House Appropriations Committee Holds Hearing About Spending Bill For DOJ, Commerce Department

2 months ago

The House Appropriations Committee holds a mark-up hearing about the FY25 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Act.

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Transcript

00:00Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies will come to order.

00:08Welcome to the subcommittee markup of the fiscal 25 bill.

00:16Welcome Chairman Cole, Ranking Member DeLauro, Ranking Member Cartwright, and all.

00:26Washington's spendthrift habits continue to come with significant consequences.

00:36Everyday goods cost more due to elevated levels of inflation,

00:41and as a result, interest rates remain painfully high. These are real-world effects

00:49of reckless and wasteful spending that happens all too often in this town.

00:56And just last week, the nation received a dire warning from the Congressional Budget Office.

01:06Without mentioning words, CBO announced that in the next 10 years, the debt held by the public

01:16will skyrocket to more than 50 trillion dollars.

01:23And let me repeat that number, 50 trillion dollars.

01:30We can and must do everything within our power to create a sustainable economic trajectory.

01:40This legislation, which provides a total discretionary allocation of 78.288 billion,

01:49which is effectively 1.275 billion, or 2% below the fiscal year 24 spending level,

02:00right sizes and appropriately funds the agencies under our jurisdiction, and restrains

02:08government overreach by Washington bureaucrats. The politically motivated and weaponized Department

02:17of Justice is restrained and will no longer follow the political whims of the Biden administration.

02:27The Federal Bureau of Investigation will be refocused on its core competencies and numerous

02:36ill-advised rulemakings by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives

02:43that challenge constitutional rights will be stopped in their tracks.

02:49Importantly, this bill also takes the fight directly to fentanyl and all its supply chains,

02:57including the precursor chemicals coming out of China. Our country must firmly get a grip

03:08on this opioid epidemic that's ravaging our communities from coast to coast,

03:14including mine in Kentucky. This legislation will ensure the Drug Enforcement

03:21Administration remains at the tip of the spear as we tackle this crisis.

03:30It also provides increased funding to the Bureau of Prisons and invests heavily in local law

03:38enforcement to ensure our cities and towns are safe and secure, and to provide the peace of mind

03:48that hard-working Americans deserve. Additionally, this bill addresses China

03:55and its aggressive overreach by making considerable investments in American science

04:02agencies. The global economic race is underway and it's pitting America and its allies against

04:14China. Legislation like the fiscal year 25 CJS bill will deliver the resources needed to guarantee

04:24the United States remains the leader in science, technology, and research.

04:31Moreover, the moon is once again within our reach and we will soon go beyond the next frontier.

04:39This bill makes strategic investments in order to ensure NASA is not bound by the limits of gravity.

04:48In short, the fiscal year 25 bill is an important step in the right direction.

04:55I would like to thank all of the subcommittee members for their attentive attitude and

05:02diligent participation in budget hearings these past few months. I especially want to thank Ranking

05:11Member Cartwright for his partnership in this endeavor. We may not agree on every policy or

05:19funding level, but it's a pleasure to sit beside you. I also want to acknowledge Chairman Cole

05:28and thank him for his measured hand atop the full committee as he steers the entire team

05:37through this difficult yet critically important process of funding the government.

05:45Additionally, I want to thank Ranking Member DeLauro as she continues to be a force for her

05:53party as Congress crafts these bills from the beginning stages. Lastly, thanks to both the

06:01majority and minority staff for assisting with the development and production of this year's bill.

06:08They worked hard and long and I think very expertly. As I said earlier, the fiscal year 25

06:17bill makes the right investments for our nation, our economy, our competitiveness, our security,

06:26and for the American public. Let me now turn to my Ranking Member Cartwright for any opening

06:34remarks he cares to make. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, Chairman Cole. I thank you also to

06:42my Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro for your wisdom and guidance throughout this process.

06:51And thank you to Chairman Rodgers for his continued friendship for all his hard work

06:57this year as chair of the subcommittee. We have had some very productive subcommittee hearings

07:03this year and I appreciate the chairman's leadership and initiative on moving them

07:09forward quickly and on time. I also greatly enjoyed the moon tree planting event that the

07:17chairman hosted on the Capitol grounds a few weeks ago with the four astronauts who will

07:22soon journey around the moon as part of NASA's Artemis 2 mission. And I would be remiss if I

07:30didn't mention my appreciation of the chairman's collaboration with my staff on Operation UNITE

07:37and bringing that to Pennsylvania.

07:42Regrettably, I must oppose the appropriations bill that is before us today and what I

07:52let the record reflect the shocked expression on the chairman's face at this time.

08:01What I regret is that I have some hard things to say about this bill as drafted.

