Agoa Extension Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the measure we are considering today, which would extend government funding through December 11.

This bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 90-6, is a marked improvement on the measure House Republicans forced to the floor before the district work period. We had three main objectives to that piece of legislation. It did not address a proposed rule from the White House Budget Office that granted unprecedented authority over Federal spending to political appointees in the Trump administration. It did not include spending adjustments known as anomalies that prevent interruptions or reductions of certain services during a temporary funding extension. It created a loophole that would have allowed certain funds within the Department of Homeland Security to be diverted to the Border Patrol in violation of the bipartisan agreement struck earlier this year.

I am pleased that the measure that we are considering today corrects these issues with the House Republican legislation. It prevents cuts to wildfire suppression, election security, economic development, and infrastructure investments. It supports the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, allows the FBI to continue planning for the 2028 Olympics, facilitates preparations for the 2030 census, extends the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Whistleblower Program, supports the launch schedule for NOAA's weather satellites, and much more.

The bill contains no funding for ICE and prevents the Department of Homeland Security from using any money in this bill for the Border Patrol.

The Trump administration has provided tens of billions of dollars in advance funding for these agencies already. We will not support a single cent in further funding without substantial reforms to protect our communities from abuse.

Additionally, the bill denies the administration's request for vanity projects, like the $1 billion Trump-class battleships.

These are all welcome provisions.

This measure also freezes a White House budget policy that would put President Trump's political appointees in charge of virtually all of Federal funding. This is an important first step, but more must be done to permanently block this policy before it is allowed to take effect.

Federal funding must be awarded as Congress intended based upon genuine need and objective merit. Funding for cancer research should not be blocked because of partisan politics. Whether a community receives disaster relief should not depend on who they voted for in the last election.

Recently, the Department of Energy admitted in court that they had canceled certain grants solely because they were awarded to communities represented by Democrats.

If this proposed policy is allowed to come to fruition, this kind of political weaponization will become the norm. It is an extraordinarily dangerous precedent, one which will harm all of our constituents in the long run.

I know there is bipartisan opposition to this policy, but I am optimistic that we can work together to prevent it from taking effect, to protect Congress' constitutional prerogative over Federal spending, and protect our communities from being starved of sorely needed Federal resources.

To be clear, the continuing resolution we are considering today is in no way a substitute for the full-year funding process. It is merely a means to complete this important work while averting a lapse in government funding.

I remain committed to negotiating bipartisan agreements for all 12 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2027 before the conclusion of this continuing resolution. I believe Chairman Cole, Vice Chair Murray, and Chair Collins share this commitment.

There can be no replacement for the appropriations process, not continuing resolutions, not reconciliation, not empowerments, nor pocket rescissions. The power of the purse resides in the Congress. It is our exclusive responsibility. We do a disservice to this institution and the American people when we forfeit our authority over Federal spending to the executive branch.

The first step in exercising that authority is passing this bill today. The next step is enacting full-year bills that protect our constituents' interests and make sure that Federal investments are delivered to the American people without the interference of unelected political appointees in the White House, at the Office of Management and Budget, or throughout the Trump administration.

I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation while we continue the difficult but necessary work of crafting full-year funding bills that rein in this reckless administration, reassert Congress' power of the purse, and provide relief to the American people struggling with the high cost of living.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. DeLAURO. McCollum), the distinguished ranking member of the Subcommittee on Defense.

Mr. Speaker, I support this measure, as I have indicated. It makes important improvements over the bill that was put forward by House Republicans before the August break.

It received broad bipartisan support in the Senate. It freezes a White House budget policy that would take substantial power over Federal funding away from Congress and claim it for the President, and it allows us to complete our work on the 12 full-year funding bills for fiscal year 2027. The House has completed its work, and now the Senate must complete its work.

Continuing resolutions are imperfect tools. They are not replacements for full-year appropriations, but they can be useful under certain limited circumstances like those we currently find ourselves in.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source