Media

Today, the Subcommittee will mark up the fiscal year 2013 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

The fiscal situation facing the Nation requires significant and difficult spending reductions. The need for reductions was reflected in the Budget Resolution that passed the House, and in the allocation we have been given pending adoption by the Full Committee.

I thank the Chairman for yielding, and I congratulate him on completing the FY13 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriation Bill. Mr. Wolf, Mr. Fattah and staff on both sides have worked tirelessly to bring this important legislation before the subcommittee today.

I'd like to call the subcommittee to order.

Before we get started, I would like to thank Mr. Visclosky and all members for their participation in putting this bill together and their participation in many oversight hearings.

The bill for fiscal year 2013 totals $32.1 billion, $965 million below the request and $88 million above 2012.

This last figure – the above 2012 part – is a little misleading. There were many rescissions that we took in 2012 that we can't take this year. Setting those aside, the bill is actually $623 million below last year.