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Floor Speech

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Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, H.R. 5860 was the continuing resolution signed into law on September 30. It narrowly averted an extremist-led government shutdown.

That act included $16 billion in disaster relief for States like Florida, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Louisiana, and others that suffered tremendous losses from extreme weather events exacerbated by fossil fuel emissions causing climate change. It also provided funding for the thousands of firefighters who protect our communities from the ravages of wildfires.

Because that was designated as emergency funding, the Budget Committee chairman--i.e., me--is authorized to increase the Appropriations Committee's top line by the same amount. With this adjustment, the emergency funding will not supplant nondefense discretionary funding--which includes important investments for climate mitigation, environmental protection, infrastructure, education, job training, national parks and forests, and law enforcement--that is subject to the fiscal year 2024 discretionary spending limits.

That funding was designated as emergency funding pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. Section 314(a) of the Congressional Budget Act allows the chairman of the committee to revise the allocations, aggregates, and levels consistent with the amount of emergency funding. Today, I am making that adjustment.

In addition, section 121(c) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 contained a reserve fund to allow the Budget chairman to revise budget aggregates and committee allocations and to adjust the pay-as-you-go ledger for legislation that would not increase the deficit over the period of fiscal years 2024 to 2033. The authorizing portion of H.R. 5860, division B, meets the conditions of that reserve fund. Over the 10-year period, division B reduces deficits by $2 million. As such, I am revising the budget aggregates, committee allocations, and pay-as- you-go ledger to accommodate H.R. 5860.

4,940.424 Outlays................................................ 5,080.282 Adjustment: Budget Authority....................................... 16.642 Outlays................................................ 1.219 Revised Aggregates: Budget Authority....................................... 4,957.066 Outlays................................................ 5,081.501 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ REVISIONS TO THE ALLOCATION TO THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024

(Pursuant to Section 314(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974) [$ in billions] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Current Revised Allocation Adjustments Allocation ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Revised Security Budget Authority 894.349 0.000 894.349 Revised Nonsecurity Budget 757.849 16.000 773.849 Authority....................... General Purpose Outlays.......... 1,837.212 0.962 1,838.174 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Note: The adjustments are emergency-designated funding in the

jurisdiction of the Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee. REVISIONS TO ALLOCATIONS TO SENATE COMMITTEES

(Pursuant to Section 121(c) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023) [$ in billions] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2024 2024-2028 2024-2033 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Finance: Budget Authority............. 3,449.522 19,587.982 46,205.916 Outlays...................... 3,458.376 19,589.956 46,199.103 Adjustments: Budget Authority............. 0.020 -0.623 -0.623 Outlays...................... 0.020 -0.183 -0.623 Revised Allocation: Budget Authority............. 3,449.542 19,587.359 46,205.293 Outlays...................... 3,458.396 19,589.773 46,198.480 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Budget Authority............. 59.175 254.652 504.747 Outlays...................... 85.410 295.186 521.242 Adjustments: Budget Authority............. 0.622 0.622 0.622 Outlays...................... 0.237 0.621 0.621 Revised Allocation: Budget Authority............. 59.797 255.274 505.369 Outlays...................... 85.647 295.807 521.863 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Note: The adjustments represent the direct spending effects of Title III

of Division B of H.R. 5860. Subtitle B is in the jurisdiction of the

Committee on Health, Labor, Education, and Pensions. Subtitles D and E

are in the jurisdiction of the Committee on Finance. PAY-AS-YOU-GO SCORECARD FOR THE SENATE

(Pursuant to Section 121(c) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023) [$ in billions] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Balances ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Current Balances: Fiscal Year 2024....................................... 0 Fiscal Years 2024-2028................................. 0 Fiscal Years 2024-2033................................. 0 Revisions: Fiscal Year 2024....................................... 0.257 Fiscal Years 2024-2028................................. 0.438 Fiscal Years 2024-2033................................. -0.002 Revised Balances: Fiscal Year 2024....................................... 0.257 Fiscal Years 2024-2028................................. 0.438 Fiscal Years 2024-2033................................. -0.002 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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