Remarks

Today’s rule makes in order a series of three critical security supplemental bills, Mr. Speaker, paired with a fourth bill covering other high-priority national security matters. Collectively, these bills represent the commitment to move critical and much-needed security assistance funding for America’s friends and partners.

Madam Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 8035, the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, as well as the other two national security supplemental bills and a fourth bill that is full of strong conservative policy priorities.

As we stand here today, a strategic-military troika of evil sits over the horizon marching toward the destruction of the values that we and our democratic allies hold so dear.

We can either turn our heads away and hope to appease this great evil or we can stand by our allies and confront this nefarious scourge.

History has taught us that appeasement does not work.

I rise today to offer H.R. 8036, the Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024. The bill provides eight point twelve billion dollars in emergency supplemental appropriations to continue efforts to counter communist China and ensure a strong deterrence in the region.

When I cycled off the Rules Committee last week, I knew I’d be back in this room and at this witness table at some point. I did not anticipate it would be this soon! But, as we have all seen, events move at their own speed in the House of Representatives.

I want to thank everyone for joining us today as we review the Food and Drug Administration’s fiscal year 2025 budget request. Our witness is the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Robert Califf.

It is a great pleasure to be here today with Dr. Ravi Chaudhary, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment; Brigadier General Brian Hartless, Air Force Director of Civil Engineers, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection; and Mr. Bruce Hollywood, Assistant Chief Operations Officer, United States Space Force.

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.

Good morning to our witnesses. Thank you for being here with us today.

Iran’s missile and drone attacks on Israel, and the persistent and aggressive actions of China and Russia, are reminders that we need a strong military to deter war, protect U.S. interests, and when necessary, win in conflict.

We are witnessing an evolution in warfighting through the proliferation of technology. Small, cheap, and autonomous systems provide regional actors with the ability to threaten their neighbors and endanger the global order.

With that backdrop, the Department’s fiscal year 2025 request makes tough choices to stay under the Fiscal Responsibility Act caps. It trades long-term modernization of capabilities to preserve near-term readiness of the force.