08:08And I have to say that you don't usually do that in subcommittee markups, but we didn't have a

08:12full committee markup last year and this may be my last chance to intone these things. This is a

08:19bill that significantly reduces support for law enforcement in this country and other efforts to

08:27secure the safety and prosperity of the American people. It would greatly reduce the number of FBI

08:34special agents and analysts and these are outstanding public servants who keep us safe

08:40by preventing, investigating everything from human and narcotics trafficking to public corruption

08:47to kidnappings, mass attacks, cyber crimes, and much, much more. The FBI's ability to catch crooks

08:54would definitely be damaged and public safety compromised as a result of this bill. It's a

09:01bill that also cuts funding for the Justice Department's National Security Division,

09:08which works to protect American citizens against terrorism, espionage, and other threats to our

09:14national security. It weakens the Bureau of Industry and Security's power to prevent advanced

09:21American technologies from bolstering the military capabilities of Russia and the People's Republic

09:28of China. This bill would reduce the number of ATF agents working with state and local law

09:34enforcement to fight gun violence and firearms trafficking while adding several policy riders

09:42that would make it easier for firearms to end up in the wrong hands. This bill would reduce the

09:48number of federal prosecutors, curbing our nation's ability to prosecute dangerous criminals. In

09:55addition, this bill sharply reduces grants that prevent juvenile delinquency, hate crimes,

10:02and violence against women. It completely eliminates funding for community violence

10:09intervention and prevention grants, and the Justice Department's Community Relations Service,

10:16which for nearly 60 years has worked to mediate and end community conflicts across the country,

10:23is essentially canceled by the bill before us today. I believe that all of this is the wrong

10:30approach for our CJS bill. A better approach would be funding levels that make lawbreaking harder.

10:39Some other steps in the wrong direction are the large cuts to programs aimed at empowering

10:44distressed communities and individuals. Economic Development Administration grants, which help

10:50create jobs and revitalize local economies, largely in rural areas, are gutted by more

10:58than 35 percent. The bill also cuts funding for federal agencies that help promote American

11:04exports and fight the unfair trade practices of other countries. The Legal Services Corporation,

11:11which provides critical basic civil legal aid to the poorest American families, seniors,

11:18and veterans, is cut by 71 million dollars. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,

11:25which helps protect Americans against job discrimination and sexual harassment,

11:31it's cut by 35 million dollars. And last but not least, the budget of NOAA, the National

11:36Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is cut by more than 600 million dollars below the current

11:43level. That is particularly troubling as NOAA protects the American people in numerous ways.

11:50It provides timely and accurate forecasts of the weather, including extreme weather,

11:56which our agricultural sector depends on. These days, some kind of extreme weather

12:03seems to be affecting our country nearly on a weekly basis. NOAA helps ensure the safe

12:11navigation of our ships to our ports, and NOAA advances our scientific understanding

12:16of changes to the Earth's climate and how they affect our economy, as well as our safety.

12:23These are all critical efforts, and most of these will be harmed under this funding level.

12:30We can talk all day long about debt and deficits, but make no mistake, these harmful cuts,

12:39as laid out in this draft bill, are made to pay for the huge tax cuts for the well-off and

12:47well-connected in this country. For all of these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

12:54As we all know, this process does not end with the subcommittee action. Today, as the process

13:01moves forward, we need to do much more in all of these important areas. Thank you, and I yield back.

13:09I now recognize the distinguished chairman of the full committee, Mr. Cole.

13:13Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and before I go to my prepared remarks, I want to

13:19assure my good friend, the ranking member of the subcommittee, we will have this bill

13:23heard in full committee. I think that's a very legitimate point that my friend made.

13:27We did not last year, and I regret that, but I'll tell you the same thing I told my very good

13:33friend, the ranking member of the full committee, when I became chairman of Labor Age, courtesy of

13:38my friend Chairman Rogers at the time. That bill had not been heard in a number of years, and my

13:43friend had not had the opportunity to make her points and her suggestions and offer her ideas

13:49about how we could proceed forward, and I assured her that we would indeed have a full hearing.

13:56Now, I will tell you, she wasn't 100 percent sure I could keep my word,

14:01so we had a robust subcommittee hearing that lasted a long time, which was fair,

14:09no complaints, but in the end, we had that full hearing, and we continued to do that, and I just

14:13want to assure, again, my friend, the ranking member of the subcommittee, and certainly my

14:17friend, the ranking member of the full committee, we will have those hearings, and we will have a

14:22robust process, and I always see this as a process, as not a take-it-or-leave-it, but an

14:27opening position, a negotiation. At some point, we'll be dealing with our friends in the United

14:32States Senate, we'll be dealing directly with the administration, so, but my friend, it was fair to

14:37raise the point, and I just want to assure him that will not happen again. Thank you, Chairman Rogers,

14:43and thank you, Ranking Member Cartwright, and Ranking Member of the full committee DeLore,

14:48and to all the members of the subcommittee for your participation in the process.

