Gentleman from florida. Mr. Diazbalart madam chairwoman, thank you so much. I am proud to speak on the fiscal year 2024 department of state, foreign operations, and related programs appropriations bill for Floor Consideration today. Anybody who has read the bill you know that its pretty straightforward. If you are a friend, an alley of the United States an ally of the United States, this bill supports you. But if you are an adversary or cozying up to the adversaries of the United States, frankly, you are just not going to like this bill. I am extremely proud of this legislation which was carefully and thoughtfully developed over many, many months. In my judgment, it reflects the values and interests of most americans. We carefully reviewed all the organizations and programs that receive u. S. Taxpayer dollars in this bill. Among the key factors, let be be very blunt, its whether investments advance our National Security interests. Whether they can samoa demonstrated results can show demonstrated results and our need to reduce the National Debt and to reduce spending in a responsible way. So the saving foreign operations bill totals 55. 5 billion. It cuts 8. 2 billion, 14 reduction, below the 2023 enacted level. And 17 billion, or 25 below the president s request. In fact, it is 2. 7 billion below the f. Y. D 2019 enacted level. 288 million below even the fiscal year 2015 enacted level. Because of those cuts, of those responsible reductions, we are now able to prioritize funding for the National Security threat posed by the Chinese Communist party. Look, its time that the u. S. We get serious about that maligned destabilizing negative actions of the communist Chinese Party around the world. This measure this bill does precisely that in an unprecedented, unprecedented manner. Let me talk a little bit it. The bill includes 4. 4 billion, which is 1 billion above the president s budget request to Fund Programs to counter, to counter the threat of the communist Chinese Communist party around the world. For the first time this bill includes half a billion, 500 million in Foreign Military financing for taiwan. First time ever. These funds, as everybody knows, are critical to support our friend and democratic alley, which is on the frontlines of chineses bullying and constant threats. This bill provides unwavering support, unwavering support for our democratic ally, israel, and other key partners around the world. Another priority is to strengthen efforts to counter fentanyl. Fentanyl production and trafficking. I dont have to tell you that deadly opioids, particularly fentanyl, are affecting every area, every district, every neighborhood in our entire country. 300 americans die every single day because of fentanyl poisoning. And we must, and we do, use every tool to combat this horrific deadly epidemic. And obviously the migration prices at the southern border is really just symptomatic of the administrations lack of a clear strategic towards the western hemisphere. Thats as nice as i can say it. Mr. Chairman, for too long countries cozying up to our adversaries have been rewarded, rewarded, and this bill puts a stop to that practice. This bill also recognizes the growing threat of authoritarian regimes, even here in our own hemisphere and around the world. Therefore, it fully funds democracy assistance accounts in support of freedom and human rights where they are most threatened. Now, before discussing funding for the United Nations, i just want to remind folks, members and anybody who might be watching, who is running the show at the u. N. . It would be hard to even make this stuff up. But unfortunately, remarkably, what im about to tell you is true. So, russia was chair of the u. N. Security council during the month of april. Yeah, you heard me right. Iran is currently an elected Vice President of the u. N. General assembly. Communist china, whose genocide against uyghurs their bullying around the world is notorious. And cuba, one of the worlds oldest, most brutal dictatorships, both of those countries sit on the u. N. Human rights council. Yeah. You heard me right. And north korea, well, i cant even begin to talk about the atrocities of that dictatorship. Is a member of the World Health Organization. While taiwan, a responsible democracy, has been blocked from membership of that institution by communist china. Thats all on the you cant make this stuff up. Therefore, it should come as no surprise to anybody that no funds are included in this bill for the u. N. Regular budget. Now, my dear friend on the other side of the aisle argue that by cutting some of the funding to the u. N. The u. S. Has given up its leadership. I could not disagree in stronger terms. Simply continuing to unconditionally channel funds to a deeply flawed organization, despite multiple failures and frankly an appalling even antisemitic continuously antisemitic actions by that institution t it ensures that nothing changes in that institution i just mentioned. Actions need to have consequences. And the u. N. Finally, finally will feel the consequences of their irresponsible actions. Because of how we deal with them in this bill. This bill also prohibits funds for the Green Climate fund and the Green Technology fund. We also address a frivolous expansion of state department bureaucracy. This bill eliminates funding for special envoys and special