Remarks

Thank you, Chairman Cole. I am pleased to present the Fiscal Year 2026 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill to the full Committee for consideration and approval.

I would like to thank Chairman Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro. And of course, I would like to thank Ranking Member Hoyer. I value his insights on and off this Subcommittee.

I’m proud of the bill we are marking up today. It reflects the hard work of the Subcommittee since March.  

Thank you, Chairman Aderholt, and thank you to Ranking Member DeLauro and to all the members of the subcommittee for being with us today.

Today’s measure funds the operations of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and other related agencies. As the former chair of this subcommittee, I am deeply familiar with its work, which touches the lives of all Americans. The bill provides appropriate and fiscally responsible funding to ensure these departments can continue to perform their core missions while also safeguarding American taxpayer dollars.

Good evening ladies and gentlemen – The subcommittee on labor, health and human services, education, and related agencies will now come to order.  I would like to thank everyone for making arrangements to arrive before votes so we can hit the ground running. I also want to welcome Chairman Cole back to our subcommittee and recognize Ranking Member DeLauro.  

Thank you, Chairman Diaz-Balart, and thank you to Ranking Member Frankel, Ranking Member DeLauro, and to all our committee members. 

Today’s Fiscal Year 2026 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs appropriations bill marks a critical step toward advancing a sharpened approach to U.S. foreign policy. We ensure that Americans are safer at home and abroad without compromising fiscal responsibility. And we make clear that we will not retreat from the cause of freedom. 

I am pleased to present the Fiscal Year 2026 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs appropriations bill to the full committee for consideration and approval.  Let me thank Chairman Cole for his essential leadership at the helm of the Appropriations Committee and for his wisdom in refocusing this subcommittee, starting by changing the name, to better reflect that the investments made on behalf of the American people are to advance U.S. national security. 

I’d like to start by thanking Chairman Simpson for all his work on this bill. I’d also like to thank Ranking Member DeLauro and Ranking Member Pingree, for their continued partnership.

The bill before us today honors both our commitment to preserve America’s natural heritage and our duty to ensure a strong, sustainable, and fiscally responsible future. 

Thank you, Chairman Cole.  I am pleased to present the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. 

Today’s bill has a wide reach, from our national parks to the water in our pipes. It funds fighting wildfires out West and furthers our commitment to our Tribal nations. 

The bill before us today targets resources to reduce energy costs, protect American jobs, and preserve access to our public lands for recreation, hunting, and development of our natural resources.

Thank you, Chairman Joyce. And thank you to Ranking Member Hoyer, Ranking Member of the Full Committee DeLauro, and all the members of the subcommittee.

Today we continue our work on the FY 2026 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill.

This legislation provides important resources for agencies and offices that impact every American, our economy, and the branches of the United States government. From the Executive Office of the President to the Federal Judiciary, the impact touches everything from national security to the rule of law.