Simpson Remarks at FY25 Budget Request For The Department of the Interior (As Prepared)

The committee will come to order.

Good morning and welcome Secretary Haaland. Thank you for joining us today to discuss the President’s FY25 budget request for the Department of the Interior.

Nearly two-thirds of the state of Idaho consists of federal land, which means that land management decisions made by federal agencies like yours have a profound and direct impact on our state’s economy and Idahoans who live, work, and recreate on or near federal lands. Indeed, most Idahoans interact with the Department and its’ bureaus daily.

The Department and this subcommittee also have the important responsibility of fulfilling our treaty and trust obligations to Tribes.

Addressing the greatest Tribal needs including education, law enforcement, and Tribal land management issues continue to be top priorities of this subcommittee, under both Republican and Democratic chairs, and I’m sure newly elected Chairman Cole shares this sentiment. I appreciate your active involvement working with us, and our American Indian and Alaska Native brothers and sisters, to address these issues in FY25.

In terms of discretionary resources, the President’s request for FY25 asks for over $16 billion for the Department of the Interior, an increase of $1.6 billion, or 11 percent, above the FY24 enacted level.

Notably, the budget proposes shifting more than $830 million from base discretionary to emergency funding for wildfire activities.

As I said yesterday to the Chief of the Forest Service, I have serious concerns about repeating this budgetary gimmick that was just rectified by Congress in the FY24 bill.

So, while I may not agree with all the priorities in this budget proposal or the recent rulemakings put out by the Department, I appreciate that we can have a productive conversation about the land management issues we are facing and the tools you need to manage our lands effectively and efficiently.

My colleagues and I hope to cover a lot of ground with you today. Now I’d like to yield to Ranking Member Pingree for her opening statement.