Remarks

Thank you both for your remarks, and I congratulate you on producing a solid Appropriations bill and for bringing this bill to the Full Committee. It's a sign of the important progress we have made in making the appropriations process more open, transparent and thorough.

Another achievement of this Committee has been our unprecedented success in reining in federal spending. For two fiscal years in a row, we cut discretionary spending below the previous year – more than $95 billion – without decimating the programs and services our citizens rely on, and we are on track to continue that trend this year.

Thank you, Ranking Member Bishop and Chairman Culberson, for your comments and for your hard work in crafting this bill.

One of our many tasks on this Committee is to ensure the health and well-being of those who proudly serve and have served in our nation's great military, and though I do not always see eye-to-eye with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, this task is one we can all support without hesitation.

Our troops, veterans and military families deserve to have the programs and services they have earned as a result of their service and sacrifice. The FY 2013 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill is funded at the same level as last year - $71.7 billion in discretionary funding. This bill provides for the most urgent needs of our nation's veterans and active military members, and supports Department of Defense construction here and abroad.

Thank you, Chairman Aderholt and Ranking Member Price, for your remarks and your skillful work on this bill. As a founding member of this subcommittee, I'm fully aware of the intricacies and time needed to craft such an important piece of legislation, and thanks to you and your staffs, we have a comprehensive, well-written bill before us today.

Since the Department was established nearly ten years ago, we've seen some real progress. Not only have we marked the one-year anniversary of Seal Team Six's successful mission eliminating our number-one terrorist target Osama Bin Laden, but we continue to make visible strides protecting air passengers, securing our borders, and thwarting terrorist threats.

But we are constantly reminded the war on terror is far from over. We must remain vigilant and ahead of the game.

It is my honor to present to the Committee the fiscal year 2013 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security.

Similar to our work over the past two fiscal years, this bill demonstrates how we can sufficiently fund vital security programs while also reducing discretionary spending overall.

It is my honor to present to the Subcommittee the fiscal year 2013 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security.

Similar to the Subcommittee's work over the past two fiscal years, the bill before us today demonstrates how we can sufficiently fund vital security programs while also reducing discretionary spending overall.

Good morning and welcome to the Subcommittee markup of the fiscal year 2013 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill.

I want to begin by thanking Ranking Member Lowey for her continued dedication to this Subcommittee. Mrs. Lowey and I have a unique relationship. While we do not agree on everything, we do have a strong working relationship and we are both invested in the important work of this Subcommittee. It is a pleasure to work with her and I respect her very much.

I want to thank all the Members of our Subcommittee – from both sides of the aisle - for their participation and thoughtful contributions to this bill. Members have been passionately engaged in the important work of the Subcommittee.

I am pleased to begin the consideration of H.R. 5326, making appropriations for fiscal year 2013 for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies. The bill provides funding for programs whose impacts range from the safety of people in their homes and communities to the farthest reaches of space.

The bill before the House today reflects a delicate balancing of needs and requirements. We have drafted what I consider to be a responsible bill for FY 2013 spending levels for the departments and agencies under the subcommittee's jurisdiction. We've had to carefully prioritize the funding in this bill and have had to make hard choices about how to spend scarce revenue.

Thank you, Chairman Aderholt and Ranking Member Price. As we meet today to address the funding of the Department of Homeland Security, I wish to extend my congratulations to both of you and the subcommittee staffs on both sides who have put in long hours to craft this important piece of legislation.

This week, we mark the one-year anniversary of Seal Team Six's surgical removal of America's number one terrorist target, Osama bin Laden. While this is certainly cause for salutation, we cannot rest on our laurels. When we also learned that the CIA this week foiled a plot by al-Qaida's affiliate in Yemen to bomb a U.S.-bound airliner, we were reminded that our country, our freedom and our way of life remain under constant siege - and our job is not done.