representatives that are not authorized. Or have not been confirmed by the senate. Look, if they are that important, then foregods sake have them authorized by for gods sake have them authorized by congress or at least confirmed by the that. This bill includes all standing prolife protections which include the prohibition on taxpayer funds from being using to pay for abortions abroad. And it builds on those requirements by applying the protection protecting life and Global Health assistance policy to all Global Health funding. It is not surprising that after this bill was released my colleagues on the other side immediately dished out released a press release condemning it. What might surprise you is what the Minority Party in their written press release actually chose to highlight that they are objecting to in this bill. Their press release criticized that this bill prohibits funding for the Wuhan Institute of virology. Heck, yeah, we do. Or, that we eliminate funding for the ecohealth alliance. Or gain of function research. And quoting from my colleagues on the democratic side, their criticism of this bill, we reduce funding for any lab controlled by china, russia, cuba, iran, north korea, and venezuela. Im quothing from their press release quoting from their press release. Quick, yeah, we are cutting funding for institution from those countries. These countries are the official list of the United States foreign adversaries. And three, by the way, are on the state sponsor of terrorism list. Does anyone, any taxpayer think that taxpayer funds should be going to labs in those places in really . For my colleagues on the other side of the aisle in writing also expressed concerns over what they call quoteunquote, partisan riders. That specifically highlighted they they highlighted the provisions on funds in this bill to the government of the p. R. C. , Chinese Communist party, and also that we prevent lending from International Financial institutions to the p. R. C. Yeah. They put that in writing. Yeah, they put that in writing. One thing is true. They got that right. They caught me. We are eliminating funding to adversaries of the United States of america. I would argue its about damn time we did that. Soy look forward to hearing my colleagues on the other side of the aisle explain why u. S. Taxpayer money should be funding those programs. And why writing a blank check to any organization is bad. I want to thank the staff from the Appropriations Committee for their amazing work on this bill. Susan adams is here with me. Frank higgins. Jamie mccormick. Trey hicks, trey gallagher, and owe cutler and equally from the minority side, and i always butcher her last name and i apologizing ill probably do it again, erin klodesky. Lawyer ry lawyerie mrveg anon and lillian. From my personal staff, caesar, gisele, autumn, from my personal office. Mr. Chairman, i thank you for bringing this crucial legislation to the floor which support ours allies, protect ours National Security in a smart, efficient, effective and thoughtful way. I urge my colleagues to support the bill and i reserve the balance of my time. Thank you, sir. The chair the gentleman reserves. The gentlewoman from california is recognized. Ms. Lee i rise to oppose h. R. 4665 and yield as much time as i may consume. This bill would impose devastating cuts on programs meant to keep both america and the world safe and with all due respect to my friend and colleague, the chair of this committee, i am not an adversary of the United States. Democrats are patriotic. We want our country to lead in Global Security and peace. This bill does just the opposite. This republican bill would slash the allocation for International Programs by nearly one third to a level not seen since 2009. To my republican colleague do my republican colleagues really think our International Challenges have shrunk . I dont know what world theyre living in. The bill undermines the fight against Climate Change and it would destroy our influence at the United Nations during a time when china and russia are working to expand their voice and their role. Most outrageously, the bill would gut programs intended to help the most Vulnerable People in the world, undermining American Global leadership and making a mockery of our human values and leaving a huge void for adversaries to fill. Ive spent much of my time in Congress Talking about the three ds of our National Security. Diplomacy, development, and defense. Each of these has a role to play in keeping our country safe and secure and create creating a world where our kids and grandkids can prosper. This bill is supposed to fund two of those ds, diplomacy and development. Instead, this republican bill throws the three ds completely out of whack. If House Republicans get their way, the pentagon would receive, mind you, 20 times more. Let me repeat that. 20 times more. What this than what this bill invests in diplomacy and development combined. Epidemic our military leaders have spoken out against cuts to diplomacy and development because they know gutting these programs makes their jobs harder. Former defense secretary mattis has famously said if you dont fully fund the state department i have to find more ammunitions. Colleagues the p. R. C. Now has more embassies and diplomats around the world than any other nation including more than the United States does. But republicans would cut funding for our embassies and diplomats by 1. 