Aderholt Remarks at FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Subcommittee Markup
The subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will now come to order.
Welcome to the subcommittee markup of the fiscal year 2025 labor, health and human services, education, and related agencies appropriations bill. I want to welcome Chairman Cole back to our subcommittee and recognize Ranking Member DeLauro.
Our nation remains mired in persistently high inflation. The inflation, largely driven by excessive post‑pandemic spending and partisan reconciliation bills, has resulted in the largest spike in interest owed on the national debt in over 20 years.
We must stop the out‑of‑control spending spree and take a critical view of some of these “nice to have” programs, including those contained in this bill.
The bill before us represents a clear first step toward returning to fiscal responsibility, while ensuring that funding for critical and high-priority functions are maintained.
The bill before us today reflects the challenges in achieving deficit reduction solely through reductions in discretionary spending. We cannot get our fiscal house in order solely through this Committee, but the Appropriations Committee is certainly part of the solution.
Over forty programs are proposed for reductions and another fifty programs are eliminated - most of which have expired authorizations or lack specific authorizations.
At the same time, this bill prioritizes biodefense, programs that support rural America, targeted education programs including those for children with special needs, and Congressional oversight responsibilities. The bill maintains support for Pell Grants and increases investments in early childhood education.
In response to the executive branch overreach of the current Administration, this bill prohibits funding for programs focused solely on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and it eliminates funding for Planned Parenthood and other controversial grantees.
It also protects religious freedom and values by stopping this Administration’s regulation that would require schools to allow biological boys to compete against girls in women’s sports programs.
It prohibits any federal funding from going toward enforcing gender identity politics or social, hormonal, and surgical interventions to look like the opposite sex.
The bill maintains the longstanding Hyde amendment to ensure that taxpayer funds are not used for abortion-on-demand, and that no one is forced to participate in an abortion or refer for one under federal programs.
The bill also makes sure that taxpayer dollars are not used to circumvent state laws which restrict access to abortion, and ensures that federal research funds are not used on human fetal tissue obtained from an elective abortion.
The bill also includes provisions preventing the Administration from moving forward with job-killing regulations relating to independent contractors, joint employer status, and federally forced wage rates for agricultural workers.
To protect against future man-made pandemics, the bill prohibits any funding from going to Ecohealth Alliance, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, or any lab located in Russia or China. The bill also prohibits funding from being used for any “gain-of-function” research.
In closing, of course, in addition to thanking Chairman Cole, I also want to thank the Committee staff on both sides of the aisle, as well as my fellow subcommittee members and their staff for their hard work and input in crafting this bill.
I know there will be many disagreements in this room, both on spending proposals and policy matters, and I look forward to our continued discussion on these issues in full committee.
I now recognize Ranking Member DeLauro for her opening remarks.
