Remarks

Thank you, Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Pingree. 

Administrator Zeldin, welcome back to the House. It is great to have you testify before this subcommittee on the Environmental Protection Agency’s goals for the upcoming fiscal year. 

As you well know, I am proud to represent the Kerr Environmental Research Center in Ada, Oklahoma. 

For over 50 years, the Kerr Lab – which leads the U.S. in research and advancements on groundwater, aquifer recharge, and agriculture soil health – has established itself to be a premier EPA research center.

The Committee will come to order. This morning I’d like to welcome the 17th Administrator of the EPA, Lee Zeldin. Administrator Zeldin, welcome back to the House. I’m sure it feels different to sit on the other side of the witness table. 

We are here to discuss the FY 2026 budget for the Environmental Protection Agency.  

Mr. Secretary, good morning. Thank you for joining us today.  Congratulations on your confirmation and your first appearance testifying before our subcommittee.

We value the opportunity to engage in an open and productive dialogue with you as we work together to strengthen the Department’s mission.

Thank you, Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum. 

Welcome to the three of you. Mr. Secretary, congratulations on your appointment. Admiral Kilby, General Smith—it’s an honor to have you before us today. I want to extend my gratitude to you for your commendable and continuing service to our country, and to the men and women in uniform. 

Mr. Secretary, congratulations on your appointment. We’ve already had several productive engagements, and I look forward to continuing to work with you. Admiral Kilby, General Smith, thank you for joining us today. We greatly appreciate your service. Today, we meet at a time of increasing global instability. The Navy and Marine Corps are under extraordinary operational demand, responding to threats across every domain.

Today, we welcome testimony from the Honorable Sean Duffy, Secretary of the Department of Transportation on the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. Thank you, Secretary Duffy, for appearing before us today. It’s great to see you. For those that don’t know, Sean and I were classmates together back in 2010, and I’d like to think we’d surprise ourselves in knowing we’d be in these seats 15 years later. 

I would like to thank both Judge Saint Eve and Judge Conrad for being here today and for their service to our nation. The two of you combined represent over 60 years of federal civil service, and we are grateful for your time. A special congratulations to you, Judge Conrad, on your recent retirement from District Court work in North Carolina.