2 billion. We have watched as the p. R. C. Challenges us at the United Nations and other multilateral institutions. Working to insert their values of authoritarianism and disrespect for human rights. But republicans are proposing to cut funding to the United Nations, leaving our adversaries waiting to fill the voit that we leave behind. The republican bill asks our diplomats and Development Professionals to do more mono, to reporting and oversight. But then it shortchanges them of the funding that they need for our operations and staffing. This is quite sinister. The bill inviting this invites the culture war into Foreign Policy by making diversity, drag queens and critical race theory, bookiemen and bookiewomen, distracting us from the real life or death challenges facing our world. Doesnt make any sense. On this bill. The bill also takes a really dishonest approach though threat posed by Climate Change. Right now, people all around the world are confronting the impacts of humancaused Climate Change, lifethreatening temperatures, crop failure, floods and severe weather. They need help confronting the problem we largely created. Yet the majority pretends that our climate finance investments are about controlling the planets temperature like some sort of global thermostat. Thats not how it works. We have countries that might literally not exist in a generation because of the changes that are already happening. We are spending billions each and every year, both here and at home, both here at home and overseas, dealing with humanitarian emergencies and responding to ever stronger storms, raging fires and devastating droughts. Failing to invest in adapting to the new reality means continued and escalating conflict and crisis which puts americans and people everywhere at risk. Around the world, 218 million women, 218 million women still do not have access to the tools needed to decide when and how to have a baby. While hundreds of thousands of them die in childbirth, we are going to make it harder for women to access care through both policies and reduced funding in this bill. And im very upset about how this bill attacks efforts to strengthen diversity in our Foreign Policy work force. The rich diversity of the United States is one of our greatest strengths. People around the world, religious and ethnic minority, people with disability, lgbtq people. They look first to the United States for support and inspiration as they seek to claim their human rights. Its unimaginable to me that my republican colleagues, well, no, its not really given whats taking place in our own country but once again you all see a threat in efforts to make sure that our diplomats and Development Experts reflect and respect that same diversity. The world is watching us. The world is full of threats. That dont respect borders from Climate Change to pandemics to assertive dictators. Most countries would prefer to partner with the United States to confront these challenges. But by bringing this bill to the floor with these cuts, to the house floor, mind you, the republican jerrett broad kas a clear message to the world, take a hike. Trust me, the p. R. C. Is ready to take advantage of our absence. I think everyone has seen this around the world. Colleagues, this is september 28. The government shuts down, unfortunately, even though were fighting as democrats to prevent this from happening, but today were considering a bill that has in chance of becoming law. We should be working today to make sure we keep our government open. House dems will not support a bill if it means turning our backs to the worlds most Vulnerable Women or the looming threat of loo Climate Change. In the end, final Appropriations Bills will need bicameral and bipartisan support and today we will likely get further away from that goal, not closer. This really is wasting everyones time. I urge my colleagues to oppose this destructive bill. We are not adversaries. Were patriotic. We want our country to succeed in its mission and its role as global leaders, leading peace and security efforts throughout the planet. I reserve the balance of my time. The chair the gentleman from california reserves. The gentleman from florida is recognized. Mr. Diazbalart i am now really honored to yield five minutes to this champion of human rights from the great state of new jersey, mr. Smith. The chair the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Smith i thank my good friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the state foreigns on bill under conversation today continues and foreign ops bill under conversation today continues pepfar, ensuring that critically needed medicines including antiretroviral and other lifesaving interventions are available to those who need them in africa and elsewhere. Special thanks to chairman Mario Diazbalart and the committee on appropriations for insisting that the noble purpose of pepfar not to be compromised or undercut by integrating and merging other agendas including and especially the promotion of abortion by massively funding proabortion foreign nongovernmental groups and instructing them to repeal prolife laws. To that end the new state department bill reinstates the protecting life and Global Health assistance policy. Also known as the mexico city