▶ 0:23:26well good afternoon uh ladies and gentlemen uh the subcommittee on labor health and human services education and related agencies will now come to order I'd like to thank everyone for making arrangement arrangements to be here uh a little before u we have votes so that we can finish this bill and we can hit the ground running especially since we have votes coming up we want to make uh this as quickly as possible but I first of all want to thank chairman Cole u want to welcome him back to this subcommittee
▶ 0:23:57he uh spent a lot of days in this chair and did a great job and uh welcome him back and of course recognize the ranking member uh someone that uh we may not always agree on all the issues, but I have the utmost respect for her. And so, uh, and it's great to have you back, especially after your, uh, surgery you have. I'm glad that you're doing well.
▶ 0:24:17But, um, the bill before you today balances the need for responsible physical stewardship while maintaining key investments in biomed research, schools, and public health. Following the president's clear direction, we have taken a critical look at every program and in several cases had to make some hard decisions and some looked at some very nice to have programs that maybe u that we would had to really
▶ 0:24:47cut even though they would have been nice to have. Americans must make priorities when they're sitting around the kitchen table to their own expenses. And we have to be doing the same here in the United States House of Representatives in the United States Congress. We have to have that same mindset. And that is why the voters put Donald Trump in the White House and gave a unified control of government to the Republican party.
▶ 0:25:13While several programs are eliminated or reduced, the bill increases support for biodefense, rural hospitals, and school choice. The bill also maintains support for PEL grants and investments in early childhood education. in conjunction with the bold leadership of President Trump to terminate diversity, equity, and inclusion, those policies that were put in place by the previous administration.
▶ 0:25:42This bill cottifies their removal, stopping them once and for all. And building on the success of the big, beautiful bill, this bill eliminates the funding of Planned Parenthood. It also protects the right of women and girls to play sports fairly and not compete directly with men.
▶ 0:26:01It prohibits any federal funding from going toward enforcing gend gender identity politics or social, hormonal, or surgical interventions to change a child's sex. The bill maintains the long-standing hide amendment to ensure that taxpayer funds are not used for abortion on demand and that no one is forced to participate in an abortion or refer for one under federal programs. This isn't right-wing extremism.
▶ 0:26:32This is mainstream public opinion. The bill also makes sure that the taxpayer dollars are not used to circumvent state laws which restrict access to abortion and ensures that the American tax dollars don't support research using fetal tissue from an abortion.
▶ 0:26:50The bill supports American businesses, farmers, and entrepreneurs by including provisions protecting the rights of independent contractors and ending forced wage rates for agricultural workers.
▶ 0:27:04In addition to uh thanking Chairman Cole, I also want to thank this committee staff on both sides of the aisle as well as my fellow subcommittee members also on both sides of the aisle and also their personal offices for their hard work and their input as we crafted this bill. It has taken several weeks to get here and I know there'll be a lot of work that I know a lot of work has gone into this and making this bill what it is before us today.
▶ 0:27:33Of course, I think it goes without saying that we will all have different opinions about the policies in this bill, both as they relate to spending on federal programs and the provisions supporting the administration's efforts. But I want to remind everyone we are all sincerely want to represent the views of our constituents respectfully. I look forward to our continued discussion on these issues in the full committee's markup.
▶ 0:27:59And I would like to now recognize the ranking member Rosa Delaro for her opening remarks. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for your for your good wishes. Um we we do agree and disagree on issues, but I much much appreciative of your good wishes and that of a chairman, Mr. Cole.
▶ 0:28:26Uh, and uh, I'm back and then re ready to do business even though I have a cane that I'm walking with for a little while. So, um, but it's good and I'm really grateful uh, to to both of you. I want to also express my appreciation for the staff on both sides of the aisle. In particular, I want to say thank you to Steven Stglider, Philip Tzani, Jackie Kilroy, Lori Mcnon on the minority staff.
