Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Bill
2025-09-10
Loading video...
Source: Congress.gov
Summary
No summary available.
Participants
Transcript
I call this meeting of the Appropriations Committee to order. I'd like to welcome everyone to today's meeting. Today we'll be marking up our Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations measure for fiscal year 2026. This is our final regular appropriations bill for the fiscal year 2026. As with our previous markups, it's my intention to complete all of our work on this body today. While we'll take a recess for four votes as needed, we will otherwise be here today until our work is completed. With that, we will begin the markup. Again, our only order of business today is consideration of the Commerce, Justice, Science and related agencies appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026. I'll now recognize Chairman Rogers to present the bill.
Thank you, Chairman Cole. And thank you for the leadership that you bring to the House floor, this committee, and the entire process of appropriately funding our federal government. I also would like to thank Ranking Member Meng, Ranking Member DeLauro, and all members of the committee. The House Appropriations Committee does some of the most important work in the Congress. and it can't be completed without members' dedication to this effort. Additionally, I would also like to thank both the majority and minority staff for their hard work. Today, we are taking up the fiscal year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Bill. Over the last eight months, America has been revitalized Under President Trump and ushered in by his administration, we're charting a course of recovery, of growth, and reinforcing our standing on the world stage. As a nation, we are putting the safety and soundness of the American people first. We're tackling immigration by securing our borders while standing up for what is right and just. We're addressing crime that has been infiltrating our neighborhoods and cities for far too long. We have a unified approach, and we're starting to see results. Unfortunately, the size of the federal government swelled over the last four years under the Biden administration. However, we have an answer to the mission creep of many of these agencies and the red tape that has plagued our businesses and prevented innovation.
Through this bill and the other bills that have been marked up in this committee, we are rightsizing federal government agencies to ensure they're working on behalf of the American public, not against them. The CJS bill provides a total discretionary allocation of $76.8 billion, which is representative of a 2.8% decrease when compared to the total effective spending of the fiscal year 2025 enacted level. The bill makes strategic investments in several agencies while appropriately reducing others. Despite recent progress in the fight against fentanyl and other opioids, overdose deaths continue to plague our communities and neighborhoods. Transnational criminal organizations, such as Mexican drug cartels, remain a serious threat. to the United States. As a result, this bill continues to ensure the DEA within the Department of Justice receives the funding it needs to combat illicit drug use and dismantle drug cartel networks. And I'm proud to report that the funding level for the DEA is making a difference. Since January 20 of 2025, The DEA seized approximately 246 million lethal doses of fentanyl. Additionally, the DEA has made over 2,000 fentanyl-related arrests. In August, the Department of Justice secured a guilty plea from the co-founder and former head of the Sinaloa cartel.
This is important news, and this fight must continue. Moreover, the fiscal year 2026 bill strongly supports the men and women in blue that protect our families and neighborhoods by increasing funding for state and local law enforcement. This bill includes increased funding levels for the Burn JAG program and COPS hiring program to put our state and local law enforcement first. To ensure America is the leader in space explorations, maintains a competitive advantage over China, the fiscal 26 CJS bill also continues to sustain strong funding levels for nasa and its endeavor to return to the moon and beyond the legislation also protects and reinforces constitutional rights such as the second amendment by reining in and refocusing the atf as shown by deadly floods in kentucky and texas and other places Now is the time to ensure the National Weather Service is equipped with the funding it needs to warn and protect our citizens. This bill does just that, by appropriately funding NOAA's weather units. Overall, the provisions and funding levels in the fiscal year 26 CJS bill will protect our children, our families, our neighborhoods, and our country. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
I thank the gentleman. I'd now like to recognize the ranking member, Ms. Ming, for remarks on the bill.
Sign up for free to see the full transcript
Accounts help us prevent bots from abusing our site. Accounts are free and will allow you to access the full transcript.