policy. Sadly upon assuming office, President Biden repealed president reagans old mexico city policy. It ensures pepfars gran money would not subsidize n. G. O. s that perform or pay for abortions. Some people say theyre not doing it. It says theyll promote protecting Sexual Reproductive Health and rights including the ongoing rescission of the mexico city policy. The executive director of u. N. Aids a prime pepfar partner composed of the w. H. o. And others welcomed buyens renestle prolife policy saying it showed his commitment to abortion rights. Mr. Speaker, a june 6 letter signed by 131 african lawmakers and religious leaders including the speaker of the parliament of ghana, implored congress not, i say again, not to exploit pepfar to promote abortion, stating and i quote in pertinent part, we want to express our concerns and suspicions that this funding is supporting abortion, that violates our core beliefs concerning life, family and religion. Most of the african countries are solidly pro life and they are under siege by the n. G. O. s that we are supporting mexico city helps to ensure that that doesnt happen. They went on to say, we asked that pepfar remain true to its original mission and respect our norms, traditions and our values. We ask that Partner Organizations with whom the United States partners are cognizant and respectful of our beliefs. And not cross over into promoting divisive ideas and practices that are not consistent with those of africa. Last year, i remind my colleagues, show nothing doubt of the proabortion goals of this administration, they announced a sweeping new radical policy known as reimagining pepfars strategic decision. They used the world the word it integrates sexual reproductive rights, that means abortion. Mr. Speaker, in a recent oped, former speaker Newt Gingrich wrote and i quote him in part, it is incredibly disappoint bug not surprising that the Biden Administration has hijacked one of president george w. Bushs greatest accomplishments. The president s emergency plan for aids relief to provide abortionen demand in the developing world. He conned, President Bidens insincere and demonstrably false claim that pepfar isnt pushing abortion on demand in africa and elsewhere collapses under scrutiny of its partner. They say they are not doing it, theyre empowering the n. G. O. s to do it. Just like in this chamber, house and senate, all over the states of this country, we know it is the n. G. O. s, planned parenthood and oarks that promote very aggressive for abortion right up until the miami of birth. Mr. Speaker, i strongly supported pepfar when it was created in 2003. And i was a sponsor of the reauthorization of pepfar in 2018. Regrettably it has been reimagined, hijacked by the Biden Administration to empower pro abortion international n. G. O. s, deve eaterring from its lifeaffirming work. Its time to got back to the original noble idea for which theres a strong, bipartisan, bicameral consensus and that noble goal is to prevent this devastating disease, robustly treat and assist those who have been infected an end hivaids around the world. Not supporting abortion, the killing of unborn children by dismemberment, chemical poisoning and what does the Abortion Pill do . It starves the bay by i to death. Thats its operation. They are trying to disseminate all over africa. I yield back. The chair the gentleman from florida reserves. The gentlewoman from california is recognized. Ms. Lee i yield five minutes to the gentlewoman from connecticut, the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee, ms. Delauro. The chair the gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Delauro mr. Speaker, i rise in opposition to the 2024 state foreign operations and related programs funding bill. I want to begin with comments from president trumps former secretary of defense mark esper. He had this to say in response to this very bills cut of the state and foreign operations allocation. I quote, when we dont leave we create a vacuum that will be filled by china. He continued, americas leadership means more than military capability. Diplomacy and foreign assistance are part of it, too. His proposed this proposed budget would upend that relationship by gutting our civilian tool kit and depriving america of the diplomatic leadership whose benefits i have seen last a lifetime. End his quote. Also, the Global HealthCouncil Together with 70 other organizations, catholic relief service, United StatesGlobal Leadership coalition, the American Jewish committee, interaction, the one campaign, the christian connection for international health, and care u. S. A. Have expressed serious National Security concerns with the House Republicans funding plan. Mr. Chair, i plan to submit a compilation of these concerns for the record. We are told that this 2024 state and foreign operations funding bill is tough on our adversaries. The opposite is true. This bill seeds americas position as the leader of the global community. It weakens our National Security, shortchanges foreign assistance, hinders our ability to address the climate crisis, and harms women around the world. This is a reversal of the United States historic position on the world stage and promotes isolationism. We are supposed to be leaders of the free world. The majority is diminishing the United States, what we stand forks and what