Date: 2014-03-13
Speaker: MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Mr. Speaker. this is the final amendment to the bill. which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted. the bill will immediately proceed to final passage. as amended. Mr. Speaker. we have heard passionate arguments in support of and in opposition to this bill. We have heard Members argue that this bill is needed to prevent the Obama administrations overreach on issues such as immigration and health care. Conversely. we have heard Members note that the Republican leadership has refused to pass comprehensive immigration reform. refused to raise the minimum wage. and refused to compromise on a budget until they had shut down the Federal Government. These Members argue that this has forced the President to act within his constitutional authority to faithfully execute the law. That sharp rhetoric and disagreement is a result of the political realities that we find ourselves in today. and it reflects Congresss failure to work together and solve problems on behalf of the American people. I oppose the underlying bill. but I more strongly oppose the gridlock that has consumed this Congress and is leading it to become the most unproductive Congress and uncompromising Congress in the history of the United States. I believe that we can move past that today by coming together and supporting my amendment. which would address significant national security concerns raised by this legislation. My amendment would ensure that the bills requirement that the executive branch explain why it prioritizes resources would not impact or expose critical national security and foreign policy interests. positions. or strategies to terrorists. drug cartels. and foreign enemies of the United States. Mr. Speaker. Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory are located in my home State of New Mexico. These laboratories ensure the safety. reliability. and effectiveness of the Nations nuclear deterrent. The experiments and tests that they conduct are at the cutting edge of science and human understanding. They work every day to study. analyze. solve. and prepare for emerging and potential national security threats. contingencies. and risks. They help inform our Nations defense and foreign policy decisionmakers on how to confront the increasingly complex dangers that our Nation faces. I am sure there is not one Member of this body that would want the sensitive national security work conducted at the National Laboratories and other government agencies to be revealed to terrorists. to drug cartels and foreign enemies. But that is the risk that all of us will bear if we pass this bill today with this current broad language. This bill requires the Attorney General to monitor every executive branch agency and every Federal officer who issues a formal or informal policy that refrains from enforcing any Federal statute. rule. regulation. program or policy. So let me say that again: it would require the Attorney General to monitor every Federal officers alleged nonenforcement of any Federal statute. rule. regulation. program. or policy. The language would include Federal officials who are making decisions on national security concerns and interests. based on information and assistance supplied. in many cases. by the national labs in my home State. This could put the Attorney General in the dangerous position of choosing between keeping strategic foreign policy positions and information from foreign enemies. and complying with the requirements of this legislation. This would. undoubtedly. lead to litigation. court cases. and appeals. costing the American government embarrassing legal battles and leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. That time and money is better spent on the activity that these national security agencies are intended to conduct: providing for the safety of the American people. It just doesnt make sense to impose costly reporting requirements on activities that could potentially hurt national security interests. You wouldnt require a general to reveal his strategy and tactics before he goes into battle. Mr. Speaker. we came together just last week to pass an aid package for Ukraine to address national security concerns due to recent Russian aggression. We passed that bill on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis. Leaders of both parties came together in solidarity. We can do that again today with the adoption of this amendment. which ensures that nothing in this bill adversely impacts our Nations security. I want to be clear. The adoption of this amendment will not prevent the passage of the underlying bill. If adopted. it will be incorporated into the bill and will be immediately voted upon. Although we may all disagree on the need for the underlying bill. we have an opportunity to stand united and support our Nations vital policy and foreign policy goals. I urge my colleagues to vote "yes" on this final amendment. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.