Budget Hearing – Department of State and Related Programs
House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
2025-05-21
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Source: Congress.gov
Participants
Transcript
The Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and related programs will come to order. Secretary Rubio, it is a deep sense of honor and privilege to have you here with us today to provide testimony on the President's fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Department of State and related programs. Now before I get started, I want to recognize the subcommittee's new members. We've got a tremendous group of members. Each member has something very unique to contribute, and I'm so grateful to have them on the panel. I want to welcome our new subcommittee ranking member, my dear friend, Lois Frankel.
Lois, the secretary, actually, Lois and I go back many, many years. We served together in the Florida legislature. And while the ranking member and I don't agree on everything, I cannot think of a better partner in leading the subcommittee. I would also like to welcome the new members of the subcommittee from the majority. Julia is not here, but we have Julia Letlow, who is a returning member of the subcommittee. John Molinar, who is the chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Mark Alford, who brings important experience from the Armed Services Committee, among other things. And from the minority, we have, again, a personal friend of mine, Mike Quigley, who has joined the subcommittee. Now, I'd also like to take a moment to recognize our subcommittee vice chairman. I didn't forget you, Chuck. On the contrary, Chuck has been a tremendous vice chair, and I look forward to continuing working together with you. And I want to thank the chairman of the full committee, obviously, for appointing such a great member. Finally, I need to acknowledge our tremendous leader, full committee chairman Tom Cole, who, again, I think there's nobody better in the country to lead this committee, and his counterpart ranking member, Delora. Chairman Cole did an important thing, among the things that he's done, to this subcommittee at the beginning of Congress, change its name to better reflect the investments being made on behalf of the American people that are intended to advance U.S. national security. I am committed to ensuring that the fiscal year 26 National Security Department of State and related programs appropriation bills does just that. Let me once again welcome Secretary Rubio, I firmly believe that there is no one better in our entire country who could serve as our Secretary of State in this critical time. Mr. Secretary, your steadfast leadership, your devotion to country and to freedom, and your focus on national security are exactly why you have my full confidence in advancing President Trump's foreign policy agenda.
In just four months, In just four months, the President, with your assistance, Mr. Secretary, has achieved really remarkable victories for the American people and our national security. Let me just name a few. Taking back the Panama Canal from China's influence. Freeing 47 American detainees abroad. Designating the Houthis, cartels, and also dangerous criminal gangs as foreign terrorist organizations. obtaining the Bahamas' pledge to directly pay Cuban doctors, ending the practice of human trafficking, compelling the government of Colombia to accept deported migrants as to what was arranged, all of this while carrying out several other important official duties. It's really been tremendous to watch, Mr. Secretary. So again, I congratulate you and the President for the choice that he made in having you in this position. Turning to the matter at hand, Mr. Secretary, the spending proposal of the fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Department of State represents a reduction of about 48%. It is also largely offset by rescissions from prior year balances. I intend to provide the same scrutiny on the budget request as I have in the past years. As you know, there are some large gaps, obviously, in the information that we have at this time, so I hope we'll receive the details backing up the request as quick as possible.
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