to see you, and of course it is a pleasure to see you. But the committee considering three items on a non-session Friday, all of which could have been scheduled at any time earlier this year, is a bit perplexing. It seems that the Majority's only plan is to take things day by day and select their agenda based on the need to pacify the loudest voices in their razor-thin majority.

The first item I'll discuss, H.R. 3771, requires the CDC to provide grants to states for the purpose of promoting awareness of the increasing prevalence of heart disease in communities disproportionately affected by heart disease, particularly the South Asian community.

While heart disease is a deeply important public health issue, we have heard concerns that the proposed grants at issue are duplicative of existing CDC programs. I understand that the CDC itself has also expressed concerns they may not have sufficient funding to carry out both this program and their existing programs. These are real concerns that need to be discussed as the committee considers this bill today.

The second item I'll discuss is H.R. 6929. It would require the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, or PBGC, to increase pension benefits to specified recipients of pension plans previously sponsored by General Motors and the Delphi Corporation. The individuals affected by this bill each saw their promised pension benefits cut following Delphi's bankruptcy in 2005 and General Motors' bankruptcy in 2009.

Like many of my colleagues, I have great sympathy for the individuals who had their pension benefits cut as a result of these bankruptcies. I understand that some of our witnesses will express concerns that a bailout of these particular pension plans will expose Congress, and ultimately the taxpayer, to taking the same action for other plans guaranteed by the PBGC. It is important to hear these concerns so that we have a better understanding of how this bill, and the expectations that will follow it, will affect the more than 5,000 remaining terminated plans that the PBGC currently manages.

And finally, we are considering H.R. 5118, the Rules Committee Print combining portions of 48 bills, mostly out of the Committee on Natural Resources, that cover wildfires, droughts and many provisions related to climate change. Sadly, although Republicans have a strong interest in addressing wildfires and droughts, no Republican input was sought in putting together this package, and no markup was held in the Natural Resources Committee. Instead, this package was assembled in the dark, behind closed doors in the Speaker's office. And sadly, this is a trend that has been all too common of late.

H.R. 5118 does include some worthwhile ideas. There are some provisions in this bill related to tribal water access that I support. But these ideas are far outweighed by the bad, including numerous Green New Deal-style provisions that spend huge sums of money on topics like climate justice.

Mr. Chairman, if we take nothing else away from today, it should be that this bad process has made for bad legislation.

I continue to hope this committee will do better in the future. With so many real crises facing the American people, ranging from high gas prices to crippling inflation, I wish the committee were considering bills today that would help them provide for their families, to put food on their tables and gas in their cars.

Source