FY27 Marches Forward: Oversight in Action
Washington, D.C. – ICYMI: Appropriators continue the work of responsible governance, with hearings on FY27 funding well underway. Subcommittees have been working diligently to build on the FY26 enacted bills while laying the groundwork for the upcoming fiscal year.
Oversight is a core responsibility of the Appropriations Committee. During proceedings, federal agencies must answer for how taxpayer dollars are spent, and inspectors general provide independent audits and findings on the use of funds. This process strengthens accountability and promotes transparency across government.
Appropriators on the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee and the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee held oversight hearings on Capitol Hill recently, engaging directly with government officials and exchanging questions and testimony to examine how agencies are implementing congressional directives and upholding America First priorities.
The Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, chaired by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), hosted Mr. Luke Lindberg, the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Mr. Lindberg testified on the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and their work to promote U.S. agricultural trade, open new markets for American commodities, and address the agricultural trade deficit with expanded export financing and new trade promotion programs.
Chairman Harris said, "With nearly 100 overseas offices covering more than 180 countries, the Foreign Agricultural Service acts as the voice for American agriculture on the world stage. You provide on-the-ground support to U.S. agricultural interests, identify and open new markets for American products, help negotiate trade deals, analyze market conditions, cut through red tape to reduce barriers to exports, and navigate international standards on behalf of our farmers. In a time when our nation’s producers are still suffering from the disastrous policies of the last administration, facing record-high input costs and unprecedented pressures from labor shortages, severe weather, pests, and disease, what you do is more important than ever. Your agency’s work is a critical – and often overlooked – piece of the farm economy."
Read Chairman Harris' full opening remarks here.
The Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, chaired by Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR), hosted Mr. Mitch Behm, the Deputy Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and Mr. Brian Harrison, the Acting Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Mr. Behm testified on DOT's top management challenges for FY26, namely improving transportation safety, preventing waste, fraud, and abuse in major funding, and advancing modernization and innovation.
With massive infrastructure projects and investments underway, the risk of fraud is significant, requiring DOT to be more vigilant and invest in better grant and contract monitoring, as well as increase fraud investigations to protect taxpayer dollars.
Mr. Harrison testified on his team's oversight of critical HUD programs that provide affordable housing, rental assistance, grants, and mortgage insurance to millions of Americans. HUD's top challenges for FY26 included combatting fraud and improper payments, improving grants management, updating outdated IT systems, and ensuring housing quality and safety for Americans.
Modernization provides a severe challenge at HUD, as outdated systems hinder oversight and make it easier for improper payments to slip through the cracks.
Chairman Womack said, "One of our fundamental roles as members of the Appropriations Committee is to make sure that the departments and agencies we support perform their mission for the benefit of the American public. We rely on your offices to assist us in that effort. When you find instances of waste, fraud, and abuse at your agencies, it helps us better refine our appropriations. When you find programs operating successfully, it gives us confidence in continuing our funding for such activities."
Read Chairman Womack's full remarks here.
Oversight continues to be an essential step in the appropriations process. These oversight hearings allow members the chance to question officials from the federal agencies under their subcommittee juridictions and provide true accountability to their constituents on how the government is spending the money appropriated.
As we move forward on the FY27 process, these hearings will continue providing essential data to inform our funding decisions.
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