During a House Appropriations Committee markup meeting before the Congressional recess, Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) spoke about renaming the Kennedy Center's opera house after First Lady Melania Trump.
00:00I now recognize the distinguished chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Simpson, for the purpose of amendment.
00:07Mr. Chairman, I have a Republican en blanc at the desk, and I ask unanimous consent to reading the dispense with.
00:13Without objection, reading is dispensed with, and the gentleman is recognized to explain his amendment.
00:19This en blanc amendment includes several common sense changes that reinforce the goals and priorities of the bill and of this administration.
00:26Provisions included in this amendment would ensure compliance with President Trump's executive order on expanding American timber production.
00:34Reiterate that the administration can continue its work to address and responsibly mitigate against PFAS.
00:42Ensure that regulations are based in reality and are practical.
00:45And clarify a position, a provision in the underlying bill related to labeling any pesticide, which has been mentioned several times by members of the other side of the aisle.
00:58And I have to say, falsely represented.
01:04Not different interpretations, but false statements.
01:09Gentle lady from Florida made some comments that, frankly, I got to tell you are just not true.
01:15About what this amendment does.
01:19So let me take a minute to clarify this.
01:21And for all the MAGA or the MAHA moms that are out there that are concerned about this that have been calling,
01:29let me clarify what this provision does.
01:33This is the third year in a row that we've carried this exact language in the interior bill.
01:38The purpose of the language is to clarify existing law that states cannot require a pesticide label that is different from the EPA's label.
01:50The language ensures that we do not have a patchwork of state labeling requirements.
01:56It ensures that one state is not establishing the label for the rest of the states.
02:01It's the EPA that does that.
02:04This actually happened in 2017 when California, imagine that, California attempted to set its own labeling requirements for a pesticide.
02:14The current statute already has a federal preemption for labeling requirements.
02:23This language simply reiterates it.
02:26The language does not make any statement about the contents or findings by the EPA of human health assessment.
02:35It does not prevent the EPA from reviewing pesticides or re-reviewing pesticides.
02:43It does not alter the state's ability to regulate the sales or use of pesticides in their own states.
02:52This Republican en bloc explains these things because it is important to know exactly what this amendment does and what it does not do.
03:00And there has been misinformation about this being spread all over.
03:03So I hope this clarifies it.
03:07If you want one state, and that would be the most restrictive state, and I suspect that might be California,
03:14to create a label that's different from the EPA requirement,
03:18and then that state, a company that sells pesticides all across the country,
03:25would eventually have to adopt whatever California did and not the EPA.
03:29So essentially, you're taking the EPA's requirements and saying, okay, states can do their own thing on this.
03:37Because they're not going to require a labeling that's different for all 50 states.
03:43That would be impractical.
03:45That's why there is a state preemption on this.
03:48That's all this does.
03:50It has been in this bill for the last three years.
03:52So I hope it clarifies it, and I would hope that we would support this en bloc amendment.
03:58And I yield back.
04:00Thank the gentleman.
04:01Gentle lady from Maine.
04:03Ms. Pengridge recognized to address the amendment.
04:05Thank you, Mr. Chair.
04:13I want to discuss a different provision in this unblock amendment,
04:18which I was surprised to find in this particular unblock amendment, which I will be opposing.
04:24So the Republicans snuck in, I think, something that's slightly divisive,
04:28which is renaming one section of the Kennedy Center after a family member of this administration.
04:35So let me just talk a little bit about what changes have taken place at the Kennedy Center.
04:41This has always been covered under this particular committee.
04:44They get an appropriation every year that covers many of the important improvements
04:49and capital expenses that need to happen there.
04:52But this year, there was quite a big change that occurred.
04:56You may have heard that President Trump decided to fire the president, the chairman,
05:01and all of the Biden board members,
05:03and installed other people who he chose would be, in his mind,
05:07better people to be on the board of the Kennedy Center.
05:09Now the board is entirely made up of appointees that come from the president,
05:14with no diversity between different presidents' appointments.
05:18And he made himself the chair.
05:20In the big reconciliation bill that we just did,
05:24the big ugly bill as we often refer to it,
05:26the Republicans gave President Trump a quarter of a million dollars,
05:31six times what is normally appropriated in our interior bill,
05:36to do the things that he's interested in doing at the Kennedy Center.
05:41Just remember, that is the same bill where we had to cut SNAP and Medicaid.
05:45We gave him over $250 million.
05:48The Kennedy Center is currently unauthorized.
05:51That authorization expired last year.
05:54So that means that any existing limitations at the Kennedy Center
05:57are currently not in effect.
