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"We have before us today the Chairman's mark of the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bill and report for Agriculture, Rural Development, the Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. Members and staffs have had 24 hours to review the bill language. Staff has had an opportunity to review the report.
"Our discretionary 302(b) allocation in budget authority is $17.25 billion, and we are exactly at that level. This is a tough allocation and it represents funding cuts across the entire bill.
"We can all agree that our nation's service-members and veterans deserve the utmost quality of care and respect for their service and sacrifice, and it's a pleasure to be able to support them.
"This bill funds the most pressing needs of our nation's service-members and their families, as well as our veterans, while also acknowledging the need to rein in federal spending in a time of historic and dangerous deficits.
"It's been a pleasure to work with my Ranking Member, Mr. Bishop, in this inaugural year of my Chairmanship. He has been by my side through every hearing we have had this year, providing thoughtful insights. His prior experience with the agencies has been most helpful.
"The bill before you was posted yesterday morning, and you and your staffs have had an opportunity to review it. In addition, the Subcommittee staff briefed all of your staff yesterday.
"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.
"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.
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.
The House Appropriations Committee today released the subcommittee draft of the fiscal year 2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill, which will be marked up in the Agriculture Subcommittee tomorrow. The legislation continues the trend of major spending reductions sought by the Republican majority, totaling $17.2 billion in discretionary funding – a cut of over $2.6 billion from last year's level or over $5 billion below the President's budget request for these programs.
House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers made the following statement at today's Subcommittee mark up of the Fiscal Year 2012 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Appropriations Act:
"I would like to thank the Chairman, Mr. Culberson, for his remarks. I'm very pleased to be in attendance at the first subcommittee markup of the fiscal year 2012 appropriations cycle.
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Chairman John Culberson made the following remarks at today's Subcommittee mark up of the Fiscal Year 2012 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Appropriations Act:
"I want to welcome everyone to the markup of the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bill for Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies.
