Remarks

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.

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.

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.

The hearing will come to order.

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.