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▶ 0:08:54committee will come to order kind of like the first day of school I'm happy to see you all and anxious to hear what you did all summer uh but uh good morning welcome to the first meeting of the committee on Appropriations for the 119th Congress the business today is to consider committee rules and subcommittee jurisdictions uh before we move to business uh I want to welcome all of you here I really do hope you're ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work we have a lot of work to do obviously finishing
▶ 0:09:25out 25 which we intend to do looking forward to working my FR with my friend the ranking member on that and I'm confident we can do that I'm confident we can get the bills out of this committee as we did last year in time to be considered individually on the floor uh returning members will notice something different about the Committee hearing room behind me you'll see uh the new portraits Grace our walls that of our immediate past chair K Granger who joins her close friend and predecessor chairwoman need Loy that's a pretty dazzling
▶ 0:09:55display up there and a lot of us had the opportunity of serving with both these amazing amazing women and leaders on this committee and I'm really honored to have them looking over my shoulders it's kind of like my mother and my grandmother or something but it's uh they were pretty intimidating women too uh we begin our agenda for the 119th Congress uh we have both the example of these two women both of whom defined what it means to be an appropriator
▶ 0:10:26uh it's uh extraordinary unfortunately we began this congress with some tasks from the previous Congress left unfinished uh though the Committee reported out all fiscal year 2025 bills on time and passed five of those bills representing 70% of all Appropriations across the house floor Congress has yet to reach an agreement on Final full year spending bills for fiscal year 2025 and before we proceed to fiscal year 2026 we have to finish that
▶ 0:10:56business frankly I'm very confident uh that we can do that uh you know I've got obviously a terrific working partner and uh the ranking member and uh we've got terrific counterparts in the United States Senate and uh we're working through where we need to go and I would expect in short order we will have something so at the subcommittee levels you guys will have numbers to work with and you'll be going to work on that pretty quickly uh so uh the Appropriations Committee Prides itself as
▶ 0:11:26current uh returning members know and know longstanding commitment to orderly and respectful debate we've got Aon tradition of working together and seeking consensus where we can I'm committed to fulfilling that tradition as your chair looking forward I'm proud to say it's a new day in America the American people have mandated strong governance and we will deliver on that Duty we will continue to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars as we have historically been and we will continue to ensure
▶ 0:11:57that every taxpayer dollar has a job and is used wisely and judiciously where it can do the most good for our great nation and we will continue our practice of conducting robust bipartisan oversight uh of the agencies and departments that we fund indeed it's my expectation that our subcommittees will quickly begin holding hearings we don't want you waiting around on finishing 25 before you start your hearings for 26 and I've certainly had the opportunity to talk to all the subcommittee chairman about that
▶ 0:12:27uh so expect that work to begin immediately of course none of us can do this job alone and I'll need the help and cooperation from each of you and I thank you in advance for that help in particular let me recognize my good friend Mario Diaz Bellard who will serve as the committee Vice chair where's Mario you should give you an Applause know you all know Mario honestly who doesn't know Mario and the Congress of the United States and you all know he'll be one of the true leaders of
▶ 0:12:57this committee dynamic communicator and with his hands as well as his voice strong voice on policy and a person who guides us all by example truly an appropriator is appropriator I can think of no better person to serve in that job I also want to recognize the majority's representatives uh to the budget committee that's going to it's always extraordinarily important it's going to be even more important because we'll undoubtedly be dealing with reconciliation this year and we have a lot of interest on that committee uh because
▶ 0:13:28uh I love the budget committee I served on it for eight years but a lot of its members think they're appropriators and so it's very important that our people on both sides of the aisle remind them that they are not the Appropriations Committee uh so representative Ben Klein who was there last time Ben were right right here want you guys stand up just so particularly we have a lot of new members on both sides representative Andrew Clyde and representative Chuck Edwards now these are ours and I know at the appropriate time Ros
▶ 0:13:58will be uh recognizing her members Your Service as representative of the committee will be again more important this year than ever although we're not directly involved in reconciliation we have great interest and equities there and I'm hopeful and we've had meetings about this year will'll be defending those and advancing those uh so I wish all of you luck and I appreciate your service there's a lot of extra service on that budget committee because they meet and you're doing two full committees effectively
▶ 0:14:28uh let me know uh and let me now take a minute to recognize our ranking member my very good friend representative uh deloro and I'm supposed to got this long script I mean come on uh Rose and I have had the great Good Fortune to work together really closely for over a decade we uh respectively chaired and we ranker different points for eight years on labor H uh she's a valued friend yeah I don't have to tell anybody here what a force of nature she is uh I feel extraordinarily lucky
