Remarks
"Good morning and welcome to the subcommittee markup of the fiscal year 2012 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill.
"I want to begin by thanking Ranking Member Lowey for her dedication to this subcommittee. Mrs. Lowey and I have a unique partnership in this Congress. While we do not agree on some policy items, we are both very invested in the important work of this subcommittee and it is a joy to work with her and I respect her very much.
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Chairman Mike Simpson today made the following remarks on the floor of the House while presenting H.R. 2584, the Fiscal Year 2012 Interior, Environment and Related Appropriations Act:
"Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to bring to the floor H.R. 2584, the fiscal year 2012 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.
House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers gave the following statement on H.R. 2219, the fiscal year 2012 Defense Appropriations bill, on the floor of the House today:
"Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2219, the Fiscal Year 2012 Defense Appropriations Bill.
"The nearly $649 billion in total funding contained within this legislation will provide our armed forces with the resources they need for our nation's missions abroad and the protection of our people here at home.
"Welcome everyone to today's Full Committee mark up of the fiscal year 2012 Financial Services and General Government bill.
"The bill before us today matches the Subcommittee's discretionary allocation of $19.9 billion. This allocation is nine percent less than fiscal year 2011, 18 percent less than fiscal year 2010, and 22.5 percent less than the President's request. This reduction resulted in some very tough decisions, but they are necessary to reduce the Federal government's unsustainable level of spending.
"Thank you, Chairwoman Emerson and Ranking Member Serrano, for your remarks. We appreciate your hard work and bipartisan spirit on this Subcommittee.
"Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2112, the Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.
"I'd like to thank the Chairman, Mr. Frelinghuysen, and the Ranking Member, Mr. Visclosky, for their remarks and for their hard work on the FY 2012 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill.
"The fiscal year 2012 Department of Defense base budget recommendation before us today is $530 billion, which is $8.9 billion below the request. The overseas contingency operations recommendation is $118.7 billion, which is $842 million above the request. This increase is mostly attributable to the transfer of the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Fund from the State/Foreign Operations Subcommittee to the Defense Subcommittee.
