Remarks

Today, we welcome testimony from the Honorable Sean Duffy, Secretary of the Department of Transportation on the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. Thank you, Secretary Duffy, for appearing before us today. It’s great to see you. For those that don’t know, Sean and I were classmates together back in 2010, and I’d like to think we’d surprise ourselves in knowing we’d be in these seats 15 years later. 

I would like to thank both Judge Saint Eve and Judge Conrad for being here today and for their service to our nation. The two of you combined represent over 60 years of federal civil service, and we are grateful for your time. A special congratulations to you, Judge Conrad, on your recent retirement from District Court work in North Carolina.  

Good morning.  It is my pleasure to begin today’s hearing by welcoming our new Secretary of Health and Human Services to the House Appropriations Committee.  Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.  Confirmed to his Cabinet post just three months ago, he has hit the ground running with the aim of implementing the President’s goal to Make America Healthy Again.  Mr. Secretary, we are pleased to have you with us here today.

Thank you, Chairman Womack, and thank you, Ranking Member Clyburn. Welcome Secretary Duffy. It is good to have you back – even if it’s on the other side of this chamber’s dais. Thank you for appearing before us and for your service.

Good afternoon. The subcommittee will come to order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a recess at any time. Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the first Fiscal Year 2026 Budget hearing for the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies. I will begin by recognizing myself for an opening statement.

Thank you, Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum. This hearing comes at a pivotal moment for our national security, as we face an increasingly complex and volatile global landscape. Among the challenges before us, none looms larger than the rising threat posed by China. With its rapid military modernization, expanding global influence, and assertive posture in the Indo-Pacific, China presents a strategic challenge that demands our full attention and a robust response.

Thank you, Chairman Harris and Ranking Member Bishop, and thank you, Madam Secretary, for being with us today. For rural districts like the one I represent in southwest Oklahoma, agriculture is not just a line on a ledger, it’s a reflection of our past, present, and future. American agriculture feeds us, but it also roots families, economies, and the nation’s well-being. You have seen these principles firsthand as you have traveled the country meeting with farmers and ranchers.