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"As President Eisenhower famously said, our country is entitled to both safety AND solvency. ‘We need an adequate defense, but every arms dollar we spend above adequacy has a long-term weakening effect upon the nation and its security,' he said. In that vein, this bill maintains the crucial measures that keep our citizens safe while also protecting them from the very real dangers of uncontrolled debt.
"I want to welcome everyone to the first meeting of the full Committee for the 2012 Appropriations process. We started this year in uncharted territory with none of the 2011 appropriations bills passed into law, and in fact most of the bills not having made it past Subcommittee. That led to a very difficult 4 months and a seemingly endless CR process for 2011.
"Now that that process is finally over, I'm sure you all share my relief that we have moved on to our very important work funding the government for the next fiscal year –in regular order. I can't stress enough how important it is to our economic recovery that Americans feel secure that the government is moving to put our fiscal house in order, while making hard decisions that can and will protect and fund the crucial programs and services on which they rely.
"It is my honor to present to the Committee the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security.
"This bill before us today, perhaps more than any other bill, exemplifies the difficult choices that need to be made in order to address our Nation's fiscal crisis.
"This bill demonstrates how we can fully fund vital security programs while also reducing spending overall. Furthermore, this bill does not represent a false choice between fiscal responsibility and security – both are national security priorities, and both are vigorously addressed in this bill.
"I am under no illusion that everyone here today will agree with the spending reductions included in this bill; but now, more than ever, our government needs fiscal discipline, and this bill takes necessary steps toward that goal.
In the first full Committee mark-up of the year, the House Appropriations Committee approved two annual funding bills – the Homeland Security Appropriations bill and the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill – both of which will now move to the House floor for consideration.
Both bills reflect the need to make wise investments with precious taxpayer dollars, while providing funding for critical and necessary programs, House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers said.
