Remarks

Thank you, Chairman Womack, and thank you, Ranking Member Clyburn. Welcome, Administrator Bedford. We appreciate you being here and are grateful for your continued leadership at the FAA. Whether at the gate, on the flight deck, in the skies above, or just landed – your mission is clear: safety, security, and efficiency. Congress is here to reinforce those key pillars and provide the investment and oversight necessary to ensure the FAA has the resources, workforce, and capabilities to carry them out.

Today, we welcome testimony from Bryan Bedford, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. Administrator Bedford, thank you for joining us today. We want a genuine partnership with you as you undertake the enormous task of modernizing our air traffic control system. I appreciate your leadership in deploying the resources this Congress has provided.

I’d like to welcome both of our witnesses. Today’s oversight hearing is intended to help us better understand the origins of and the use of the Economy Act since its enactment.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of the Senate Amendments to H.R. 6500, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027. Mr. Speaker, today is the first day of September. At this time of year, some people think of fall... Some people, like me, think of football - but on the Appropriations Committee, our focus is on the coming end of the fiscal year. September 30 marks the end of Fiscal Year 2026, and that means both the House and Senate must act to fund the government for the coming fiscal year.

I want to welcome everybody to today’s Full Committee hearing, entitled “Funding Lapses: Analyzing Shutdown Reform.” While having all members in the room usually denotes a markup, I am pleased to remind everyone that we reported out all 12 Fiscal Year 2027 bills before the end of June. It doesn’t mean our work is complete, but it does create space for a needed conversation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 9770, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027. This Congress has a constitutional duty to fund the government – and if Article I teaches us anything, it's that governing means doing the work, not waiting for a crisis. It is a responsibility I have never viewed as optional – and one I have remained committed to honoring through regular order.

Chairwoman Foxx, Ranking Member McGovern, members of the Rules Committee, I appreciate the opportunity to testify today. I come before you today on H.R. 9770, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027. Over the past year, the House Appropriations Committee has worked diligently to advance our Article I duties. Last month, we completed our markup process for Fiscal Year 2027, reporting all twelve bills out of the full committee by June 24. This is the earliest date this feat has been accomplished since Fiscal Year 2020.