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Today we will discuss the Department of Homeland Security's Chemical Security Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program. To help us better understand the difficulties that this program has experienced, we welcome NPPD Deputy Under Secretary Suzanne Spaulding and Mr. Steven Caldwell from the Government Accountability Office.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 5856, the Fiscal Year 2013 Defense Appropriations Bill.

This essential bill provides more than $519 billion dollars in critical resources for a strong national defense, supporting our warfighters and protecting the American people. This is an increase of $1.1 billion over last year and more than $3 billion more than the President's request. This is also more than $8 billion over what the Senate Democrats would like to provide.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman for yielding. We have before us the bill to fund the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies for Fiscal Year 2013. The members of the Subcommittee and staff have worked diligently to put forward a good bill that balances the realities of our dire fiscal situation with the need to protect our most vulnerable citizens in the face of these continued economic woes.

Good morning, welcome to the Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee for consideration of legislation making appropriations for fiscal year 2013.

This legislation appropriates $150 billion in discretionary funds, which is a little more than $6 billion less, or 4% below, fiscal year 2012 levels.