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The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Week of September 25, 2023

Washington, September 24, 2023
Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor this week:

Supporting Farmers, Ensuring Food Security, and Protecting National Security

Food security, drug safety, and access to nutritional programs are vital to the health and wellbeing of American families – as well as to our national security.

Over the past decade, Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland has quintupled, increasing from 69,000 acres in 2011 to around 384,000 acres in 2021 and posing a growing risk to our national security. 
 

We cannot allow foreign adversaries to gain control over America’s farmland and food supply.

House Republicans are working to promote food, drug, and national safety and make sure America’s farmers have the resources they need – all while reining in wasteful spending by clawing back the Democrats’ radical allocations of funds over the last two years and ending pandemic-era programs.

The FY24 Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration bill redirects billions from previous radical Democrat bills that funded far-left priorities to help America’s producers and rural communities, so taxpayer dollars are working for the American people and not against them. 

H.R. 4368, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, introduced by Rep. Andy Harris, protects our nation’s food and drug supply, supports rural communities and farmers, prevents foreign adversaries from purchasing our farmland, and ensures Americans with lower income have access to nutrition programs. 

Farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our country, providing food and important goods for American families and the rest of the world – it's time they received the support they deserve. House Republicans will always back our farmers and ranchers.
 

Ensuring Strong Defense of the American People

As threats to our nation rise from foreign adversaries and at the border, it is vital Congress fulfills its duty to responsibly fund our national defense, support our military, and keep American citizens safe. 

But while Republicans focus on national security issues like deterring China, President Biden prioritizes promoting his radical social agenda, such as funding the Left’s green initiatives and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.


House Republicans' plan for funding the Department of Defense (DOD) ensures our military has the resources it needs to deter our adversaries or defeat them, enhances the DOD's role in combatting the flow of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, expands support for servicemembers and their families, increases oversight, and promotes innovation.

Funding for the Department of Defense should be put towards protecting American citizens, not DEI programs, wasteful green initiatives, military drag shows, or gender reassignment surgery. 

H.R. 4365, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024, introduced by Rep. Ken Calvert, provides FY24 appropriations to the Department of Defense that prioritize the fight against China, invest in modernizing the military, and counter the flow of fentanyl while cutting wasteful spending in the President’s budget that funds divisive social programs. 

The funding in this bill supports the true mission of the military: to defend our country and its citizens. House Republicans are committed to ensuring that every dollar appropriated to the Department of Defense is spent on keeping Americans safe and strengthening our national defense.


Securing Our Border and Protecting Our Homeland

The Biden Administration continues to break records: record inflation, record crime, and record illegal border crossings. 

This August, there were 232,972 illegal border crossings – the most of any month in 2023. Fiscal Year 2023 has now surpassed Fiscal Year 2022 as the worst year at the border with the most migrant encounters on record – both of which occurred under President Biden, who maintains the border is secure.
 

But instead of trying to combat the massive influx of illegal immigrants at our southern border, President Biden is cutting barbed wire meant to help secure the border and inviting migrants across. 

Thankfully, House Republicans are taking action with a plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security that will secure our southwest border by increasing the number of Border Patrol Agents to 22,000 (the highest level ever funded), providing funds for the construction of a border wall, forcing Secretary Mayorkas to build physical barriers along our border, and restoring funding for border security technology.

Our plan also cuts funding for Biden’s woke agenda, including defunding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and instead puts money towards taking into custody and removing criminals and countering China. 

H.R. 4367, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2024, introduced by Rep. David Joyce, provides FY24 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure the southern border, counter China, remove criminals from the United States, and strengthen our national security, while defunding far-left initiatives in the Department.

House Republicans are fighting to secure the border and support American communities. Will Democrats and President Biden continue ignoring the crisis at our doorstep, or will they finally join us and take action on behalf of the American people?  


Supporting Our Allies and Deterring Our Adversaries

The United States of America is the greatest country on earth and a beacon of freedom to nations around the globe. But there are many adversaries, like the People’s Republic of China (PRC), who would like to see the United States fall and establish a new world order without the freedoms and values that we hold dear. 

To strengthen our national security and position as leader on the world stage, we must ensure our allies are supported and our adversaries are deterred. 

House Republicans are bringing a bill to fund the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs that would demonstrate unwavering support for Israel and other key allies in the Middle East, strengthen deterrence across the Taiwan Strait, invest in countering China’s malign influence, and prohibit funds for the PRC.

Additionally, the bill would reinforce American values across the world by supporting religious freedom programs abroad, banning “disinformation” or “misinformation” programs that violate free speech, increasing accountability at world organizations, and promoting freedom in the Western Hemisphere.

It is vital we protect our interests abroad and our security at home, and this bill does just that.

H.R. 4665, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024, introduced by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, provides FY24 appropriations that combat the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party, support our allies, promote American values here and abroad, and prioritize our national security, while defunding counterproductive climate programs, unnecessary regulations that hurt American business, and controversial organizations like the World Health Organization.

House Republicans will continue to stand up for freedom, the American people, and our allies.