National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027

Floor Speech

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Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8595, the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.

I commend Chairman Diaz-Balart for his bold leadership to reform U.S. foreign aid over the last several funding cycles. Today, we have a bill before us with additional important reforms.

This bill puts forward a second consecutive year of spending cuts, counters the global climate lunacy agenda, and holds rogue U.N. agencies accountable. Specifically, this bill delivers real solutions on issues I have prioritized over the last several years.

Since 2023, the U.N. has been setting the stage for nations to sue one another for violations of climate change treaties, with the spoils of these lawsuits being for so-called climate reparations. Foreign countries and global environmentalists are seeking to target our country and energy producers at the expense of the U.S. taxpayer.

This bill aligns with legislation I have introduced to block climate reparations.

Secondly, Washington, D.C., has turned a blind eye to the Chinese Communist Party's infiltration of the United Nations, with our taxpayer dollars being used to fund the CCP's malign influence agenda.

The CCP has been successful in winning elections to lead various strategic U.N. agencies and then modifying their policies to the benefit of Beijing rather than the West.

The legislation before us today cuts off U.S. resources to those U.N. agencies that embrace CCP leadership. America should be steering the decisions of these organizations, not the CCP.

H.R. 8595 further advances a bold new agenda of American foreign relations, and I commend Chairmen Diaz-Balart and Cole for their leadership.

Mr. Chair, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the distinguished ranking member of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Chair, the State Department funding bill that we are considering here fails to meet this critical, historic moment. Our Nation is at a dangerous crossroads. We are at war, a war that Congress never voted to authorize, a war so recklessly managed that our allies increasingly see us as a threat rather than a reliable partner.

Yet, amid this global chaos, Republicans have abandoned investments to make the world a safer, healthier place. Their callous neglect has caused hundreds of thousands of needless deaths along the way.

President Trump has given up our seat at the table. He has put down the torch of liberty and democracy, all so he can glad-hand dictators and stuff his family's pockets. All the while, working Americans get poorer as the direct result of Trump's chaotic decisions on tariffs, immigration, and military action.

Instead of addressing real threats to our security, our interests, and our values abroad, this bill doubles down on petty, partisan culture war riders. This Republican bill includes a provision to suppress reproductive freedom abroad by boycotting humanitarian groups that provide lifesaving care to women and girls.

Is anyone surprised the same party that rips away Americans' reproductive rights and guts our healthcare is running the same anti- choice playbook worldwide?

Experts predict tens of thousands more unsafe abortions and maternal deaths. No part of this is pro-life. When I filed an amendment to strike this expanded global gag rule, Republicans refused to even allow a vote.

This bill does nothing to reverse Trump's America-last self-sabotage, his disdain for our neighbors in Haiti and Venezuela, or his racist refugee exclusion policy.

Instead of holding him accountable for his corruption, it offers Trump a $1.5 billion slush fund. That is $1.5 billion siphoned from law enforcement, peacekeeping, global health, and, yes, directly from starving children.

With the deficit exploding, prices out of control, and Americans crying out for relief, I can't imagine a worse prescription than a blank check for a President out of control.

When this bill came out of our committee, I thought it couldn't get any worse.

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