▶ 0:28:50And on the majority side, let me just say a thank you to Katherine Salman, Emily Goff, James Redstone, Kirk Bole, Haimey Varela, and Matthew I think it comes at no surprise that I oppose the bill before us, which would cut funding for education, health care, labor programs by 24 billion dollar, more than 10%.
▶ 0:29:14But before I dive into the details of why this bill would be a disastrous for American families, I want to talk about the bigger picture about what is happening in the country at this moment. Right now, the actions of this malicious and vindictive administration are hurting the middle class, the working class, and the vulnerable across every single one of our districts and taking us back decades. Americans are struggling with rising costs of everyday necessities. They are living paycheck to paycheck.
▶ 0:29:44But the president and House Republicans are not laser focused on the cost of living crisis. They are making it worse. Right now, the Trump administration and House Republicans are working to dismantle our health care and public education systems. In the first six months in office, Republicans passed a bill to cut nearly a trillion dollars from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, which will take away healthc care coverage for more than 15 million people.
▶ 0:30:13A more than $500 billion cut to Medicare is approaching, harming America's seniors. Slash nutrition benefits for poor families, which would lead to an additional 1 million kids going hungry. all to pass trillions of dollars in tax cuts for the big corporations and billionaires, adding $4 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years.
▶ 0:30:41At the same time, President Trump and House Republicans are marching toward their goal of shutting down the Department of Education and turning public education into a for-profit enterprise. In March, President Trump signed an executive order seeking to eliminate the Department of Education. Elon Musk and Doge fired or pushed out half of the Department of Education's workforce.
▶ 0:31:04OM Director Russ Vote illegally froze billions of dollars in funding for education programs that every one of our districts rely on, like afterchool learning programs, teacher training programs, English language learning, and school enrichment programs. And now Republicans are eviscerating our public health system and promoting Secretary Robert F.
▶ 0:31:26Kennedy Jr.'s antivaccine The Center for Disease Control and Prevention used to be the crown jewel of public health information and guidance on vaccines that saved so many lives in this country. Now it has been taken hostage by liars and conspiracy theorists. On August 8th, the CD state, still reeling from mass layoffs, was horrifically attacked by a shooter whose mind had been twisted by misinformation about COVID vaccines.
▶ 0:31:56He murdered a police officer, Officer David Rose, a Marine veteran. During the attack, CDC staffer were picking up their children at daycare laid on top of their kids to shield them from bullets. The police found more than 500 shell casings. Weeks later, there are still bullet holes in windows and shards of glass in CDC How has RFK Jr. responded?
▶ 0:32:22Last week at a news conference in Texas, he doubled down on vaccine conspiracies and faulted CDC for listing vaccines among the top advances in medical RFK Jr. has no scientific or medical He pushes deadly conspiracies, spreads lies and misinformation. We know his agenda.
▶ 0:32:47He wants to take away life-saving vaccines from kids and from RFK Jr. fired all 17 independent scientific advisors on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Policy or ASIP and replaced them with antivaccine acolytes. He hired an unqualified and discredited vaccine skeptic as a type top top adviser and vaccine uh policy.
▶ 0:33:15Just last week, President Trump fired the CDC director, Dr. Susan Manarees, for refusing to rubber stamp RFK's antivaccine agenda that will hurt millions of children. On the same night, three of CDC's foremost experts on influenza, respiratory diseases, and infectious diseases chose to resign rather than go along with RFK Junior's unscientific and dangerous demands to restrict access to life-saving vaccines for children. Dr.
▶ 0:33:44Dmitri Dascalakus said in his resignation letter, and I quote, "Their desire to please a political base will result in death and disability of vulnerable children and adults." Unquote. Dr. Deborah Horry, who said in her resignation letter, and I quote, "Vaccines save lives. This is an indisputable wellestablished scientific fact." End quote.
▶ 0:34:09And according to a bipartisan group of nine former CDC directors who served under both Democrats and Republicans, quote, "Families with low incomes who rely most heavily on community health clinics and support from state and local health departments will have fewer resources available to them. Children ris losing access to lifesaving vaccines because of the cost.
