DeLauro Announces Opposition to “Cromnibus” Funding Legislation

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today announced her opposition to the “Cromnibus” government funding bill. She delivered the following remarks on the House floor; they can also be viewed here.

“As Ranking Member of the Labor Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, I worked hard on that portion of this legislation. There are some real bright spots, our problem is simple: the resources provided in this bill are not adequate to tackle the challenges that middle-class families face every day. The bill does not keep pace with inflation. It continues to underfund some of our nation’s highest priorities: education, health care, medical research, job training. However, there are many more troubling aspects of this bill.

“The Department of Homeland Security is only funded for nine weeks. Why? Because the Majority disagrees with the President on immigration. Holding up full-year funding for national security over an immigration disagreement is a game that poses a serious risk to our border, our Secret Service, and our ability to respond to natural disasters.

“The bill gambles with our financial system. It would reverse Dodd-Frank safeguards allow banks with Federal Deposit Insurance to engage in some of Wall Street’s riskiest transactions—the same transactions that caused the crisis in which millions of hard working Americans lost their jobs, their homes and their savings. Why would we want to put families at risk once again? Public funds should be used to protect our families, not to prop up casino banking.

“This bill threatens injustice to millions of seniors. It allows pension funds to reduce benefits to current retirees. They worked hard for their retirement and they earned it. Why would we want to put their economic security in jeopardy?

“Finally, the bill seeks to overturn some of the last remaining campaign finance laws – as if they were not generous enough. The American public is angry about a government that responds to the highest bidder. The Majority’s dangerous games benefit corporations and the wealthy at the expense of working families and seniors. I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill.”


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