Date: 2007-12-19
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Madam Speaker. first I would iike to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for the time. and I yield myself such time as I may consume. We are here 80 days into the new fiscal year. and one appropriations bill has been signed into law. Today. we are here to consider hopefully the last piece of the appropriations puzzle. as well as yet another continuing resolution before the omnibus appropriations bill is sent to the President. What is so interesting about this process is that the omnibus bill that has finally come before the House in many ways is very similar to the proposals that the minority has advocated for months. and is very similar to what we predicted would. in fact. be the legislation that ultimately would become law. However. Madam Speaker. instead of working toward a compromise. a bipartisan resolution to this legislation. a bipartisan product. the majority decided to use the appropriations process to. in effect. score political points while funding for our troops in critical theaters of operation has been dangerously delayed. Now. the underlying amendment we will consider today will finally help bring our appropriations process to a close. and it will do so in a fiscally responsible manner. funding the Federal Government and funding our troops in critical theaters of operation. without preconditions and without strings. These funds will allow for the progress that we have recently seen to continue to take hold. It will allow for our men and women in uniform to continue to do their job as they have done so. so effectively. in fact. so heroically for so long. I think commendation is due. I think congratulations is due to all who have worked on this process. and that congratulations I think is due to those on both sides of the aisle who have worked hard. have wbrked diligently. to come up with this final appropriations legislation work product that will fund the Federal Government for the next fiscal year. and especially. as I have said. will continue to fund in critical theaters of operation our men ard women who are doing such an extraordinary job and who deserve our unrestricted support. There are very important. very important endeavors. efforts and projects that are funded in this appropriations bill. in this omnibus appropriations bill. We cannot. I believe. emphasize sufficiently. especially at this critical time. our support and the continued need of our support for our great ally and friend. Israel. that lives in an area of the world that is extremely dangerous. And While we have the benefit of thousands of miles between. for example. the state sponsor of terrorism in Iran. the regime in Iran. Madam Speaker. while we have thousands of miles physically separating us from that state sponsor of terrorism. our friend and ally. Israel. does not. And so I have always felt very strongly about our need to support Israel. The fact that this appropriations legislation includes the support that it does for our friend and ally. Israel. is something that I think is very important. And there are many. many aspects of this legislation that we. on a bipartisan basis. can be very proud of. And we. I think. will have further opportunity to discuss them. But today. I am told that there are some glitches that need to be worked out. and that the majority needs some time and the appropriators need some time on both sides of the aisle to work them out. So we will be hopefully seeing those glitches being resolved in the next minutes and hours. As we wait for those glitches to be resolved. we are cognizant of the fact that we are finally bringing to the floor the rule that will allow for consideration of the final legislative product on the appropriations for this year. With that in mind. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.