▶ 0:34:35this is unacceptable and it should alarm every American regardless of their political leanings. End quote. ASIP is scheduled to meet this month to consider recommendations for an array of vaccines including hepatitis B, COVID, RSV, and the combination of vaccine for measles, MS, and reubella. Senator Cassidy, chairman of the Senate Health Committee, has called for the ASIP meeting to be postponed.
▶ 0:35:03Senator Cassie said, and I quote, "If the meeting proceeds, any recommendations made should be rejected as lacking legitimacy given the seriousness of the allegations and the current turmoil in CDC leadership." End quote. I agree. The ASIP meeting must be postponed. All original ASEP members must be reinstated.
▶ 0:35:25Moreover, if they are not, it is imperative that RFK Junior's handpicked antivaccine members of the committee be replaced immediately by true immunization experts. RFK was never qualified to be the Secretary of Health and Human Service. He should be fired Now, we have the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill before us, which continues a Republican assault on education, healthcare, and workers.
▶ 0:35:54Once again, this bill decimates support for public schools students and K through2 student school teachers. It abandons college students and lower income workers trying to gain an education or advance their career for the chance at the American dream. Overall, the bill cuts the Department of Education by 12 billion, 15%, $4.7 billion cut to Title One, which will take at least 72,000 teachers out of lowincome classrooms.
▶ 0:36:22hardworking families pay taxes, send their children to local public school, but this bill says we cannot afford to put a teacher in their child's classroom. English language acquisition funding to help more than 5 million English learners nationwide is eliminated, disadvantaging and discriminating against students who primarily speak another language, hurting their future ability to compete and succeed in the American economy.
▶ 0:36:48supporting effective instruction state grants which provide professional development opportunities for educators are completely gone. Work-based financial aid for federal work study for 20 222,000 students who needed to help finance their post-secary education is cut by $450 million limiting their potential earnings and future success in the job market.
▶ 0:37:12And need-based financial aid for more than 1.6 6 million lowincome students who use the supplemental educational opportunity grants SEOG to find their to finance their education is completely eliminated. I find it ironic that this bill was released on Labor Day when it slashes worker protections, abandons the working class, allowing corporations to exploit American workers safety and rights, and promotes cheap foreign labor.
▶ 0:37:42Overall, it cuts the Department of Labor by 30%. Eviscerating job training programs by more than 50%, eliminating funding for adult job training, youth job training, the JobCore program, destroying job training and career development opportunities for more than 300,000 adults and more than 150,000 young adults.
▶ 0:38:02Once again, the majority's bill would harm women's health, children's health, public health, surrendering the safety and well-being of the American people to multiple health crisis. It completely eliminates funding for the HIV AIDS prevention prevention at CDC, a cut of more than $1 billion. It cuts HIV AIDS treatment under the bipartisan Ryan White program by more than $500 million.
▶ 0:38:29The first Trump administration proposed a new initiative to end the HIV epidemic and the second Trump administration on the other hand has abandoned the fight. The bill would eliminate funding for Title 10 family planning which would be the end of support for preventive health care services including contraception and cancer screenings for 2.6 6 million lowincome women and men and would eliminate funding for the teen pregnancy prevention program.
▶ 0:39:00It also eliminates the tobacco prevention programs as well as the gun violence prevention research just days after horrific school shooting while children were praying in church. The bill cuts NIH research funding by $500 million. This comes as rust vote has canled previously award grants throwing away potential life-saving cures or treatments and wa resting and wasting millions of dollars in the process.
▶ 0:39:30It is sad because it is not long ago that I worked on a bipartisan basis with chairman Cole for eight straight years to provide annual funding increases for NIH research. Biomemed research used to be a bipartisan priority in the Congress. Sadly, those days seem gone.
▶ 0:39:51And in keeping with the majority's other bipartisan bills, this bill includes the usual poison pill writers, multiple provisions that target abortion rights, reproductive health care services, policy writers in the bill create an open season for discrimination against LGBTQ individuals. They prohibit policies and programs intended to promote diversity in the federal government.