our values are. For our own people and for people around the world who look to us for inspiration and for hope. Damage has already been done as partners and allies wonder whether the United States will be with them or whether theyll be forced to turn to china or russia to get investment and support in international institutions. With china surpassing the United States as the largest trading partner in many countries in latin america and in africa, china has more embassies, consulates, and diplomats that any other country in the world. They are contesting our model of democracy and capitalism around the world, and they are going virtually unchallenged. This bill is an unfathomable reduction of our nations ability to engage in diplomacy and project soft power by over 1 3. But knowing such a cut would be irresponsible and lead to negative repercussions around this world, this bill claws back billions of dollars, 11 billion, which comes from the e. P. A. s Greenhouse Gas reduction fund, part of the inflation reduction act. Yesterday, this body debated hot to add dress the challenges related to thousands of desperate people reaching our southern border. And however with these cuts the department of state and usaid will be forced to reduce programs that engage countries like colombia and guatemala to address the conditions causing people to flee to the United States. We cannot await wait to address the issue. We all know what we should be doing right now and this is not it. This is an exercise in futility because this bill is going nowhere. The urgent issue is to deep our government keep our government opened. Everybody in this body knows keeping the u. S. Government running, passing fullyear bills will require bipartisanship. We have a bipartisan agreement in the senate. A compromise to keep our government opened and address the nations concerns. Let us move in that direction. Democrats and republicans already compromised when they passed the debt limit bill. But because House Republicans immediately reneged, they have moved us to the brink of a shutdown. A republican shutdown that will have consequences on every senior, veteran, and child in america. And on our diplomats and Service Members around the world. Let us move to keep our government opened and support the senate compromise, bipartisan compromise. Thank you. I yield back. The chair the gentlewoman yields. The gentlewoman from california reserves. The gentleman from florida is recognized. Mr. Diazbalart recognize myself for 30 seconds. I want to be made very clear i have heard now that somehow this bill damages the reputation of the United States. No. You know what damaged the reputation of the United States, mr. Chairman . That irresponsible withdrawal from afghanistan. That showed the entire world what bad leadership is all about. This bill confronts our adversaries. 1 billion more to confront china than the president can do while we spend less money. It stands by our friends. Confronts our adversaries. Yes, the problem about credibility is not with this bill. Its with the president of the United States. And it gets worse, much worse. I reserve. The chair the gentlemans time has expired. The gentlewoman from california is recognized. Ms. Lee i yield now, mr. Chairman, to the gentlewoman from new york, three minutes, ms. Meng, a member of the state foreign operations subcommittee. The chair the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Meng mr. Speaker, i rise today in strong opposition to the fiscal year 2024 state and foreign operations appropriations bill. As a member of the state and foreign operations subcommittee, i am appalled by the dangerous cuts and policy riders the majority has attached to this bill. Yesterday, we heard from our friends across the aisle that the purpose of our military is to deter a war if diplomacy fails. Cutting funding for our state department to levels not seen since 2009, and proposing eliminating funding for usaid not only cedes americas position as a leader on the world stage but also eliminates funding for the very programs that seek to prevent violence and advance stability in areas vulnerable to conflict. This bill weakens our National Security not enhances it. This bill also harms women all around the world from eliminating our contributions to critical multilateral agencies, including u. N. Women and unfpa to cutting lateral and multilateral Reproductive Health funding by nearly a third. We are sending the message that the u. S. Is willing to cede its role in helping the International Community achieving Global Health targets, address unacceptably high global maternal rates and genderbased violence. Or promote gender equity. This is all at the behest of the majoritys culture war. I do not accept premise we are willing to risk 8. 2 million women and couples losing access to contraceptive services, resulting in 2. 7 million more unintended pregnancies, leading to 1. 