Cole Remarks at Budget Hearing on Department of Interior

Thank you, Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Pingree, for holding this hearing.  Secretary Burgum, welcome, and thank you for testifying before the subcommittee on the Administration’s budget proposal for the Department of the Interior for Fiscal Year 2027. 

Over the past year, this White House has worked with urgency to remake the federal bureaucracy and rebalance America’s natural resource policies. Cutting red tape fuels opportunity and enhances our competitiveness. I believe in our ability to innovate and work together to achieve shared conservation goals while preserving the economic vitality of our communities. When we make the right, strategic federal investments, and govern effectively, those resources pay dividends in the form of stable economic growth and the creation of good-paying jobs.

To that end, I appreciate Secretary Burgum’s efforts to implement strategic reforms at the Department of the Interior. I look forward to hearing about what you have been able to accomplish and about your vision for the future of the agency as we begin the FY27 appropriations process—informed by your experiences in your first year as Secretary.

You are doing important work. The Department manages our beloved national parks and conserves our public lands to keep them healthy and productive for future generations. The agency plays a critical role in upholding the government’s Tribal trust and treaty responsibilities—work that is of the utmost importance to me personally. It is imperative that these programs are supported by budget requests that reflect their importance and impact on communities. 

 Our trust and treaty obligations are national commitments to be honored. Tribes already do their best with limited resources, and further reductions in funding for services and self-governance have real and serious consequences in Indian Country. That is why it is paramount that thorough and proper tribal consultations are conducted when changes to programs are proposed that would impact delivery of services.

I look forward to hearing more about agency plans to support these programs and improve efficiencies and upholding these sacred responsibilities. Thank you for being here today, Secretary Burgum. We will continue to work with you collaboratively on executing your agency’s mission and ensuring constituent needs are met. With that, I yield back.