▶ 0:40:14I'm truly exasperated that the majority has taken this subcommittee, the Congress and the American people down this path. Once again, I would urge my Republican colleagues to say enough. Stop supporting antivaccine lies. Stop cutting Medicaid. Stop destroying public educ education. and stop hollowing out our health care and public school systems.
▶ 0:40:39This 2026 labor, health, and human services and education bill only deepens the harm wrought on the middle class, the working class, and vulnerable Americans. Cannot support this never-ending attack on our health care, public school system, and our workers. I urge my colleagues to vote no. I thank you in
▶ 0:41:03Thank you. Uh, I'd now like to recognize our distinguished chairman of the full committee, Mr. Cole, for his remarks.
▶ 0:41:09Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Uh, and thank you to ranking member Deloro, and I want to join you in wishing her the very best after surgery. Uh, you're clearly in fighting trim, so I know you're back and uh I'm delighted about that. And I want to thank obviously all the members of the subcommittee for being with us today. Today's measure funds the operations of the departments of labor, health and human services, education, and other related agencies.
▶ 0:41:37As the former chair of this subcommittee, I'm deeply familiar with its work, which touches the lives of all Americans. The bill provides appropriate and fiscally responsible funding to ensure these departments can continue to perform their core missions while also safeguarding American taxpayer dollars. The legislation maintains funding for important education programs such as TRIO and Gear Up and PEL grants. It supports rural hospitals, public health programs, and robust funding for biomemed research.
▶ 0:42:07It invests in the nation's biod defense infrastructure and also maintains safeguards for vulnerable populations such as Americans with disabilities and seniors. Importantly, the bill supports the Trump administration's efforts to eliminate outofouch progressive policies, ends the weaponization of government, preserves parental rights, and upholds the right to life. Each dollar is directed toward initiatives that truly help our communities, students, families, and workforce.
▶ 0:42:37I want to thank Chairman Adhold, Ranking Member Delura, and the majority and minority staff for their hard work. I look forward to consideration of this bill today. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 0:42:51Thank you, Chairman Cole. Um, at this time, there's any other members who would like to make any kind of opening
▶ 0:42:58Yes. Uh, Mr. Toyer,
▶ 0:42:59I suspect there will be.
▶ 0:43:01Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Uh, you'd be surprised if I didn't make the observation this is not a markup. No amendments are going to be offered. No issues will be thoroughly discussed by both sides as to the merits of the proposal. It will be a little bit like Doge. We'll know how to cut. We will not know the consequences of those cuts. In one respect, we will not know the consequences of those requests because we only had three hearings. Then we had five hearings.
▶ 0:43:30We had two hearings at the beginning in February and then we had three hearings in one week. No, no testimony from anybody who's worked at the Department of Education, who's worked at the Department of Labor, not a single uh witness uh from the National Institutes of Health was asked to testify.
▶ 0:43:51Uh I've served on this committee when every every institute uh was asked to testify on the merits of its budget and the prospects of success. This budget says you're on your own. That is the message the Trump administration has sent to the American people the past seven months.
▶ 0:44:17From the Centers for Disease D disease control to the National Institutes of Health to the VA, Donald Trump and Russell vote have purged researchers, suspended medical trials, and politicized American science. America will not be great if we continue along that path.
▶ 0:44:38One of Trump's first actions this year was to pause all federal GL grants, including those for research into new cures and treatments for cancer and other lifethreatening diseases. We've seen staffers fired from the CDC, as Mr. Laura pointed out. uh 911 World Trade Center health program cut.
▶ 0:45:04Last week, the New York Times reported that pediat pediatric brain tumor consortium, an institution dedicated to treating the brain cancer in children, will no longer receive federal funding. Is that what we're for? Anybody discuss that? Did the president in his campaign that Mr.
▶ 0:45:29that our chairman spoke about say to the American people, "I'm going to cut research on pediatric cancer?" Of course not. The American people don't support that. Recently, the Supreme Court allowed Trump to maintain his freeze on some 2 billion in NIH grants. Just days ago, Trump purged the CDC director after removing the AY's entire vaccine advisory committee earlier this summer.