1 million additional unplanned births, and an anation diggsal 4,700 maternal deaths. Women and girls deserve better. I urge my colleagues to oppose this harmful legislation. Thank you. I yield back. The chair the gentlewoman yields. The gentlewoman from california reserves. The gentleman from florida is recognized. Mr. Diazbalart i reserve. The chair the gentleman reserves. The gentlewoman from california is recognized. Ms. Lee i yield three minutes to the gentlewoman from florida, a member of the state and foreign operations subcommittee, ms. Frankel. The chair the gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Frankel thank you, madam chair. Mr. Speaker, i rise in strong opposition to the 2024 state foreign operations appropriations act. Because it cedes our leadership in the global community, it undermines human rights, it diminishes access to health care, education, food, and Economic Security for millions around the world. So why should we care . It comes down to this. When people lack access to the basics in life, it means a greater risk for hopelessness and instability. And gutting Climate Change activities only escalates the consequences. And for americans at home, that means less trading partners, more danger from havent extremists from violent extremists, global pandemics, and even war. We live in a very complicated world, and this bill undermines diplomacy and commitments to our allies, our partners, and make the world a better place in which to live. Our commitments to the United Nations turning our back on decades of relationship building. Leaving a vacuum for unfriendly countries to fill. If its not enough, it hurts the most Vulnerable Women and girls in the world, slashing funding for Womens Health care, family planning, and blocking access to reproductive care. Let me make it clear to the politicians in this room, women, not the folks in this hall, should decide whether and when a woman should start or continue a family. Tragically this bill will leave our country and the world less healthy, less safe, and even more divided. So i must sadly urge my colleagues to vote against it. I yield back. The chair the gentlewoman yields. The gentlewoman reserves. Mr. Diazbalart reserve. The chair the gentlewoman from california. Ms. Lee i yield three minutes to the the gentlewoman from florida, the Ranking Member of the military construction and Veterans Affairs subcommittee, ms. Wasserman schultz. The chair the gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Wasserman schultz i thank the gentlelady for yielding. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the state and foreign operations bill, all while having tremendous respect for my colleague from florida with whom i share many points of view, but certainly not his on the state foreign operations appropriations bill before us. Here we are for the fourth time this week bringing forward a bill that has no chance of becoming law. This bill is supposed to invest in programs and people that ensure the National Security of the United States. Protects her interests abroad, and promotes our Democratic Values around the world. This bill is supposed to show that the United States stands up for our allies and Democratic Values, while countering adversaries on the global stage. This bill is supposed to fund the programs that improve the lives of women and girls around the world by investing in education, health, and economic development. It is supposed to ensure the United States can effectively wield our soft power. Instead, this bill packages devastating cuts with petty partisan riders. It needlessly harms our premiere Service Members and diplomats. It sends a message that the United States is willing to abdicate our role as a moral superpower, a role china and russia are eager to fill. This bill says we will abandon our allies, our interests, and our democratic agenda all to cater to the whims of an extreme fringe. The world is at an inflexion point. More complex, more rife with threats than ever before. If there is any doubt, just look around. Russia has committed war crimes in ukraine. China has ratcheted up its aggression in indopacific and ruthlessly cracked down on dissent at home. Authoritarians and dictators prop each other up from latin america to the middle east. They all bait us. They all bait the United States. Challenging us to step up or stand down. In the face of that, this bill abdicates our responsibility to offer a viable alternative to protect allies and our vital interests here and around the globe. We all know that when we gut programs, when we cast aside sureship entrepreneurship, and institutions vital work, we undermine our ability and credibility to protect and defend. To truly make sure we can keep the world safe with our allies. We lose our seat at the global table ruthless thugs, dictators, and fascists when we try to pass harmful policy like this bill proposes. We do that at our own peril and imperil everything that americans hold dear. Which is why i urge my colleagues to oppose this cruel and dangerous bill. I yield back the balance of my time. The chair the gentlewoman yields. The gentlewoman reserves. The gentleman is recognized. Mr. Diazbalart i reserve. The chair the gentleman reserves. The gentlewoman from california is recognized. Ms. Lee thank you, mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as i may consume. Let me take a minute on the many, many partisan riders included in the bill being considered today to raise a couple points. The number of prohibitions seems to be really enormous. They proliferated. Often with little concern to what the actual ramifications might be. It appears to be the approach of if an organization has ever done something that you have not liked, or a wild theory has circulated about, we will just prohibit