Remarks
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5860, a bill that keeps the government open until November 17th.
While I would rather be here speaking on the floor about final appropriations bills, I want members to understand why passing this short-term funding bill today is so important.
First, I want to explain how we find ourselves in this situation.
Just nine months ago, when Republicans took back the Majority in the House, our commitment was to Regular Order for appropriations.
No more omnibus measures released in the dead of night. No more Christmas Eve votes on thousands of pages of text that Members of Congress had not read.
Unfortunately, there were a few stumbling blocks as we sought to change the process.
For example, the Administration's budget request was more than a month late. It then took months for the President to come to the table on the debt ceiling negotiations.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to speak on the Spending Reduction and Border Security Act of 2024.
The most basic duty Congress must complete every year is our Constitutional power to fund the government. This bill will provide funding to keep our government open until October 31st. Unless we act now the government will shut down at midnight on Saturday.
The House of Representatives has already passed 4 appropriations bills, constituting the majority of funding for our government, while the Senate continues to sit on their hands and has failed to pass anything. Typical.
The country has nearly 32.9 trillion dollars in debt, and our deficit this year is $1.9 trillion. The Biden administration has gone on a spending binge with money we do not have to spend. It is time we slow our funding to a more sustainable level.
Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5692, which provides security assistance to Ukraine and funds a Special Inspector General to oversee these and other funds provided by the American taxpayers.
In 2016, the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, referred to as USAI, was created in response to increased Russian aggression. These funds, along with the National Guard's State Partnership Program with California and other efforts, have transformed the Ukrainian military from a remnant of the Soviet empire to a capable and increasingly western fighting force.
This funding is not sent directly to Ukraine.
Since 2016, these funds have been used to pay for the training U.S. troops provide Ukrainian troops and for U.S. manufactured weapons we provide to Ukraine.
Madam Chairwoman, I am proud to speak on the Fiscal Year 2024 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill for floor consideration today.
If you've read the bill, you know it is very straightforward.
If you are a friend or an ally of the United States, this bill supports you.
If you are an adversary or are cozying up to our adversaries, then frankly, you will not like this bill.
I am extremely proud of this bill, which was carefully and thoughtfully developed over many months.
In my judgment, it reflects the values and interests of most Americans.
We carefully reviewed all the organizations and programs that receive U.S. taxpayer dollars.
Among the key factors:
I want to begin by thanking the Chairwoman of the Full Committee, Ms. Granger, for her leadership and her tireless efforts to bring these Appropriations bills to the floor.
I also want to thank the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, my good friend Mr. Cuellar, who has worked with us in good faith on the bill, despite some disagreements on policy.
And lastly, I have enjoyed my time sitting next to the Ranking Member of the Full Committee, the Gentlelady from Connecticut, not once, but twice in the last few days.
The bill before us today provides $62.8 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, an increase of $2.1 billion above the Fiscal Year 2023 level.
In addition, the bill also includes $20.3 billion for disaster response and recovery activities—including to support communities after the devastating wildfires in Maui and Hurricane Idalia.
Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 4365, the Fiscal Year 2024 Defense Appropriations bill, which is the result of months of hearings, briefings, and engagements by all Members of the Subcommittee.
To provide for our strong national defense, this bill recommends $826.45 billion for the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community, which is $27.8 billion above the Fiscal Year 2023 enacted level.
When I became Chairman of the Subcommittee, I made it clear to the Department they would not receive any blank checks. Any request that lacked adequate justification, was early to when the funds were needed, had unjustified cost growth, or did not directly support DOD's mission would not be funded in this bill.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I rise today to bring before the House H.R. 4368, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bill.
I want to thank Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Granger and commend her for her leadership in moving this bill and the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process forward. I also want to recognize the Ranking Member of the Full Committee, Ms. DeLauro, and the Ranking Member of the Agriculture Subcommittee, Mr. Bishop. I appreciate the conversations he and I have had regarding the bill. While I know we don't agree on everything, we have reached areas of consensus that will keep our Ag communities strong.
Today's hearing is on the VA's Electronic Health Record Modernization program. I'd like to welcome our witnesses: Dr. Neil Evans and Dr. Jonathan Nebeker, who are leading the program for VA, and Mr. Mike Sicilia with Oracle Global Industries.
A modern, interoperable electronic health record system that fully integrates VA, Defense Department, and community providers is a fundamental part of fulfilling our promise to provide world-class health care to our country's Veterans.
For more than 20 years, VA has attempted to modernize its system. About five years ago, I was hopeful VA was on the right track when it decided to acquire the same system as the Defense Department and then signed a contract with Cerner. However, we are now in a "reset" period.
The Defense Subcommittee has held hearings, classified briefings, and had many engagements with senior defense officials to shape our recommendation for the Fiscal Year 2024 Defense Appropriations bill.
To maintain our strong national defense, this bill provides $826.45 billion for the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community. This is $286 million above the President's request and $27.8 billion above the Fiscal Year 2023 enacted level.
The stated mission of the Department of Defense is "to provide the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security." This bill does just that by focusing on the DOD's most vital task – protecting our homeland and our national interests.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4366, a bill that will provide funding for military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
During the last Congress, three trillion dollars was spent outside of the normal appropriations process. As spending soared, so did inflation.
There was damage done to the economy, and the work of the Appropriations Committee changed significantly over those two years.
That is why earlier this year, I asked Subcommittee Chairs to evaluate all of the funding in the pipeline.
When the President's budget finally arrived, I directed them to review each agency's budget – line-by-line.
I want to thank the Subcommittee Chairs for their work to identify ways to save hard-earned tax dollars.
These savings have allowed us to reduce overall spending without short-changing what is most important – national defense, homeland security, and veterans.
