Cole Remarks at Full Committee 119th Organizational Meeting (As Prepared)
The Committee will come to order.
Good morning and welcome to the first meeting of the Committee on Appropriations for the 119th Congress.
The business today is to consider the Committee rules and subcommittee jurisdictions.
Before we move to the business at hand, I want to welcome all of you. I hope you are all ready to roll up your sleeves. We have a lot of work ahead of us this Congress, but I am confident that we will accomplish it all.
Returning members will notice something different about the Committee hearing room. Behind me you will see that a new portrait graces our walls, that of our immediate past Chair, Kay Granger, who joins her close friend and predecessor Chairwoman Nita Lowey.
As we begin our agenda for the 119th Congress, we will have the example of these two women, both of whom defined what it means to be an appropriator, to watch over us, guide us, and above all, keep us on the right track.
Unfortunately, we begin this Congress with some tasks from the previous Congress left unfinished. Though the Committee reported out all Fiscal Year 2025 bills on time and passed five bills across the House floor, Congress has yet to reach an agreement on final, full year spending bills for Fiscal Year 2025. And before we proceed to Fiscal Year 2026, we have to finish 2025. But I am confident we will soon do so.
The Appropriations Committee prides itself on our longstanding commitment to orderly and respectful debate. We have a strong tradition of working together and seeking consensus where we can. I am committed to fulfilling that tradition as your Chair.
Looking forward, I am proud to say it is a new day in America. The American people have mandated strong governance—and we will deliver on that duty. We will continue to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, as we have historically been. We will continue to ensure that every taxpayer dollar has a job, and is used wisely and judiciously, where it can do the most good for our great nation.
And we will continue our practice of conducting robust, bipartisan oversight of the agencies and departments we fund. Indeed, it is my expectation that our subcommittees will quickly begin holding hearings to evaluate programs under their respective jurisdictions. We are here to work hard for the greatest nation in the world, and I expect us to take up those responsibilities as quickly as possible.
Of course, none of us can do this alone. I will need help and cooperation from each of you. And, I thank you in advance for that help.
In particular, let me recognize my good friend Mario Diaz-Balart, who will serve this Committee as our Vice Chair.
Each of you knows Mario – honestly, who doesn’t know Mario – and you all know him to be one of the true leaders of this Committee. A dynamic communicator, a strong voice on policy, and a person who guides us all with his example, Mario is truly an appropriator’s appropriator. I can think of no better person to serve as our Vice Chair.
I also want to recognize our representatives to the Budget Committee.
- Representative Ben Cline,
- Representative Andrew Clyde, and
- Representative Chuck Edwards.
Your service as representatives of the Committee will be more important this year than ever.
Although the Appropriations Committee itself is not directly involved, republicans have ambitious plans to use the reconciliation process to advance our policy and budgetary goals. Passage of a budget resolution is a first necessary step to accomplishing this goal.
And so, I wish each of you luck, and thank you sincerely for your service. Your work this Congress will be an essential part of our collective success.
Let me now take a moment to recognize our Ranking Member, my good friend representative Rosa DeLauro.
Rosa and I have worked closely together for over a decade now. Though we may be on opposite sides of the aisle, she has been a steadfast partner in the work of the Labor-HHS subcommittee, where we first served as each other’s counterparts, and now on the full Committee. I am honored to have her as our Ranking Member, and am even more honored to call her both a partner and a dear friend.
I also want to congratulate all of our colleagues – both those returning to the Committee and some fresh faces, including five new republicans.
I know Ranking Member DeLauro will introduce a few members on her side, but I will take a brief opportunity to recognize the new republicans:
As I read your name, please stand and be recognized.
- Mark Alford of Missouri.
- Nick LaLota of New York.
- Dale Strong of Alabama.
- Celeste Maloy of Utah.
- And Riley Moore of West Virginia.
I am confident that our new members will provide valuable insight to our Committee.
And finally, let me introduce some key members of my staff who will be a resource to us all this Congress:
- Susan Ross, Clerk and Staff Director;
- Adam Sullivan, our Deputy Staff Director and Defense clerk;
- Kathryn Salmon, our Deputy Staff Director and Labor-HHS clerk,
- Josh Grogis, Senior Advisor to the Chairman,
- Marcus Towns, our Director of Member Services,
- Matt Diller, our General Counsel and Parliamentarian, and
- Alexia Sikora, our Chief of Communications.
They are here to help us get the job done, and I encourage all members to reach out to them with your questions and concerns.
I would now like to recognize Ranking Member DeLauro for her opening remarks.
