DeLauro Statement on GOP Failure to Move Labor, Health, Education Bill

Debate Was Scheduled For Tomorrow, Has BeenIndefinitely Postponed

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) releasedthe following statement today on the news Republicans on the House ofRepresentatives Appropriations Committee have indefinitely postponedconsideration of legislation funding critical labor, health and educationprograms. DeLauro is the senior Democrat on the subcommittee responsible forwriting that bill.

"Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee announcedthis morning that tomorrow's markup of the Labor-Health and HumanServices-Education bill has been indefinitely postponed. Shame onthem. Shame on them for putting forward this façade of abudget. Shame on them for gutting funding for education, health andlabor programs to such a low level that they cannot even defend their ownproposals.

"Their proposal would have been a disaster for the Americanpeople. At this funding level, it would be impossible to spare even criticalagencies like the National Institutes of Health from drastic cuts. This billfunds mental health care, supports our schools and helps people access jobtraining, just to name a few areas. Cutting desperately needed money fromthese, and other critical programs, is unconscionable."

"I hope that the reason for this indefinite postponement isthat the Majority wants to rethink their approach to governing. However,I doubt it."

The funding bill for the departments of Labor, Health andHuman Services, and Education is the only one of the 12 spending bills that hasnot been considered by an Appropriations subcommittee. Cuts proposed byRepublicans come on top of a severe erosion of funding weathered by programs inthose departments over the last 10 years.

The levelof funding allocated for the Labor-HHS-Education fiscal year 2014 bill is22 percent below enacted levels for the last fiscal year. In actual dollarterms, it would be the smallest Labor-HHS-Education bill since 2001. Onceadjusted for inflation, it would actually be 15 percent below the 2001funding level.