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Thank you, Chairman Diaz-Balart, and thank you to Ranking Member Frankel, Ranking Member DeLauro, and to all our committee members. 

Today’s Fiscal Year 2026 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs appropriations bill marks a critical step toward advancing a sharpened approach to U.S. foreign policy. We ensure that Americans are safer at home and abroad without compromising fiscal responsibility. And we make clear that we will not retreat from the cause of freedom. 

I am pleased to present the Fiscal Year 2026 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs appropriations bill to the full committee for consideration and approval.  Let me thank Chairman Cole for his essential leadership at the helm of the Appropriations Committee and for his wisdom in refocusing this subcommittee, starting by changing the name, to better reflect that the investments made on behalf of the American people are to advance U.S. national security. 

I also want to thank Ranking Member Frankel and Ranking Member DeLauro, and all the members of the subcommittee for your partnership in developing this bill. 

I’d like to start by thanking Chairman Simpson for all his work on this bill. I’d also like to thank Ranking Member DeLauro and Ranking Member Pingree, for their continued partnership.

The bill before us today honors both our commitment to preserve America’s natural heritage and our duty to ensure a strong, sustainable, and fiscally responsible future. 

This bill supports President Trump’s agenda to unleash American energy and cut red tape. We include provisions that reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, protect American jobs, and lower energy costs. With a focus on U.S. energy dominance, we strengthen our national security by expanding access to critical minerals. 

Thank you, Chairman Cole.  I am pleased to present the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. 

Today’s bill has a wide reach, from our national parks to the water in our pipes. It funds fighting wildfires out West and furthers our commitment to our Tribal nations. 

The bill before us today targets resources to reduce energy costs, protect American jobs, and preserve access to our public lands for recreation, hunting, and development of our natural resources.

I recognize that we cannot tackle the nation’s entire debt through the Appropriations Committee given discretionary spending only amounts to roughly 26 percent of U.S. expenditures. The national debt, however, has reached an excess of $36 trillion. The level of funding in this bill takes a necessary step toward fiscal responsibility.

Thank you, Chairman Joyce. And thank you to Ranking Member Hoyer, Ranking Member of the Full Committee DeLauro, and all the members of the subcommittee.

Today we continue our work on the FY 2026 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill.

This legislation provides important resources for agencies and offices that impact every American, our economy, and the branches of the United States government. From the Executive Office of the President to the Federal Judiciary, the impact touches everything from national security to the rule of law.

Taxpayers demand legislation that responsibly addresses critical needs while systematically eliminating waste. This measure exemplifies that approach and further demonstrates steady and consistent progress in cutting federal spending. 

I would like to thank Chairman Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro for being here today. And of course, I would like to thank Ranking Member Hoyer. I value his insights on and off this Subcommittee.

I’m proud of the product we are marking up today.  This bill reflects the hard work of the Subcommittee over the last several months. 

Counting our Member day back in early March, we’ve held nine hearings, on top of the additional briefings to inform our work.

As you all know, the Financial Services and General Government, or FSGG, bill covers a broad swath of the federal government – including the Department of the Treasury, the Executive Office of the President, the Federal Judiciary, and more than 20 independent Commissions, Departments, and Agencies.