Remarks

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to present to the Committee the Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

I’d like to thank Chairman Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro for their leadership throughout this process, and my good friend and Ranking Member of the Energy and Water subcommittee, Marcy Kaptur, for her partnership. 

I’d also like to extend my appreciation to all my colleagues for their valuable input in helping to shape this bill.

Thank you, Chairman Womack, and thank you to Ranking Member Clyburn, Ranking Member DeLauro, and to all our members. 

The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development measure before the subcommittee today responsibly funds our most critical transportation and housing needs while demonstrating fiscal responsibility. 

Thank you, Chairman Cole, for your remarks on this bill and for your leadership. This Committee is fulfilling its constitutional duty thanks to your dedication.

And thank you, Ranking Member DeLauro, for your leadership on this committee. I trust that the day is not far off when we will work together to negotiate these bills in good faith with the Senate and the White House so that we avoid a catastrophic shutdown or long-term CR. 

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today to offer H.R. 4016, the Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. I want to start by thanking Chairman Cole for his leadership in this process.  I also thank the Defense subcommittee ranking member, Ms. McCollum, for her partnership and friendship.  Finally, I thank the defense subcommittee staff for their tireless work on this year’s bill. 

Thank you, Chairman Rogers, and thank you to Ranking Member Meng, Ranking Member DeLauro, and to all the members of the subcommittee for your participation in this process. 

From the frontlines of U.S. law enforcement and economic trade – all the way up to space exploration – the Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee oversees agencies consequential to our country.

Over the last several months, our country has charted a course of recovery under President Trump. 

We are tackling immigration head on by securing our borders while standing up for what is right and just. We are right-sizing Federal government agencies to ensure Washington D.C. is working on behalf of our citizens, and not against them. And in Congress, we are moving appropriations bills that meet the needs of the American people. 

Thank you, Chairman Diaz-Balart, and thank you to Ranking Member Frankel, Ranking Member DeLauro, and to all the members of the subcommittee for being with us this morning. 

Our work on today’s Fiscal Year 2026 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs appropriations bill is a critically important step toward building a renewed and sharpened approach to United States foreign policy, while also responsibly reducing spending. 

The legislation makes clear that we will not retreat from the cause of freedom. 

The Subcommittee will come to order.

I’d like to welcome everyone to today’s Fiscal Year 2026 subcommittee markup of the very first National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs appropriations bill.  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.