▶ 0:45:59A contagion is burning through this administration. Utter delusion. I don't like everything in this bill as you're find no surprise especially it zeros out funding for full service community schools to the detriment of countless vulnerable children across the country including tens of thousands in Maryland.
▶ 0:46:25Programs that have been supported over the last four decades by a bipartisan uh group of men and women who care about making sure that we educate our children. Bill Natcher, who chaired this committee many years ago, said, "If you take care of the health of your people and the education of your children, you'll continue to live in the strongest and best nation on earth." I share that perspective. I think most of you share that perspective.
▶ 0:46:55This bill does not do that. While I am relieved, very frankly, the bill doesn't indulge some of the Trump administration's worst impulses. The American people deserve better than better than expected. They deserve our best. They deserve our best thinking.
▶ 0:47:18Collegially, our best Trump and vote have made it clear that they will bypass the Congress to accomplish their own political objectives and strengthen their own power. Mr. Chairman, you said we're going to hit the ground running. There only 28 days left until the uh appropriation process has failed. Uh that's not running.
▶ 0:47:47We didn't have hearings until May. We had sessions that were very helpful and I was interested in. But they were not hearings from people who were running programs or proposing how we should proceed. They were supporting things. Trump and vote and vote in particular would like to make this committee I speak about the appropriations committee. Vote would has said he'd like to make it more partisan.
▶ 0:48:18I don't know how it could be more partisan than 3724 every vote.
▶ 0:48:31Who's counting? Some people think that's funny.
▶ 0:48:40I thought it's kind of funny.
▶ 0:48:41The legislation before us today means very little if Trump simply refuses to spend the funding we appropriate, as he just did with his pocket recision of nearly $5 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid. My friend uh said amen to that. Maybe he thinks that was the right thing to do.
▶ 0:49:07If it is, then we ought to adjourn right now and not pretend that we're making decisions that make a difference. Unless we assert our authority, the administration will keep purging scientists. It will keep disrupt I'm almost through. It will keep disrupting medical research, turning the cancer moonshot into a pipe dream. It will keep jeopardizing the health of the American people.
▶ 0:49:31I believe a day is going to come when Americans no longer have to live with a fear of cancer, but they will not do so if we pursue these kinds of policies. I yield back the balance of the time I don't have. Good point.
▶ 0:49:50Is there any other members wish to make any opening comments? Let me just say I do want us to be mindful of the time because we do have votes starting shortly. So you are
▶ 0:50:06Thank you so much. Recently I I held a town hall with about a hundred seniors.
▶ 0:50:13One by one they told me they feel scared and hopeless because of Donald Trump's agenda. an 80 plus year old woman, one of my younger constituents, uh her voice shaking, uh called Robert Kennedy Jr.'s policies extreme and dangerous, and she said through tears that his reckless crusade against vaccines is putting her great-grandchildren's lives at risk. Another voice was a retired teacher.
▶ 0:50:42She devoted her life to giving kids a fair chance, but now she's alarmed that the Trump has dismantled the Department of Education and abandoned the students who need us the most. She told me, the crew, "If we give up on public education, we're giving up on America's future." And sadly, today, instead of protecting families, this budget rubber stamps cruelty and denies common sense. It wipes out CDC programs that fight HIV.
▶ 0:51:12measles and tuberculosis. It eliminates funding for Planned Parenthood and slashes family planning, cancer screenings, and other basic health services. It eliminates protections against job discrimination and erases the Women's Bureau. It rips teachers out of classrooms and tells kids in the poorest schools their futures don't matter. And it guts investments in the workforce programs that help train for the good jobs and lift people and lift families into the middle class.
▶ 0:51:43And I can tell you this, it is not lower costs in day one as promised by our president. And these cuts are not just numbers on a spread. There are the mom who misses her cancer diagnosis. The worker who can't get the skills to land a better paying job. The child left behind without a teacher. Budgets reflect our values. And this one says to seniors, women, working families, and children. You're on your own.