▶ 0:14:58to to have her uh you know I know we've negotiated a lot of things together over the years nothing quite this big but she's done that before in fact I take some pride in the the quote top four or the the big four uh every one of them has been chairman of the Appropriations Committee at one point or another I don't know that we've ever had a situation quite like that in the past but I know I couldn't have a better person to work with and my friend I look forward uh to the experience going ahead thank you bet thank you so
▶ 0:15:29much uh uh Mr chairman and I just I know it's the first day of school and I want to make sure that everybody has a pencil box and you know what they need in terms of school supplies here but Mr chairman as as you spoke about the the beautiful portraits and they must have had a memo even though it was over the years in terms of the royal blue here um but I think it's worth noting that um what a uh we've come a long way baby excuse me I mean it was 19
▶ 0:15:591967 uh that the only uh two women who chaired in were ranking members of a committee was on the house select committee on the beauty shop so as I said we have come a very long way uh in terms of of of of women in in this in this in this body um and I just want to congratulate the chair on leading the First full committee organizing meeting uh as chair of Appropriations and I I just
▶ 0:16:30you know what's our our phrase here associate myself with W with the with the with the chair's words we've had a uh I I I was just regarded as a storyed history on this committee uh together and U uh it really has been uh a wonderful working relationship we don't hide our differences uh we we we we stand for uh what the values that we hold uh we know why we're here to serve and I say that of the chair and making this
▶ 0:17:00process work and doing what's needed for uh in the best interests of this of this nation um and we're going to build on that tradition and it has been a tradition of honesty of transparency and of deep friendship and I'm so delighted uh to be able to continue uh that effort um be before we organize for for this Congress let let me just um I want to speak to the work that's ahead of us the current Continuum resolution expires in 50 days that leaves us with precious
▶ 0:17:30little time to finish the 2025 bills none of us in this room benefits from another short-term continuing resolution governing by continuing resolution is bad for taxpayers for the Congress for the administration so we know that it's time for us to uh really uh get get to work I know that chairman Cole shares that sentiment and I I I I hope that we are successful in negotiating in writing and enacting ful year spending bills prior to the March 14th
▶ 0:18:01deadline I think that's an imperative for us that we have to do that additionally this committee must work together across the aisle and across the Das to protect and to preserve our prerogatives article one of the Constitution is explicit Congress holds the power of the purse the decisions about the Investments we make cannot be trusted in are controlled by one
▶ 0:18:32single office holder government spending decisions must be the result of broad compromise among the people's representatives for reasons our positions on this committee and in this body are temporary we are stewards of our system of government and that stewardship requires preserving the separation of powers and co-equal branches of government as designed by the framers
▶ 0:19:02of the Constitution this all holds true regardless of the occupant of the White House when President Biden was in office I worked to uphold and defend our power of the purse this committee's power of the purse even when that meant going against a Democratic president I I will continue to fight for the faithful execution of appropriated f funds and it is my hope that all of us on this
▶ 0:19:32committee will be willing to do same moving to the organizing portion of the meeting I would like to make some announcements on the membership of the democratic side of the committee aside from minority whip Katherine Clark continuing a leave of absence in her leadership role I am happy that we will be joined by all Democratic members of the committee who served last year and who have returned to the 119th Congress I would like to welcome back Jim kurn South Carolina where are you Mr kurn
▶ 0:20:03right there all right right there Mr kurn who been on a leave of absence um while serving in the Democratic Leadership I would also like to take this opportunity to formerly welcome six new Democratic members and I'll ask you to stand Mike Levan of California meline Dean Pennsylvania Veronica Escobar Texas Frank mvan Indiana Marie losing camp peris of Washington and Glenn Ivy of
▶ 0:20:34Maryland to them and our new Republican Members Mark Alfred a traveling buddy uh Nick Loda uh Marc is from Missouri Nick Loda from New York Nick where are you right there okay well I'm I'm I'm G to recognize him too Mr chairman you know Dale strong who's going to be my partner on the aviation caucus CEST Malloy Utah Riley Moore West Virginia welcome I
▶ 0:21:04I just to say this flat out to the best committee but the most important and critical committee uh in uh in in in the Congress the Appropriations Committee is the center of this government if we do not come together Democrats Republicans House and Senate and pass bills we cannot get them to the president for a signature and the result of that is a government shutdown which none of us none of us
▶ 0:21:34want to see happen so that's the central position of this committee and no other committee is that true I'm pleased to say that Joe melli New York 25 was elected to serve as Vice ranking member of the committee um with a distinguished background and a contributor of our efforts um our our members in the top um uh ranking members of the Democratic Slots of each of the subcommittee will largely be the same as the last congress with the following exceptions
▶ 0:22:04Grace mang of New York on Commerce Justice science Lois Frankle on State Foreign operations Jim kurn on transportation and Housing and Urban Development our Democratic designes of the budget committee are Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey Bonnie and Veronica Escobar of Texas um when looking at the full roster of uh my side of the aisle the Democrat Rats on our committee uh no greater group of people that embodies both the intellectual heft of the caucus and the
