Remarks
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.
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.
The Defense Subcommittee will come to order.
Today, the Subcommittee will receive testimony from: Lloyd Austin, the Secretary of Defense; General C.Q. Brown, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Mike McCord, the Undersecretary of Defense for Comptroller.
The Department of Defense is requesting $833 billion within this Subcommittee’s jurisdiction for fiscal year 2025. This is one percent higher than the fiscal year 2024 enacted level, and would keep Defense spending within the cap imposed by the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
Which is interesting considering the non-defense discretionary request is about $23 billion over the same cap.
President Biden frequently repeats a quote from his father, “don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.”
It seems this Administration will continue to value its domestic agenda over national security.
The hearing will come to order.
It is my pleasure to welcome Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Michael Connor, and Commanding General and Chief of Engineers, Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon, to discuss the fiscal year 2025 budget request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Commissioner Camille Touton to discuss the request for the Bureau of Reclamation. I am also pleased that we are joined by an alumnus of this subcommittee, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, Mr. Michael Brain, from the Interior Department to discuss the request for western water. Mike, welcome back to the committee.
The subject of today’s hearing is the Fiscal Year 2025 request for the House of Representatives.
I’d like to thank Ranking Member Espaillat, Committee Members, Mr. Kevin McCumber, Mr. Bill McFarland, and Ms. Catherine Szpindor and our other House officers for being here today.
I know that all Members of this committee share my appreciation for the critical work that you do to maintain the operations of the House.
We are experiencing the work your offices do in the hearing this morning— the Clerk’s office provides the stenographer for the transcript, the Sergeant at Arms controls access through the appointments desk, and the sound equipment and live streaming services come from the CAO.
You make the House work, and I look forward to hearing your testimonies and learning more about your budget priorities for Fiscal Year 2025.
I now recognize Ranking Member Espaillat for his opening remarks.
