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The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Week of October 30, 2023

Washington, October 29, 2023
Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor this week:

Supporting Our Ally Israel Against Terrorism

As war rages in the Middle East, the United States has a duty to support one of our strongest allies, Israel, in their fight to defend themselves against the barbaric attacks from Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist organizations.

The October 7th attacks perpetrated by Hamas and funded by Iran claimed the lives of over 1,400 people, including at least 32 Americans – making it the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Innocent civilians, including women, children, the elderly, Holocaust survivors, and babies, were brutally slaughtered by these terrorists who chant “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.” 


Israel has every right to defend itself against such heinous actions, and we must stand with them in their fight against our shared enemies for self-determination, democracy, and freedom. 

House Republicans are bringing forward a bill to ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself as it fights to eliminate the threat from Hamas.

H.R. __, the Israel Supplemental Appropriations Act, introduced by Rep. Kay Granger, provides supplemental appropriations to support missile defense systems like the Iron Dome and additional military equipment for the Israel Defense Forces while also replenishing U.S. weapons stocks and fully offsetting the cost of this assistance. 

The United States will continue to support one of our strongest allies, Israel, in their fight against Hamas and other Iranian proxy terrorist organizations.  
 

Keeping Congress Working for the American People

The number one duty of the House of Representatives is to serve the people of the United States by faithfully representing our constituents.

In order to ensure Congress remains open and working for American families, we must responsibly fund the legislative branch. This funding is vital to supporting committees in their vigorous oversight investigations and Member offices in their work for their districts.

Our FY24 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act increases funding for recruiting, training, and retaining sworn Capitol Police officers; provides necessary resources for Members of Congress to effectively serve their constituents, including funding for staffing; and funds House committees so they can hold the Biden Administration accountable – all while cutting discretionary spending for the House of Representatives by around five percent from the FY23 enacted level.

Additionally, our legislation requires unspent amounts from Members’ Representational Allowances to be used for debt and deficit reduction and saves millions of taxpayer dollars by reorganizing the Chief Administrative Office, including restructuring functions of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. 

H.R. 4364, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2024, introduced by Rep. Mark Amodei, provides FY2024 appropriations for the legislative branch, including the House of Representatives, to maintain essential oversight responsibilities and faithfully serve the American people in a fiscally responsible manner. 

House Republicans are committed to funding our legislative branch responsibly, keeping the people's house accessible and effective while demonstrating fiscal restraint. 


Promoting Domestic Energy and Reining in the EPA

Small businesses and farmers make up the backbone of our country – we should be putting in place policies that help them, not make it harder for them to survive and support our communities. The Biden Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), however, has continued to put in place burdensome regulations across industries that kill jobs and hinder American energy security. 


House Republicans’ FY24 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill prioritizes energy production here at home by expanding access to critical minerals and requiring oil and gas lease sales, and claws back Biden EPA regulations that kill jobs and hurt small businesses.

Additionally, this legislation promotes public safety by increasing funds for Wildland Fire
Management, and protects hunting & fishing on federal lands by blocking restrictions. 

This bill also reduces funding for nearly every account to below FY23 enacted levels and gets rid of funding for Green New Deal initiatives, cutting wasteful spending and making sure American taxpayer dollars are used responsibly.

H.R.4821, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, introduced by Rep. Mike Simpson, provides FY24 appropriations for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and related agencies that increase access to critical minerals, get rid of burdensome red tape on American oil and gas, prioritize public safety, rein in the EPA and their regulations, and make cuts to stop out-of-control spending. 

It is vital we expand access to critical minerals, boost domestic energy production, and curb the EPA’s overreach in order to support American businesses, protect domestic jobs, and ensure national energy security.  
 

Prioritizing Travel Safety and Addressing Housing Needs for Vulnerable Americans

Under the Biden Administration’s failing transportation policies, we’ve seen crisis after crisis, from paralyzing flight delays and cancellations, to near misses on airport runways, and multiple devastating train derailments, including outside East Palestine, Ohio. Additionally, homelessness is raging out of control in Democrat-run cities across the country, leaving vulnerable Americans to fend for themselves. 

But instead of focusing their attention on increasing the safety of traveling for Americans or assisting Americans in need of housing, Democrats and the Biden Administration continue to prioritize wasteful climate and equity initiatives and their woke agenda over the needs of the American people.

House Republicans have put together a plan that invests in transportation safety by funding new air traffic controllers for under staffed facilities, investing in critical air traffic control modernization programs, and implementing road projects to ensure roads and railways are safe. Additionally, our plan ensures our most vulnerable citizens, such as the elderly, the disabled, veterans and the working poor, have necessary housing support. 

Meanwhile, we work to reduce spending by eliminating over $380 million in unauthorized Biden Administration initiatives, prohibiting implementation of the proposed Greenhouse Gas emissions rule, and rescinding billions from IRS enforcement spending to protect hardworking Americans.

H.R. 4820, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, introduced by Rep. Tom Cole, provides FY24 appropriations to the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and related agencies that prioritize our nation’s transportation systems safety programs and maintain housing assistance for vulnerable Americans while reining in wasteful spending and harmful bureaucracy.

House Republicans will continue working to responsibly fund critical transportation and housing needs while reducing spending and getting our debt under control.