▶ 0:22:35shared commitment to doing good work for our nation by lowering costs for hardworking American families in closing I want to say that it is my greatest honor to continue to work with you Mr chairman as we move forward to continue to work with all of you on behalf of the American people as the ranking member of this committee thank you so much chairman Co and yield back now you all know what negotiating
▶ 0:23:05with Rosa delore is like I never get in the last word uh you got in about five pages ahead of uh where I had this but anyway I actually am supposed to recognize the members on the majority side so I'd like to do recognize the new members would each of you stand when I call your name Mark Alfred from Missouri andon be recognized Nick l from New York Dale strong from Alabama
▶ 0:23:35Celeste Malloy from Utah and Riley Moore from West Virginia Riley gets the brass ring he's the only real freshman on this committee so but when you've been a state legislator and a state treasurer I think you get to start a little earlier around here uh finally let me introduce some key members of the staff who be a resource to all of us uh my dear friend and our chief Clerk and staff director Susan Ross Susan stand up Susan
▶ 0:24:05Adam Sullivan our Deputy uh staff director and defense okay kathern Salman our chief Deputy staff director and labor H clerk he was going to recognize my friend Josh grus senior advisor to me and my former Chief stpp but he's ill and he didn't want to get anybody sick so he's not here today Mark is he so you are going to get people sick okay I thought you weren't going to
▶ 0:24:35make it uh Marcus towns our director of services Matt Diller our general Council parliamentarian Alexia sakur our chief communications and these are all here to help us get the job done and I encourage all members to reach out with them with any questions you have now there's one last housekeeping item we have returning members will know it well the flower fund
▶ 0:25:05appointments these are really responsibilities uh for our new members the flower fund exists to provide flowers or fruit baskets to our colleagues on the committee during their moments of joy and sorrow celebrate the birth of a child or a grandchild or to express sympathy on the death of a loved one as in years past the contribution this year because of Republican frugality will remain at $20 uh we're not interested in checks or credit card cash only uh co-chairman
▶ 0:25:36of the majority will be our most junior members so you're now on your very first day are a co-chairman and uh you start collecting the money immediately here's your first 20 yeah all right I'm going to let him go about his work uh so please provide your contributions now or early uh I was going to now recognize ranking member Delora but we'll proceed are there any other members at this time
▶ 0:26:06who wish to make an opening statement good very good uh we'll now turn to the business of the day our first order of business is to consider the committee rules for the 119th Congress the proposed rules were circulated to your offices this past Friday with one except I there are no substantive changes from the 118th Congress our one substantive change has been to the committee rule 2E to clarify
▶ 0:26:37that the chair and ranking member of the full committee who may sit participate and vote in our subcommittees also count for purposes of establishing a quorum for the subcommittee this will bring uh the appropriation subcommittee in line with other accepted practices on other house committees with similar Provisions I don't think there's going to be any objection to that are there any members of else okay now recognize the ranking member delore for any comment she may make on
▶ 0:27:07the the rules Mr chairman I have no objection okay any other members wish to comment on committee rules seeing none any members have any amendments to the proposed committee rules seeing none I now recognize the gentleman from from Kentucky Hal Rogers for a motion to approve the committee rules Mr chair I move to approve the committee rules for the 119th
▶ 0:27:38Congress those in favor say I I those opposed say no the eyes have it the Motions agreed to the order of business now is consideration of subcommittee jurisdictions these jurisdictions are the same as the last Congress however we do have one change the state foreign operations and related committee or related programs subcommittee will be renamed the National Security Department of State and related program subcommittee
▶ 0:28:08to better reflect the work of the subcommittee performs there's no change to the subcommittee's jurisdiction nor any other relevant change to the subcommittee rules we have consulted with the minority and believe they are in agreement with these changes I now recognize the ranking member for any comments she cares to make I love the way this is moving uh any other committees or members wish to make comments on the proposed subcommittee
▶ 0:28:39jurisdictions do any other me any members have amendments for the proposed jurisdictions now recognize a gentleman from Kentucky how Rogers for the motion to approve the subcommittee jurisdiction Mr chair I move to approve the subcommittee jurisdictions for the 119th Congress those in favor say I I those opposed say no the eyes have it the Motions agreed to lastly I'll note that the subcommittee sizes and ratios have been agreed
▶ 0:29:10to by both sides and the majority and minority have completed subcomittee assignments I asked unanimous consent that the staff be permitted to make Technical and conforming changes to the items without objections so ordered and closing I look forward to engaging with all of you toh finish our work and fund the government in a responsible timely way I'd be remiss pretty well known by the returning members of committee I like cigars I
▶ 0:29:40have a wonderful place that probably sometime down the road Rosa will have to fumigate but uh anybody likes cigars is always welcome there no matter the party uh and usually there's an open bar as well so the bourbon uh we're not in short supply you can you can come by if you have a preference let us know early uh but we'll try and take care of you if there's no further business committee stands adjourned thank Mr
▶ 0:30:56e for