it. Well pick up our ball and take it home. This is not just ineffective, it really is immature. The bill prohibits funds for the Chinese Communist party. This sounds tough. But i was the previous chairwoman of the subcommittee, and this bill has not provided funding to the Chinese Communist party. Its a red herring. They dont stop to consider while there may be or not be active collaboration currently. There may come a time when it is the United States may come a time when its in the United States best interest to partner not with the government but with people. With scientist, pursue common goals. Indeed we carried on scientific cooperation with the soviet union during the cold war. Not because we agreed with their government but it was in our own interest. The bill prohibits gain of function research. That sounds good. But my colleagues, consider that this same prohibited research is producing new therapies for cancer and cystic fibrosis. This Research Also helps us produce insulin for people with diabetes. Has the majority considered the cost would be what the cost will be of cutting this off . The bill prohibits funding for the World Health Organization because they wont admit taiwan. It is the member countries of the w. H. O. That are making this decision, not the organization. With this bill the p. R. C. Will continue to work against taiwans inclusion, but the United States wont be there to help. We are told that this bill is strong against our adversaries. I would argue just the opposite. This bill takes the easy route and leaves the field open for those who would challenge us. It makes dialogue and engagement parter. And it leave offers potential partners and allies who are deciding who kay they can turn to for help tie and dry and of course that wont be the United States. A couple of points on the United Nations. The u. N. Is a forum for every country in the world. The United States, my knowledge, does not get to pick who gets to be a sovereign country. Leadership of the United Nations committees, the general assembly, they all rotate among members. Which the chairman knows. This makes it even more important that the United States fully participates. This bill endangers that. I reserve the balance of my time. The chair the gentlewoman reserves. The gentleman is recognized. Mr. Diazbalart i yield myself two minutes. The chair the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Diazbalart i have Great Respect for the gentlewoman, shes consistent and her and i have a Good Relationship but you heard it right now. This bill prohibits funding for the Wuhan Institute of virology, gain of function research and prohibits funding for any lab controlled by china, russia, cue bark iran, north korea and venezuela. We have a difference of opinion. I believe that taxpayer money going to labs controlled by these countries is just not something we should be doing. There is a absolute difference of opinion on that. If you believe, if anybody believes that u. S. Taxpayer money should be going for those things, then youre going to have a problem with that part of this bill. If you, however, believe that u. S. Taxpayer money should not go to fund those labs controlled by those countries, i would then ask you to support this bill. I reserve. The chair the gentleman reserves. The gentlewoman from california. Ms. Lee i reserve the balance of my time. The chair the gentlewoman reserves. The gentleman from florida is recognized. Mr. Diazbalart i reserve, mr. Chairman. The chair the gentleman from florida has the right to close. And the gentlewoman from california is recognized. Ms. Lee thank you, mr. Chairman. I am prepared to close. The chair the gentlewoman is reniches recognized. Ms. Lee mr. Chairman, yes, the chairman and myself respect each other. We have different points of view. I consider ourselves friends also. And i know, and i think the chairman know that many of our republican colleagues do support robust investments in the bill because ive seen the thousands of requests that members have submitted this year and in prior years. Theres a long legacy of enlightened republican support for foreign assistance. Congressional republicans worked with harry truman to create the Marshall Plan which rebuilt europe after a devastating war. I myself worked with president bush to create pepfar which has saved 25 million lives from h. I. V. And aids. Yet the jerrett has chosen to force this bill to the floor because these sin because they cynically they cynically believe that their members will be happy to sacrifice the worlds poorest people to make a political point. To my republican colleagues, you know, i see you here on the throor today. Im asking you to stand up and yes, oppose this terrible bill. Please vote no. Lets get back together and write a bill together that helps build the better and safer world that we want for our children and our grandchildren. I yield back the balance of my time. The chair the gentlewoman yields. The gentleman from florida is recognized. Mr. Diazbalart i think we have discussed some of the issues in this bill. Its a positive bill. I supports our allies. It confronts our adversaries. It also controls wasteful spending. Wasteful spending is one of the reasons that we have inflation at the highest level weve had in decades. With that, mr. Chairman, i also since the Ranking Member has yielded her t