Providing Research and Estimates of Changes in Precipitation Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1518, I call up the bill (H.R. 1437) to amend the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 to direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide comprehensive and regularly updated Federal precipitation information, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

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Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

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Ms. DeLAURO. 1437.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Further Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, which extends funding for critical Federal programs and services through December 23.

While I would have preferred to come before the House today to pass a final 2023 government funding package, I am encouraged that we have come to an agreement on a framework that provides a path forward to enact an omnibus next week.

The legislation before us today is a simple date change that keeps the government up and running as we negotiate the details of final spending bills and complete the work of funding the government programs that meet the needs of hardworking Americans.

All of us in this room know well that final funding bills are the best way to guarantee the necessary resources for the government programs and policies that make the biggest impact on our constituents. We will soon bring to the floor an omnibus that continues to make important investments, because we know the impact of a government that looks out for the middle class, working families, and for small businesses.

The final funding bills we will bring to a vote will include investments that will help hardworking Americans, rebuild our infrastructure, keep our Nation competitive, strengthen our supply chain, and help small businesses access the capital they need, the keys to our economic future.

The final omnibus agreement will help keep our Nation and our communities safe with the certainty that we all deserve. I can say with certainty this package will include community project funding that responds directly to some of the most pressing needs in communities all over America and that so many of my colleagues have worked tirelessly to deliver to their constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Ms. DeLAURO.

Mr. Speaker, I would like for just a moment to set the record straight. There was an offer made to my Republican colleagues on where we should go with an omnibus in June; another was in October. We were told at the time that they couldn't move to do anything until after the elections. We were then told that they had to then wait for their leadership elections to occur before they could actually engage. Then we were told we had to wait until after a Georgia election in order to engage.

Speaking of enough is enough. I would also just say they were invited to the table many, many times to join the negotiations; they decided not to do that. So we find ourselves here today when we have to meet the deadline in order to keep the government open.

What we do need, Mr. Speaker, is this bill to continue negotiating final 2023 funding bills.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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