Date: 2003-12-08
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my opposition to the Omnibus Appropriation Bill on which we will be voting today. This is an important bill. It funds 11 federal agencies and appropriates more than $820 billion. And although it contains many important provisions that I support. I regret to say that the bad in this bill far outweighs the good. In process. it was undemocratically constructed. often overriding the will of the majority in both houses. In substance. it is laden with individual pork projects that benefit few. while it underfunds critical and vital government programs that could benefit many more. Lets first look at the process. A prohibition against the FCC change in the rules for media ownership was significally weakened in this Omnibus bill and the Labor Departments new overtime regulation was dropped entirely. despite the fact that both were agreed to by solid majorities in both Houses of Congress. But these are not the only reasons I have decided to vote against this bill. I oppose this bill both because of the priorities it represents as well as for those it fails to represent. Remember "No Child Left Behind". the Presidents education bill that passed with such fanfare earlier this year? This Omnibus bill provides a total of $24.5 billion for this program-$7.8 billion below the amount the Republicans promised for Fiscal Year 2004. In addition to this broken promise. the Majority has left our veterans behind. too. The veterans medical programs portion of the bill provides $230 million less than Republicans promised in their own budget resolution and $1.7 billion below the amount proposed by veterans organizations. This bill does serious damage to several veteran programs. The most dramatic is the cut in funds needed to speed up the processing of applications for these benefits. At the present time. the Department is taking. on average. 157 days to process a claim. The Administration request. which the Committee funded. would have added no additional staff for processing claims. Veterans are not spared the 0.59 percent across the board cut. The cut will reduce funding for the administration of claims by $4 million. which will result in the estimated loss of 100 employees needed for claims processing. Although the Department of Homeland Security is not funded in this legislation. Homeland Security will be significally affected by two provisions in this bill. This legislation forces the rescission of $1.8 billion in prior year supplemental appropriations. including a significant portion of funds for the Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security will feel the sting of the 0.59 percent acrosstheboard cut and will have a dramatic impact on certain areas in particular. The planned increase of 570 Customs and Immigration agents for improving border protection will have to be cut by nearly twothirds. It is true that passing appropriations bills is about making choices. about identifying priorities. I happen to believe that funding Veterans Services and Homeland Security to protect our borders with additional Customs and Border personnel is a critical piece to this Nations future. The Omnibus fails to provide for our childrens education. It shuns our veterans in their time of need. It undermines the security of all of our citizens. It was done behind closed doors and thwarts decisions made earlier this year by both Houses. This bill is a failure of process and substance. I fear this bill will fail the American people. I would urge my colleagues to reject the unfair process and the unwise policies that flawed process has produced.