{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://visclosky.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/visclosky-statement-delivered-during-the-house-consideration-of-the", "Visclosky Statement Delivered During the House Consideration of the Fiscal Year 2017 Continuing Resolution", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Peter Visclosky", "V000108", "visclosky.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013\u00a0Below is the statement of Congressman Pete Visclosky, Ranking Democrat on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, from today\u2019s House consideration of the Fiscal Year 2017 Continuing Resolution, as prepared for delivery.\u00a0\nI thank the Ranking Member for yielding me time. \nI am sorely disappointed that despite the very best efforts of Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Lowey, and the members of our committee, we yet again find ourselves in the position of considering another Continuing Resolution (CR).\nIn June, during the debate on the House floor for H.R. 5293, the Fiscal Year 2017 Defense Appropriations Act, I expressed my concerns with that bill because it did not provide enough funding to support the warfighter for the full fiscal year.\u00a0 Specifically, I stated that our \u201cfiscal year begins on October 1, 2016, not May 1, 2017, and it is the responsibility of those of us holding office in the 2nd session of the 114th Congress to execute the FY 2017 appropriations process,\u201d and that we should demonstrate some legislative pragmatism and not foist our responsibility upon the 115th Congress.\u00a0 Unfortunately, almost exactly six-months later, it is appropriate to repeat myself.\u00a0 Only in this circumstance it is applicable to nearly the entire federal government and not just a small portion of the Defense Appropriations Bill.\u00a0\u00a0 \nWith regards to the CR, I grant that it has some positive aspects.\u00a0 Most notably it averts a government shutdown until at least April 28, 2017.\u00a0 It provides much needed funding to the Department of Defense for Overseas Contingency Operations and the European Reassurance Initiative.\u00a0 And it contains $170 million to address the infrastructure and health needs of those communities affected by contaminated drinking water.\nHowever, CRs are no way to run a nation and I wholeheartedly agree with Ranking Member Lowey that there is no practical reason that two months into a fiscal year, we are kicking the can down the road for another five months.\u00a0 Congress has no credibility to demand good government if it is incapable of providing appropriations to the whole of the federal government in a timely and predictable manner.\u00a0 \nAs the Ranking Member on the Defense Subcommittee, I feel it is important to highlight some of the complications we are compounding in 2017 should the Department of Defense have to operate under a CR for a total of 6 months and 28 days.\u00a0 \nFirst, CRs hinder the DoD from adapting to emerging conditions around the globe.\u00a0 Although we are including a few anomalies and adjustments in this CR, many more programs and initiatives simply did not make the \u201ccut-list\u201d and we will have created unforeseen but real impacts to our warfighters and their families. \nSecond, the defense budget we are deferring was planned for back in late 2015.\u00a0 Our actions to complete the FY 2017 appropriations by April 28, 2017, will be challenged in synchronizing a final budget solution that is at a minimum 16 months later than when it was drafted and planned by the Defense Department.\u00a0\u00a0 \nThird, it will require a significant amount of interchange with the DoD for Congress to complete the work on the remainder of the FY 2017 appropriations in the spring.\u00a0 Those same individuals and offices in the Department will simultaneously be making adjustments to the FY 2018 budget for the new administration.\u00a0 And while it is likely that the FY 2018 budget request will be delayed beyond the normal first Tuesday in February delivery, the two activities will overlap significantly, which is incredibly inefficient. \nLet me just further that thought by acknowledging that the Department will be well into their development of the FY 2019 budget at that same time.\u00a0 They will be presenting the FY 2018 budget to this Congress.\u00a0 And patiently waiting for the resolution of this FY 2017 budget.\u00a0\u00a0 All the while operating at FY 2016 levels that we extended in two consecutive CRs because we cannot find the initiative and political will to complete our jobs. \nAnd this CR has the likelihood of being particularly disruptive because it also coincides with a change in the Executive Branch.\u00a0 As has been pointed out, no incoming Administration has ever had to inherit a Department of Defense operating under a CR.\u00a0 So while claiming to recognize the difficulty a new President faces by including a provision to allow the expedited consideration in the Senate of legislation that overrides current law in the appointment of the next Secretary of Defense, we add a much greater burden to the incoming administration and Congress by not completing the FY 2017 Appropriation process.\u00a0\u00a0 \nI understand that Chairman Rogers has described the legislation before us as just a Band-Aid to give us time to complete the annual appropriations process.\u00a0 That is unfortunately a refrain we have heard too often in recent Congresses.\u00a0 In what fiscal year will we stop putting Band-Aids over our self-inflicted wounds to the appropriations process?\u00a0 The American people deserve so much more.\nIn closing, I regret that we again find ourselves on the House floor creating manufactured uncertainty.\u00a0 It is imperative that we bring an end to the reliance on CRs and get back into the habit of completing our budgetary work in a timely manner.\nI thank the Ranking Member for yielding.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://visclosky.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/visclosky-statement-delivered-during-the-house-consideration-of-the"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.159285893663764, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}