Remarks
April 17, 2026
Thank you, Chairman Carter, and thank you to Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz, Ranking Member DeLauro, and all members of the subcommittee. Today, we begin consideration of the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill – our first step in advancing another year of responsible, results-driven appropriations.
April 17, 2026
Welcome to the subcommittee markup of the fiscal year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. Welcome Chairman Cole, Ranking Member DeLauro, and Ranking Member Wasserman-Schultz.
April 16, 2026
Good afternoon, everyone. It’s an honor to welcome the 21st Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Tom Schultz. Chief Schultz, you bring a wealth of experience to your role as Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, including a number of years as Idaho Director of Lands. As Idahoans, we have both seen firsthand how catastrophic wildfire can devastate our landscapes, communities, people, and the habitats of the animals that thrive in our forests.
April 16, 2026
Good afternoon. I want to welcome again to our subcommittee the Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Mr. Secretary, we are pleased to have you with us here today.
April 16, 2026
I would like to welcome everyone to this morning’s hearing and the Committee’s first budget hearing of the Fiscal Year 2027 cycle. Thank you to our Subcommittee members and to Ambassador Greer for being here today. USTR’s FY2027 budget request totals 95 million dollars, an increase of 8 percent from the Fiscal Year 2026 enacted level.
April 16, 2026
Good morning. I want to thank you all for being here today for this hearing to review the budget and programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We are pleased to be joined by the Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins. Welcome, Madam Secretary.
April 16, 2026
Thank you, Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum. This hearing could not come at a more consequential time. The global security landscape has only continued to grow more complex and volatile. Among those challenges before us are ongoing operations in the Central Command theater, and a pacing threat in the Indo-Pacific that does not pause while our focus may be elsewhere.
April 16, 2026
It is my pleasure to welcome Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle and Chief of Engineers Lieutenant General Butch Graham to discuss the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I am equally pleased to welcome Assistant Secretary for Water Science at the Department of the Interior Andrea Travnicek to discuss the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for the Bureau of Reclamation and Central Utah Project. General Graham, it is great to see you again in front of the Energy and Water Subcommittee. Assistant Secretary Telle and Assistant Secretary Travnicek, it is a pleasure to have you here before us for the first time. I look forward to working with you to advance our nation’s water resources for the benefit of all Americans.
April 16, 2026
Today, the Subcommittee will receive testimony on the posture of the United States Army. First, I would like to welcome our two witnesses: Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, and General Christopher LaNeve, the Acting Chief of Staff and Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.
April 15, 2026
I would like to welcome Secretary Chris Wright to the Energy and Water Subcommittee this morning. Secretary Wright, thank you for joining us today to discuss the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request for the Department of Energy. I would like to take a moment to express my deep appreciation for your continued partnership over the last 14 months. Your commitment to maintaining strong lines of communication has been invaluable, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with you as we develop the Fiscal Year 2027 bill. Mr. Secretary, the Department has continued at an aggressive pace under the Trump Administration, and the past year has demonstrated the Department’s clear commitment to furthering American energy abundance. In the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, the Administration continues to prioritize expanding domestic energy production, strengthening technological leadership, and enhancing national security—work that is essential to maintaining America’s competitiveness.