06:00There is also no authorization with the appropriate policy committees
06:05to allow for a renaming of any portion of the Kennedy Center,
06:10either the one they've already chosen to put into this bill
06:12or any that may happen in the future.
06:15And other ideas that have been forwarded, such as a marina for yachts,
06:19one of the board members suggested,
06:21are currently, there are no ways to limit those particular options.
06:27So unlike what I think would have happened under other times,
06:31the Republicans have now given the president
06:33six times the normal amount of money to run the Kennedy Center,
06:37carte blanche over who will be on the board,
06:40and how different parts of the Kennedy Center,
06:42or perhaps the whole Kennedy Center itself, will be named.
06:45And this amendment confirms that.
06:47So I think it goes without saying that it is something that I totally oppose,
06:54and I believe that many of my colleagues would oppose it,
06:56and I think it's hard to justify when you go back into your district
06:59that we are giving them $256.7 million with very little oversight,
07:06no authorization, no authorization for changing the name,
07:10and a lot of authority over how that money will be spent.
07:13Later on in this bill, we will be talking about arts funding.
07:15We'll be talking about cuts to the NEA and NEH, cuts that were made back to your specific communities,
07:22to artists and schools and community arts projects.
07:26And my understanding now is that this administration would like to have control
07:31over what is arts and culture in our country, how funding will be spent,
07:35and as long as it's funding that they would like to spend, in this case on the Kennedy Center,
07:40it could be any amount, it could be greater than ever spent before,
07:44but if it's going back to our local communities as it is at the NEA and NEH,
07:48it will be cut.
07:49In fact, when we received this budget from them, NEA and NEH were completely zeroed out.
07:54So, for this reason and others, I oppose this on-block amendment,
07:58and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
08:02Yield back.
08:03Thank you, gentlelady.
08:05Or do other members seek recognition to speak to the on-block amendment?
08:11Gentleman from West Virginia is recognized.
08:14Sorry, I thought this was the, this isn't the managers, this is the on-block.
08:23Okay, apologize.
08:23This is the on-block.
08:24Apologize.
08:26Do any other members wish to address the on-block amendment?
08:35Seeing none, I recognize Chairman Simpson for one minute to close.
08:40I thank the chairman, and let me see if I got this straight.
08:44So, we're upset that we didn't fund the arts, but we're upset that we did fund the arts.
08:50So, I can't figure out which one it is, but I will tell you, yes,
08:54we renamed the Opera House at the Kennedy Center for the First Lady,
08:58who is the honorary chairman of the board of trustees of the Kennedy Center.
09:03This is an excellent way to recognize her support and commitment to promoting the arts,
09:08and I would encourage members to vote for this Republican on-block amendment, and I yield back.
09:14Thank the gentleman.
09:15The question's on the amendment from the gentleman from Wyoming.
09:19All those in favor, say Wyoming, excuse me.
09:22Close.
09:22Close.
09:23One of those big states.
09:24Yeah, Idaho.
09:25Idaho.
09:26I don't know what I was thinking.
09:27All those in favor, say aye.
09:30Aye.
09:31All those opposed, say no.
09:33No.
09:34In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.
09:37Roll call has been requested.
09:40Please, a show of hands.
09:41Sufficient number of hands having been raised.
09:44Clerk will call the roll.
09:44Mr. Adderholt.
09:48Mr. Aguilar.
09:51Mr. Alford.
09:52Aye.
09:52Mr. Alford, aye.
09:53Mr. Amaday.
09:56Mrs. Bice.
09:57Mrs. Bice, aye.
09:59Mr. Bishop.
10:01Mr. Bishop, no.
10:02Mr. Calvert.
10:05Mr. Carter.
10:06Mr. Carter, aye.
10:08Mr. Case.
10:09Mr. Case, no.
10:11Mr. Siskimani.
10:14Mr. Klein.
10:16Mr. Klein, aye.
10:17Mr. Cloud.
10:18Mr. Cloud, aye.
10:20Mr. Clyburn.
10:22Mr. Clyburn, no.
10:24Mr. Clyde.
10:25Aye.
10:25Mr. Clyde, aye.
10:27Mr. Cole.
10:28Aye.
10:29Mr. Cole, aye.
10:30Mr. Cuellar.
10:32Ms. Dean.
10:34Ms. Dean, no.
10:36Ms. DeLauro.
10:36No.
10:37Ms. DeLauro, no.
10:38Mr. Diaz-Belart.
10:39Aye.
10:40Mr. Diaz-Belart, aye.
