Harlem Congressperson Adriano Espaillat, Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks on the House Floor in opposition to the 2025 Legislative Branch bill:
“Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Today, I rise in opposition to H. R. 8772, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 2025.
Before I discuss the bill, let me take a moment to thank my colleague Jennifer Wexton, who proudly represents Virginia, for her unwavering dedication and service in Congress. I am in awe of your courage and wish you and your family all the best. We will miss you around the halls of Congress, but trust that your legacy is cemented.
Thank you to my colleague Chairman Valadao and the subcommittee staff who work daily to ensure the Legislative Branch has the resources it needs to support America and its people.
As the Chairman indicated, the bill before us today includes $5.5 billion in discretionary appropriations to fund the offices of the House of Representatives and joint legislative branch items. This is an increase of 3.5 percent from the FY24 enacted levels.
I agree with the Chairman when he says this bill provides the resources for Congress to serve their constituents and conduct our oversight responsibilities.
The funding in this bill is reasonable and continues operations for Legislative Branch Agencies.
However, the Legislative Branch bill should never be a place for divisive politics. The Legislative Branch bill should be used to ensure Congress has the tools it needs to legislate and support the constituents we serve in a fair, transparent, and equitable manner.
Instead, and unfortunately, this bill contains some very concerning messaging provisions that have no place within the Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill.
This bill contains provisions that eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs and allows for discrimination towards the LGBTQI-plus community.
The Majority seems obsessed with cutting federal funds and eliminating programs that help fight climate change and those that help grow and diversify our country.
For example, this bill removes a provision to eliminate or reduce plastic waste across the Legislative Branch of Government, further contributing to climate change’s impacts. In addition, it eliminates a requirement for Members to lease low-emission vehicles.
Plus, this bill does not include longstanding legislation allowing Legislative Branch agencies to employ individuals with employment authorization documents under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program.
This House and the many Agencies that make up the entire Legislative Branch of government should make every effort to reflect and consider all the people in this great nation we serve and the many districts our members represent.
Mr. Chair, the Legislative Branch bill should represent a collaboration between two parties. We come to this campus to work together, and our place of business is to be a role model for a more equitable, inclusive, and positive working environment.
Instead, the bill includes hurtful and offensive provisions to many Americans, including the staff supporting this great institution and those we work alongside daily.
I don’t agree with these divisive ideas, and for that reason alone, I cannot support this bill.
Mr. Chair, I yield back.”
Representative Espaillat
Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fourth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 118th Congress. He is also a member of the House Budget Committee and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Deputy Chair as well as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Rep. Espaillat is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.
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