Hearing of The Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of The House Appropriations Committee - Opening Statement of Rep. Rosa De Lauro, Markup on Fiscal Year 2022 Bill

Hearing

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks at the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies​ Appropriations Subcommittee's markup of its fiscal year 2022 bill:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and thank you, Ranking Member Aderholt for your leadership. Let me also say a thank you to the subcommittee, the front office, the personal office staff for the dedication and for all your hard work.

After the devastation of the pandemic and decades of disinvestment, the American economy has left the middle class, small businesses, and the vulnerable behind. And we are confronting the existential crisis of climate change.

The Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies bill before us will invest in the American people and strengthen our communities. Across the broad scope of this subcommittee, this legislation meets pressing needs, addresses some of our most serious crises, and prepares our nation for the future.

Far too many communities, large and small, across this nation are suffering from economic distress and the hopelessness that comes with it. This bill reverses these trends by investing in economic development in distressed communities. And it supports small businesses and creating good-paying jobs here in the United States.

No matter how many jobs we create, however, our communities cannot reach their full potential unless they are safe.

This bill prioritizes community safety by providing strong funding for local law enforcement. The legislation makes our communities safer by funding local law enforcement who deserve our respect as they work in a period of great challenge. And it improves fairness and professionalism in policing, through better police training and independent investigations of law enforcement misconduct.

In response to deadly gun violence that costs far too many American lives, this legislation directly tackles this epidemic by increasing funding for background checks and other enforcement tools that keep guns off of our streets.

To address gender-based violence, the bill provides strong increases for the Violence Against Women Act prevention and prosecution programs and funds a national effort to reduce the backlog of unprocessed rape kits.

Finally, strong funding for civil rights enforcement, hate crimes investigations, and efforts to combat domestic violent extremism reflect our commitment to a country where every person, no matter their background, is treated with dignity and respect.

As we build a more inclusive nation, we must also prepare for the future -- which requires concerted action to confront the climate crisis. This legislation provides strong funding for climate resilience and research at NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Science Foundation. These investments, like those across all of our appropriations bills, reflect a commitment to treating this crisis with the urgency it requires.

In closing, I say thank you to Chairman Cartwright and Ranking Member Aderholt for their work on this bill. Together, we can spur economic growth, make our communities safer, and confront the climate crisis. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back.

Source