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I want to begin by thanking the Chairwoman of the Full Committee, Ms. Granger, for her leadership and her tireless efforts to bring these Appropriations bills to the floor.
I also want to thank the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, my good friend Mr. Cuellar, who has worked with us in good faith on the bill, despite some disagreements on policy.
And lastly, I have enjoyed my time sitting next to the Ranking Member of the Full Committee, the Gentlelady from Connecticut, not once, but twice in the last few days.
Madam Chairwoman, I am proud to speak on the Fiscal Year 2024 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill for floor consideration today.
If you've read the bill, you know it is very straightforward.
If you are a friend or an ally of the United States, this bill supports you.
If you are an adversary or are cozying up to our adversaries, then frankly, you will not like this bill.
I am extremely proud of this bill, which was carefully and thoughtfully developed over many months.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I rise today to bring before the House H.R. 4368, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bill.
The Defense Subcommittee has held hearings, classified briefings, and had many engagements with senior defense officials to shape our recommendation for the Fiscal Year 2024 Defense Appropriations bill.
To maintain our strong national defense, this bill provides $826.45 billion for the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community. This is $286 million above the President's request and $27.8 billion above the Fiscal Year 2023 enacted level.
Today's hearing is on the VA's Electronic Health Record Modernization program. I'd like to welcome our witnesses: Dr. Neil Evans and Dr. Jonathan Nebeker, who are leading the program for VA, and Mr. Mike Sicilia with Oracle Global Industries.
A modern, interoperable electronic health record system that fully integrates VA, Defense Department, and community providers is a fundamental part of fulfilling our promise to provide world-class health care to our country's Veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4366, a bill that will provide funding for military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
During the last Congress, three trillion dollars was spent outside of the normal appropriations process. As spending soared, so did inflation.
There was damage done to the economy, and the work of the Appropriations Committee changed significantly over those two years.
That is why earlier this year, I asked Subcommittee Chairs to evaluate all of the funding in the pipeline.
I'm honored to present the FY24 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill to the House today.
This bill is special because it supports our troops and their families, and the Nation's veterans.
The bill provides $17.5 billion for military construction and family housing projects. This is less than the FY23 enacted amount. However, it is nearly $800 million above the President's request.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. McGovern, and members of the Committee. I want to thank each of you for the opportunity to testify on the FY24 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill.
This is a good bill because it supports our troops and their families and the Nation's veterans.
We provide almost $800 million above the budget request for military construction and family housing.
We focus this funding to deter China's aggression in the Pacific and on barracks and child development centers.
