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I would like to thank Chairman Carr for being here today and for his leadership at the FCC. The Federal Communications Commission was created for the purpose of expanding access to radio, television, and other communication services to all Americans.
Methods of communication have changed a lot since the FCC was founded more than 90 years ago. Decades of technological advancements have made long-distance communications much more affordable. In 2023 the total number of wireless connections in the United States reached almost 558 million, or more than 1.6 connections per American. The FCC continues to play an important role in expanding access to new technologies and making communication services affordable for all Americans.
Good morning. I am very pleased to welcome our new Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, to the House Appropriations Committee. Today we will hear about the Department of Education’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2026. Secretary McMahon has wasted no time implementing President Trump’s bold agenda to restore education to the states and I want to commend her efforts to hit the ground running.
It is my pleasure to welcome Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Robyn Colosimo, and Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lieutenant General Butch Graham, to discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I am equally pleased to welcome Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Scott Cameron, to discuss the request for the Bureau of Reclamation and Central Utah Project.
We scheduled this hearing with the expectation that we would have the full budget request for these critical programs. I appreciate the challenge facing any new administration in submitting a timely budget request to Congress; however, we cannot do our work without those details. I hope we can expect that information soon, so we can begin the important work of funding our nation’s water resource development programs.
Good morning. I want to thank all of you for coming to today’s hearing to receive testimony from our colleagues. I look forward to hearing more about the projects, programs and issues in the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill that are important to your district and to communities across the country.
Your input is critical as we work to fund the agencies under this Subcommittee’s jurisdiction. I look forward to working with Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz and our Subcommittee colleagues to accommodate these priorities as best we can as the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process moves forward. Thank you again for taking time to speak with us today and bring these important issues in your community to our attention.
Ms. Wasserman Schultz, I yield to you for any opening remarks you’d like to make.