▶ 0:52:13This is the Trump age of survival of the fittest. And I believe we can do better. And I hope that together we can shape this bill into something worthy of the American people. And I yield back.
▶ 0:52:31Any other members?
▶ 0:52:40Miss Dean.
▶ 0:52:45Thank you. Chairman Cole, Chairman Adel Halt, Ranking Member Delaro. Uh I rise in opposition to this bill which fails to address the cost of living crisis facing American families. The crisis that this president said he was going to tackle on day one. Well, we're seven months in and what has happened?
▶ 0:53:04Thanks to this administration's disastrous economic policy choices, we are facing increasing costs, a lagging job market with data showing a slowdown in hiring over the last few months, which promises to continue because of all of the uncertainty.
▶ 0:53:21But instead of investing in the workforce at a time when it is most needed, this bill cuts funding for the Department of Labor by 30% compared to This bill cuts funding for JobCore in half, a key program for low-income young adults to receive career and educational training and begin their own careers. And this bill cuts funding for workforce innovation and opportunity act uh state grants by 63%.
▶ 0:53:51As we all know, our states use this funding to carry out workforce development programs. Given the shakeups coming from Washington, it would seem to me that this program programming is needed more than ever before.
▶ 0:54:04Further, after my Republican colleagues voted earlier this summer to take health care away from millions of families to fund tax cuts for the rich and blow up our deficit under the one big repulsive bill, this bill continues the assault on our health care system. Top line, this bill cuts funding for HHS by 6% compared to FY25.
▶ 0:54:28Notably, this bill harms women's and children's health by cutting programs that provide access to key health services and contraception. While I'm grateful that this bill does not enact Secretary Kennedy's ill-advised vision for an administration for a healthy America, this bill does not sufficiently address the health risks facing America.
▶ 0:54:51This bill cuts funding for the CDC by $1.7 billion dollar, including, and I have a hard time even saying these words, including eliminating funding for domestic and global HIV AIDS activities.
▶ 0:55:06This bill also cuts NIH funding by $456 million and cuts SAMA funding by $298 million just at a time when we were finally making some progress on reducing the number of overdose deaths in this country. But here we are the first week of class, the very first day of class for my grandchildren. Let's talk about education. This bill cuts funding for the department by 15%.
▶ 0:55:36I suppose I should acknowledge here that at least the Republicans in writing this bill are not eliminating the department as promised by the secretary uh and the president and project 2025. But that's really about the best thing I can say about that title of the bill. The fact of the matter is that this bill unacceptably underdelivers for our children at a time when they need it most.
▶ 0:56:02This bill cuts funding for K through2 education by more than $9 Think of your own kids. Think of your grandchildren. And this bill slashes key federal student aid programs. I also used to teach at a university. This was an exciting time of year with a new year and a new semester. But this bill slashes key federal student aid programs, including eliminating funding for the federal supplemental education opportunity grant program.
▶ 0:56:32Finally, this bill reflects my Republican colleagues continued concessions to the president's ego. It cuts funding for Americaore and renames it, please listen to this, renames Americaore America First Corps. That is a clumsy distortion of that AY's important work over the past more than 30 years. The mission is uniting America through service, not America first core.
▶ 0:57:02And it eliminates funding for the corporation for public broadcasting, a perennial target of President Trump. I don't understand why. Which will hurt local stations and pro that provide critical services to Americans. Colleagues, this is not the bill the American people deserve. We are, as Mr. Hoyer has said, we are not doing the work that we were called to do. We must do better. I urge my colleagues to support me in opposing this bill.
▶ 0:57:31Uh, and I yield back, Mr.
▶ 0:57:35Thank you, Miss Dean. Anyone else? Miss Watson Coleman. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and ranking member. I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. It will make our nation more vulnerable to disease. It will make our workforce less prepared for the future.