10:41Mr. Edwards.
10:42Mr. Edwards, aye.
10:44Mr. Elzey.
10:45Mr. Elzey, aye.
10:47Ms. Escobar.
10:49Mr. Espayat.
10:51Mr. Espayat, no.
10:53Mr. Fleischman.
10:54Aye.
10:54Mr. Fleischman, aye.
10:56Ms. Frankel.
10:57Ms. Frankel, no.
10:59Mr. Franklin.
11:00Mr. Franklin, aye.
11:02Mr. Gonzalez.
11:05Mr. Guest.
11:06Mr. Guest, aye.
11:08Mr. Harder.
11:09Mr. Harder, no.
11:11Dr. Harris.
11:13Dr. Harris, aye.
11:15Mrs. Henson.
11:16Aye.
11:16Mrs. Henson, aye.
11:18Mr. Hoyer.
11:21Mr. Ivy.
11:24Mr. Joyce.
11:28Ms. Captor.
11:29No.
11:30Ms. Captor, no.
11:31Mr. Lelota.
11:35Ms. Lee.
11:37Ms. Lee, no.
11:39Ms. Letlow.
11:40Ms. Letlow, aye.
11:41Mr. Levin.
11:42Mr. Levin, no.
11:44Ms. Molloy.
11:45Ms. Molloy, aye.
11:47Ms. McCollum.
11:49Ms. McCollum, no.
11:51Ms. Ming.
11:52Ms. Ming, no.
11:53Mr. Molinar.
11:54Aye.
11:55Mr. Molinar, aye.
11:56Mr. Moore.
11:57Aye.
11:58Mr. Moore, aye.
11:59Mr. Morelli.
12:02Mr. Mervan.
12:06Mr. Newhouse.
12:07Mr. Newhouse, aye.
12:08Ms. Perez.
12:09Ms. Perez, aye.
12:11Ms. Pingree.
12:13No.
12:14Ms. Pingree, no.
12:15Mr. Pocan.
12:16No.
12:17Mr. Pocan, no.
12:18Mr. Quigley.
12:19Mr. Quigley, no.
12:21Mr. Reschenthaler.
12:22Mr. Rogers.
12:27Mr. Rogers, aye.
12:29Mr. Rutherford.
12:30Aye.
12:30Mr. Rutherford, aye.
12:32Mr. Simpson.
12:33Aye.
12:33Mr. Simpson, aye.
12:35Mr. Strong.
12:36Mr. Strong, aye.
12:37Mrs. Torres.
12:39No.
12:39Mrs. Torres, no.
12:40Ms. Underwood.
12:41No.
12:42Ms. Underwood, no.
12:43Mr. Valadao.
12:44Yes.
12:45Mr. Valadao, aye.
12:46Ms. Wasserman-Schultz.
12:48Ms. Wasserman-Schultz, no.
12:49Ms. Watson-Coleman.
12:51No.
12:51Mrs. Watson-Coleman, no.
12:53Mr. Womack.
12:54Mr. Womack, aye.
12:56Mr. Zinke.
12:56Aye.
12:57Mr. Zinke, aye.
13:00Are there any members wishing to vote or change their vote?
13:03Gentleman from Nevada.
13:06Mr. Amaday, aye.
13:09Gentleman from Alabama.
13:11Mr. Adderholt, aye.
13:13Gentleman from Texas.
13:16Mr. Gonzalez, aye.
13:18Gentleman from California.
13:19Mr. Calvert, aye.
13:21The other gentleman from California.
13:24Mr. Aguilar, no.
13:25Gentleman lady from Texas.
13:27Ms. Escobar, no.
13:29Gentleman from New York.
13:30How may I record this, Jim?
13:31I do not believe the gentleman is recording.
13:35Mr. Morelli, no.
13:36Gentleman from Maryland.
13:39Mr. Ivy, no.
13:40Gentleman, other gentleman from Maryland.
13:42No.
13:43Mr. Hoyer, no.
13:47Gentleman from Ohio.
13:48I do not believe the gentleman is recorded.
13:54Mr. Joyce, aye.
13:56Are there other members wishing to change or record their vote?
14:02Seeing none, the clerk will tally.
14:03In the meantime, I think this is probably well-known, but courtesy of Mr. Simpson, lunch is here.
14:17The Carmine's across the hall, so please come and go as you will.
14:22Are there going to be any potato?
14:24You'd have to address that.
14:25I'm up here with you.
14:27I've noticed nobody's brought either of us plates yet.
14:34On this vote, the ayes are 33, the noes are 25.
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