Diaz Balart Remarks at Budget Hearing on the Department of State

Secretary Rubio, it is an honor and privilege to have you with us today to provide testimony on the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the Department of State and related programs. Before we get started, I want to recognize the Subcommittee’s new Members.  We’ve got a tremendous group -- each Member has something unique to contribute and I’m grateful to have them on this panel.

I want to welcome our new subcommittee Ranking Member, my dear friend, Lois Frankel.  Lois, the Secretary, and I go way back to our time serving together in the Florida Legislature.  While we don’t agree on everything, I cannot think of a better partner in leading this subcommittee. I would also like to welcome the new members of the subcommittee.  From the Majority, Julia Letlow, who is returning to the Subcommittee; John Moolenaar, Chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party; and Mark Alford, who brings important experience from the Armed Services Committee among other things. From the Minority, my good friend Mike Quigley has joined the Subcommittee. I’d like to take a moment to recognize our subcommittee Vice Chairman, Chuck Edwards.  Chuck has been a tremendous Vice Chair and I look forward to continuing to work together. 

Finally, I need to acknowledge our tremendous leader, Full Committee Chairman Tom Cole and his counterpart Ranking Member DeLauro. Chairman Cole did an important thing for this Subcommittee at the start of the Congress and changed its name to better reflect the investments being made on behalf of the American people are intended to advance U.S. national security.  I’m committed to ensuring the FY26 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations bill does just that. 

Let me once again welcome Secretary Rubio. I firmly believe there is no one better who could serve as our Secretary of State at this critical time. Your steadfast leadership, devotion to country and to freedom, and your focus on national security are exactly why you have my full confidence in advancing President Trump’s foreign policy. 

In just four months, the President, with your assistance, has achieved remarkable victories for the American people and our national security.  Just to name a few--  

Taking back the Panama Canal from China’s influence; Freeing 47 Americans detained abroad; Designating the Houthis, cartels, and dangerous criminal gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations; Obtaining the Bahamas’ pledge to directly pay Cuban doctors, ending the practice of human trafficking; and  Compelling Colombia to accept deported migrants. All while carrying out several other official duties. It’s been tremendous to watch. Congratulations to you and the President. Now, turning to the matter at hand.  Mr. Secretary, the spending proposed in the fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Department of State represents a cut of about 48 percent.  It’s also largely offset by rescissions from prior year balances.  I intend to provide the same scrutiny to this budget request as I have to those in the past.  As you know, there are some large gaps in the information we have at this time so I hope we receive the details backing up the request as quickly as possible. 

Since I became Chairman of this Subcommittee over two years ago, I have overseen, and supported, a notable reduction in funding for the international affairs budget.  The last two House bills cut funding in the double digits and the FY24 bill enacted into law saw the largest cut of all 12 appropriations bills at 6 percent.  The FY25 CR made a few additional reductions. 

There was a reason I pressed for those cuts.  The Biden Administration was pushing an extreme agenda across the State Department and USAID.  I repeatedly warned, publicly and privately, that promoting controversial programs abroad would not only weaken American support for foreign aid, but more importantly harm U.S. interests and even endanger national security. In last year’s budget hearing for USAID, I told Administrator Power that funding and promoting polarizing and politically charged programs will mean additional cuts to the Subcommittee’s topline, because it is indefensible. 

So, I completely understand and support your efforts, Mr. Secretary, to carry out a review and defund woke programs and misguided activities. I have a number of inquiries remaining about the review process and status of awards, as do many of the Subcommittee Members, so I know I can count on you to work with us on next steps. Now, it’s time to work together on the FY26 budget to determine the appropriate funding levels going forward for the people and programs needed to advance our national security. 

From ensuring our key allies and partners around the world have the military assistance required to defend themselves, to preventing deadly infectious diseases from reaching our shores, to investments that lay the groundwork for American businesses abroad, to supporting those suffering under tyranny by standing in solidarity against oppressive – and often dangerously anti-American – dictatorships.  That is American leadership – something President Trump has shown and that has been sorely lacking for the last four years.

In the meantime, it is critically important we work together to ensure you have a domestic and overseas workforce with the size and capabilities necessary to manage and oversee the programs that were funded in FY25 and that are forthcoming in FY26, especially as you continue to take on certain responsibilities previously carried out by USAID.  Even as we better align our foreign assistance with strategic priorities, oversight remains essential and requires the right amount of people with the right skillsets. I look forward to working with you on this in the weeks and months ahead as you further develop your plan for reorganization. 

Mr. Secretary, the president’s foreign policy is clear and showing results for the American people, and your capacity to advance it is unmatched. I look forward to working with you to ensure you have the resources and tools to be successful in advancing President Trump’s American first foreign policy.  I’ll now turn to the Ranking Member for her opening remarks.