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Mr. Secretary, good morning. Thank you for joining us today. Congratulations on your confirmation and your first appearance testifying before our subcommittee.
We value the opportunity to engage in an open and productive dialogue with you as we work together to strengthen the Department’s mission.
We are here today to discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. In the beginning of May, we received a skinny budget that outlined what the Department’s top priorities will be. While the overview was brief, I’m looking forward to hearing more details today—like how these priorities will translate into improved outcomes for our veterans and more effective management across the Department.
Washington, D.C. – Continuing their work to ensure peace through strength, Defense Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA) and Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) reiterated the growing dangers posed by Communist China’s rapid military expansion and stressed the urgent need to strengthen the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. As Beijing builds the world’s largest navy, seeking to outpace the United States in ships, submarines, and advanced fighter aircraft, American force dominance is under threat.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) underscored the critical importance of strengthening public health and improving the well-being of all Americans, as he welcomed U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to testify on FY26 priorities.
Thank you, Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum.
Welcome to the three of you. Mr. Secretary, congratulations on your appointment. Admiral Kilby, General Smith—it’s an honor to have you before us today. I want to extend my gratitude to you for your commendable and continuing service to our country, and to the men and women in uniform.
Today, our Navy’s mission has never been more consequential or expansive. From the contested waters of the Indo-Pacific to the turbulent Red Sea, our Navy and Marine Corps are on the front lines of deterring aggression, projecting power, and upholding the rules-based international order.
