The publication is reproduced in full below:
HAITI DEVELOPMENT, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND INSTITUTIONAL TRANSPARENCY
INITIATIVE ACT
______
speech of
HON. NANCY PELOSI
of california
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, the House will proudly pass an omnibus government funding bill that delivers For The People: strengthening national security, bolstering economic prosperity and advancing democratic governance.
And this legislation will offer a strong foundation on which Democrats will continue our focus on Building a Better America: with lower costs, bigger paycheck and more jobs.
Thank you, Madam Chair Rosa DeLauro, for your tireless work in assembling this omnibus package. You have been a masterful force in crafting a package that will help us meet the needs of American families.
Let us also salute Ranking Member Kay Granger, as well as our committed counterparts in the Senate: Chairman Pat Leahy and Ranking Member Richard Shelby.
This legislation addresses many of the top priorities for our country and in our communities for the long-term.
For families, this means strong public schools; clean air and water; more public health resources; safe food and lower costs of insulin. With this bill, we are especially proud to increase the maximum Pell Grant by $400; as well as establishing funding for President Biden's bold new ARPA-H initiative to finally defeat cancer.
For workers, it means better-paying jobs, support for our small businesses and a strong social safety net.
For women and girls, it means the long-overdue reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act: one of our nation's most powerful tools to safeguard safety, dignity and rights.
For our veterans, it means reliable benefits, reducing backlogs for veterans and their families seeking assistance, and meeting the needs of the VA's health care system.
For our national security, it means honoring the service of our troops with improvements to defense readiness and modernization, stronger defenses against cyber attacks and promoting our democratic values abroad.
Enacting this omnibus will also unlock billions in more federal dollars under our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law--delivering key investments in nearly every community across the country.
Doing so will help us rebuild our nation while reinvigorating our middle class: creating millions of good-paying jobs improving roads and bridges, public transit, ports and airports, water systems and broadband, and more
As we proceed on this legislation, war rages on in Ukraine. This omnibus includes $13.6 billion in emergency supplemental funding for humanitarian, military and economic assistance for Ukraine.
Today, I had the privilege of an extensive telephone conversation with President Zelensky. It afforded me the opportunity to praise the extraordinary courage and resolve of the Ukrainian people as they defend their communities and their democracy.
I also conveyed to him the sympathy of the Congress for the loss of life and livelihood in Ukraine--especially after Putin's barbaric attack on a maternity hospital, killing parents and children.
He expressed the gratitude of the Ukrainian people for the assistance that the United States has provided to date. But much more needs to be done. This legislation takes a strong step forward.
I am proud of the strong leadership of President Biden in his role in unifying NATO and other allies to cripple Russia's economy in response to Putin's diabolical, premeditated assault on Ukraine and its democracy.
Again, I thank Chair DeLauro for her masterful leadership--and I urge a ``yes'' vote.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 46
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