Remarks

Good Morning, Mr. Secretary. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for our first budget hearing of the year. We are looking forward to hearing your testimony.

I know the discussion this morning will focus on the facts and figures related to funding for public health, biomedical research, and services for children and families. Those are all important issues, but I want to also raise another important, but difficult topic today. That is the issue of human trafficking.

Good morning. Welcome.

Today’s hearing is on the quality of life for our enlisted soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians, and their families.

The five witnesses at the table represent the highest enlisted level of leadership for their respective branches.

I am pleased that we are having this hearing again to start off Fiscal Year 2025. This group’s insight is critical. This hearing is a great opportunity to identify areas where we can be more helpful to our service members and their families.

The hearing will come to order.

It is my pleasure to welcome Secretary Jennifer Granholm to the Energy and Water Subcommittee this morning to discuss the fiscal year 2025 budget request for the Department of Energy. It’s always a pleasure to see you, Madam Secretary, and to discuss the important work of the Department of Energy.

The DOE’s fiscal year 2025 budget request is a total program level of approximately $52 billion, an increase of $1.8 billion above the fiscal year 2024 Act. I strongly support many of the programs and activities of the Department of Energy.

Good morning. Welcome.

Today’s hearing is on the quality of life for our enlisted soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians, and their families.

The five witnesses at the table represent the highest enlisted level of leadership for their respective branches.

I am pleased that we are having this hearing again to start off Fiscal Year 2025. This group’s insight is critical. This hearing is a great opportunity to identify areas where we can be more helpful to our service members and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this six-bill appropriations package. I am glad we are here considering full-year bills, and I want to thank everyone who participated in this process.

With the odds stacked against us, House Republicans made progress in how we fund the government. We drafted the most conservative bills in history. Members submitted over one thousand amendments. We considered House bills individually on the floor, and we avoided a massive omnibus measure.

Thank you. I rise in support of the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2024.

I’d like to commend Chairwoman Granger for her leadership of the Appropriations Committee and for getting the first six bills across the finish line. I would also like to thank the Interior Subcommittee Ranking Member Pingree for her partnership.

Together, we’ve negotiated a reasonable compromise to avoid a government shutdown that fails to respond to our nation’s needs and maintain our public lands.

Thank you very much Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank the chairwoman for yielding. I want to begin with some much deserved thank yous I want to thank the speaker this house, this deal would not have come together without his leadership and support. I particularly want to thank my Chairwoman Kay Granger and Ranking Member DeLauro for their work and their leadership and putting a package together they can get across this floor in a bipartisan manner.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Chair for yielding time.

I rise in strong support of the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2024, particularly the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill. As Chairman of that subcommittee, I worked hard to ensure the bill includes many House Republican priorities.

At a total of $58.2 billion, the bill advances our national security, our energy security, and our economic competitiveness in a fiscally responsible manner.