▶ 0:57:57And it will worsen the already unjustifiable racial health disparities that have devastated black, brown, and other communities of color for generations. Hardly three years after the end of the worst global pandemic in a hundred years, a pandemic that took the lives of 1 million people in America, this bill slashes the CDC funding by $1.7 billion.
▶ 0:58:23There is already a clear crisis of confidence in this administration's management of the CDC. This bill signals to the men and women charged with keeping our country safe from disease that they are not valued. That this administration does not believe in their mission. That science must take a backseat to the ego and the arrogance of the health secretary and the president. That's not going to make America healthy. It's going to make and keep us sick.
▶ 0:58:52This bill eliminates funding for domestic and international HIV AIDS prevention entirely. a devastating disease for which there is still no widely accessible cure. And this administration has just decided to throw its hands up and walk away, turning its back on the 40 million people globally living with HIV AIDS.
▶ 0:59:13We will see a surge in new cases and a catastrophic spike of upwards of 60 billion dollar in costs to our health care system. that we are choosing to walk into this nightmare is a scathing indictment on this body. This bill slashes funding for the Office of Minority Health by 40%.
▶ 0:59:35It is an objective fact that racial minorities are more likely to get sick and not recover and less likely to receive care when they do. Cutting funding for the office that tracks this phenomenon and works to address it will not make it go away. This is a policy of willful ignorance. It is a whitewashing of health science.
▶ 0:59:58It is yet another example of this administration's racist Let me say that racist disregard for anyone who is not white and wealthy. While I am heartened to see a small boost in funding for LIE HEAP, I have to ask my Republican colleagues, if there is no substantial staff to administer this vital program, how exactly do we expect LIE HEPA to be executed?
▶ 1:00:24Pretending you support LI HEAP while doing nothing to advocate for the workforce responsible for carrying it out only demonstrates that your advocacy is an inch deep. Beyond the far-reaching health repercussions, this bill proposes to cut billions from job training grants.
▶ 1:00:42Just as our country is poised to undergo dramatic shifts in the workforce as AI eliminates entire categories of jobs and just when it's more important than ever to provide American workers and their families with the protection and support that they need to live fulfilling lives and meaningful lives.
▶ 1:01:02So, while the president courts the billionaires making a killing off the AI revolution, Republicans are hanging the workers who will be displaced by this rapidly evolving technology out to dry. Eliminating funding for youth corps and job core, adult job training, and cutting funding for JobCore in half are all sickening examples of this distaste from this administration for everyday people's lives.
▶ 1:01:32At a time when technology is bringing our country quickly into the future, this bill looks backwards. It leaves us vulnerable to diseases that could otherwise be treated. It leaves us unprepared to respond to massive shifts in the labor force and it takes us back to the whitewashed racist health science of of past generations. So I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. I thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 1:02:00Thanks. Thank you for your comments. Uh Mr. Clyde, you're recognized.
▶ 1:02:06Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um first I want to say uh I'm very very thankful that this committee included section 117 uh which is none of the funds made available by this act may be used to administer, implement or enforce a Biden administration final rule entitled adverse effect wage rate methodology for the temporary employment of H2A non-immigrants. And also it defunded the final rule entitled improving protections for workers in temporary agricultural employment.
▶ 1:02:37Uh which it really doesn't do that. But um these two rules have dramatically increased the cost for rural farmers and made their jobs much more difficult in the production of what we need in this country and that's food. So, I'm thankful for Chairman Adhalt for your leadership uh and for including this very important addition that will protect our farmers and our nation's food supply. And I ask all my colleagues to support this bill. And I yield back.
▶ 1:03:04Thank you, Mr. Clyde. Anyone else like to speak?
▶ 1:03:07Mr. Pan.
▶ 1:03:09Oh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, I'm not going to read a statement because I think our ranking member and other members did a great job of explaining the cuts to K to2 education to the job core program. NLRB, HIV funding, cancer prevention, um, on and on and on. Uh, yeah, we all just got back from five weeks at home reality. Um, and as soon as I land, I feel like I've entered a Saturday Night Live episode, an ongoing one that never ends until I get back on the plane to Wisconsin.
