Remarks

Welcome to our distinguished panel. I sincerely thank you for being here – especially on such short notice. I’m going to do something completely out of character for me – I’m going to start with a brief opening statement. The focus of this hearing is fairly straightforward. Absent the passage of a Continuing Resolution in the coming days, the Department of Homeland Security will shut down. We have already passed the time when bill text should have been shared with Members, in accordance with the 72-hour rule. The short story is that finalizing a bill at this point before Friday is impossible. A shutdown is a distinct possibility. But not all components will equally share the pain during a shut down.

Good morning.  It is my pleasure to convene our first hearing of the year on the critical issue of childhood literacy. As we all know, developing strong reading skills at an early age is a foundational building block for lifelong success. When students master basic reading skills by the fourth grade, they make the important transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” That is why these early years are so crucial, and why we owe it to our children to provide them with proven, effective instruction in reading.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time that I consume. The House has done a tremendous job these last few months as we’ve finalized true bipartisan, bicameral bills to fully fund our government in a member-driven, district-focused way. Six of those bills have been signed into law by President Trump, fully funding those departments and agencies through the end of the fiscal year. While the remaining six bills have all passed the House, we are dealing with a partial government shutdown that could have and should have been avoided.

I want to welcome everyone to this oversight hearing with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General. As we prepare for the fiscal year 2027 process, it’s essential that we hear from the Office of the Inspector General to understand OIG’s priorities for the coming year, and how this Subcommittee’s oversight role can support those efforts.

Chairwoman Foxx, Ranking Member McGovern, members of the Rules Committee, I appreciate the opportunity to testify today. While the moment certainly feels familiar, the issues before us remain critically important. Let me start with a simple reminder: legislating is challenging by design. The path here may have been different than expected, but our responsibility is the same – to fund the government and keep it working for the nation. Members are already acquainted with the legislation at hand. The underlying package was assembled and passed by the House two weeks ago and represents the final six FY26 appropriations measures. It has now been sent back with a Senate amendment that fully funds five divisions for the year and places the remaining division – the Department of Homeland Security – under a two-week continuing resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 7147, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. This bill marks the final measure in our FY26 agenda. Our work here is about one of our most important duties: keeping the American people and our homeland safe.

Thank you. Chairman Cole – we cannot thank you enough for your steadfast leadership and clear-eyed purpose to return us back to regular order, culminating today in the passage of the four final appropriations bills. I rise today in strong support of my bill, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026. This legislation was a true bipartisan effort by all four corners of Defense Appropriations. I would like to thank the Ranking Member and my friend, Betty McCollum for her partnership on this legislation. I would also like to thank the entire Defense Appropriations Subcommittee staff for their tireless work and thoughtful recommendations throughout the process.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the consolidated appropriations package before the House today. With this legislation, we are a step closer to completing full-year appropriations that right-size our priorities with updated funding levels. As Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee, I’d like to highlight the THUD division of this package. But, before I do, I’d like to thank Subcommittee Ranking Member Jim Clyburn for his partnership. The THUD division is a deliberate shift away from bloated bureaucracy and unfocused spending, and back toward the core responsibilities of the federal government.