▶ 1:03:38Um but uh unfortunately uh it's not funny because it's something we've done by giving up our article one constitutional responsibilities when it comes to spending. Uh instead we're going through this process. We know this bill will never become law. We're going to continue to play fantasy congress for the next several weeks. I'm looking forward to having lots of fantasy congress amendments next Tuesday.
▶ 1:03:59Uh, but I think what's saddest is just when you look at this bill, the the levels of absurdity in a couple items just kind of show what we've all broken down to to be in this Saturday Night Live episode. We're cutting the Americaore program in half and then we're going to name it the America First Corps. I mean, just the ridiculousness of that alone says so much.
▶ 1:04:22But my favorite, I think, is uh after the big ugly law is going to risk PEL eligibility for so many people uh and we're cutting all these job training programs in this budget, we renamed the workforce PEL grants to be Trump grants because of course, why not, right? Um this is the the reality. So, I don't know. I'm nice and calm from spending five weeks away from here.
▶ 1:04:48I'm going to enjoy everything tomorrow with our markup and next Tuesday and and I think the following day as well. But to read a statement and to play into this fantasy congress, I'm I'm still in my Wisconsin spirit. So I'm going to leave it at that, Mr. Chairman. But um it is unfortunate though that we're not actually doing real Congress. Article One Constitution gives us the power of the purse.
▶ 1:05:13And the fact that we're completely ignoring that I think um is unfortunate for all of us and hopefully it doesn't set future precedents but I yield back.
▶ 1:05:21Thank you. Thank you Mr. Pan. Any other
▶ 1:05:30I now recognize Miss Litlo for the purpose of making a motion.
▶ 1:05:35Mr. Chairman, I move the bill be favorably reported to the full
▶ 1:05:39The question is on the motion. Those in favor say I.
▶ 1:05:42I. I.
▶ 1:05:43Those opposed say no.
▶ 1:05:45The eyes have it. The motion is agreed
▶ 1:05:52A recorded vote has been requested. All those in favor of recorded vote, raise your hand. A sufficient number in support. A recorded vote is ordered and the clerk will call the role.
▶ 1:06:10Mr. Adult. I
▶ 1:06:12Mr. Adderald votes I. Mrs. Vice
▶ 1:06:15Mrs. Vice votes I. Mr. Clyde
▶ 1:06:18Mr. Clyde votes I. Mr. Cole
▶ 1:06:21Mr. Cole votes I. Miss Dean.
▶ 1:06:24Miss Dean votes no. Mr. Lauro
▶ 1:06:27Mr. Laura votes no. Mr. Elie
▶ 1:06:30Mr. Elsie votes I. Miss. Mr. Fleshman.
▶ 1:06:34Mr. Fleshman votes I. Miss Frankle.
▶ 1:06:37Miss. Frankle votes no. Mr. Harter.
▶ 1:06:40Mr. Mr. Harter votes no. Dr. Harris,
▶ 1:06:43Dr. Harris votes I. Mr. Hoyer,
▶ 1:06:46Mr. Hoyer votes no. Miss Lllo,
▶ 1:06:48Miss Lllo votes I. Mr. Mullinar,
▶ 1:06:51Mr. Mullenar votes I. Mr. Moore,
▶ 1:06:54Mr. Moore votes I. Mr. Pokean.
▶ 1:06:57Mr. Pokean votes no. Mr. Simpson.
▶ 1:07:00Mr. Simpson votes I. Mrs. Watson
▶ 1:07:04Mrs. Watson. Coleman votes no. Does any member wish to record their vote or change their vote? The clerk will tally on this vote. The eyes are 11, the nos are seven.
▶ 1:07:30The bill is favorably reported to the full I ask unanimous consent that staff be permitted to make technical and conforming changes to the bill and report without objection. So ordered. Copies of the bill and report with the technical and conforming changes will be delivered to all full committee members offices no later than three business days before the full committee. Thanks very much for everyone for being here.
▶ 1:08:00That concludes today's markup and the committee now stands adjourned.