14:52From the frontiers of U.S. law enforcement and economic trade, all the way to space exploration,

14:59the Commons Justice Science Subcommittee oversees agencies consequential to our country.

15:05The fiscal year 2025 bill before us today brings savings to taxpayers and protects

15:11the constitutional rights of Americans against political weaponization of the justice system.

15:16It enhances accountability and oversight to address the politicization and overreach of

15:21the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

15:27Numerous regulations that impede American citizens and businesses are prevented from

15:32moving forward or outright prohibited in this bill. Importantly, the bill makes critical

15:38investments to confront fentanyl and the deadly scourge of addiction that's stolen far too many

15:44American lives. The legislation also robustly supports our local law enforcement and their

15:50work to protect our communities. Finally, the bill prioritizes our science agencies and appropriately

15:56funds the advancement of space exploration at NASA. It also confronts China's efforts to steal

16:02U.S. technology and innovation. The fiscal year 2025 Commerce Justice Science and Appropriations

16:09bill is a product that reflects making needed decisions to rein in wasteful spending and limit

16:15this administration's overly political agencies, which should have no part in American society.

16:22I'd like to thank Chairman Rogers for his thoughtful approach to this bill and my good friend,

16:27the ranking member of the subcommittee, for working with the chairman. I look forward to

16:32the bill's advancement through the appropriations process. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

16:37Thank you, Chairman, and to thank him especially for helping us get this bill put together.

16:46And I feel confident the full committee is in great hands. I now recognize the

16:55distinguished ranking member of the committee, Ms. DeLauro, for her remarks.

17:00Thank you very, very much, Chairman Rogers, and a thank you to ranking member Cartwright as well.

17:06I also want to say a thank you to Chairman Cole for talking about the ability for us to be able

17:12to go to a two-fold committee to get these bills on the floor, etc. That is the goal. Ultimately,

17:21our job is to come together as Democrats and Republicans to craft the bills, get them over

17:26the finish line for the benefit of the American people. I want to also say a thank you to the

17:32majority and minority staff for your great work in this effort, especially Bob Bonner, Nora Faye,

17:40Faye Cobb, and Shannon McCulley. I just say to the chairman of the subcommittee,

17:47it will not be as much of a shock to you to find that I am opposed to the bill.

17:54The Majorities, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies bill for fiscal 2025,

18:00in my view, is dangerous and it's reckless and makes Americans less safe from violence and from

18:05crime, whether they're in their homes or in their communities. The bill politicizes and defunds law

18:11enforcement by cutting FBI and ATF agents and analysts, and the bill defunds prosecutors that

18:18keep dangerous criminals off of our streets. The bill continues the majority's relentless campaign

18:25of attacks on American women's health and their safety. This bill attacks law enforcement and

18:31threatens U.S. national security. It hurts rural communities and it tilts the economic playing

18:38field against everyday Americans. The Majorities bill defunds the FBI by nearly $1 billion,

18:46inevitably leading to agents and analysts at the Bureau losing their jobs and severely obstructing

18:52the Bureau's ability to keep Americans safe and keep dangerous criminals off the streets.

18:58And I am baffled as to why the Majorities bill would inhibit federal law enforcement's ability

19:04to do their jobs, to keep the American people safe, and to administer the rule of law. The FBI

19:11works day in and day out, year round and around the world, keeping American families safe. And

19:18just in the last six days, a Missouri man was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison

19:25for sexual abuse against two girls. An Idaho woman was sentenced to five years in federal prison

19:32for causing the methamphetamine-induced death of her seven-week-old baby. Ten gang members involved

19:39in narcotics and firearms trafficking were charged with various felonies in Minnesota.

19:46A former tribe president in South Dakota was sentenced on federal counts for defrauding

19:51the Oglala Sioux tribe. A New York man pleaded guilty to straw-purchasing the shotgun

19:57that was used to fire shots at Temple Israel in Albany. Three Hells Angels were sentenced

20:05to life in prison for racketeering, conspiracy, and related crimes. An Indian national charged

20:11in connection with a foiled plot to kill American citizens in New York City was extradited to the

20:17United States. This all happened within the last week, thanks to public servants at the FBI whose

20:26jobs may be eliminated under this bill. The FBI is helping to prosecute each of these crimes,

20:32bring these criminals to justice, as they do in each of our districts every single day,

20:38without concern for politics. And defunding law enforcement is not the only way this bill

20:44jeopardizes American safety. Far from it. The majority's bill is leaving schools, grocery

20:50stores, churches, concerts, and communities vulnerable to more devastating mass shootings

20:56by making it easier for guns to end up in the wrong hands. And they slash legal services,

21:02they cut the agencies and programs engaged in early intervention and crime prevention in our

21:06communities. Violence Against Women Act grants, juvenile justice grants, hate crimes grants, and

21:12other resources that prevent violence are all cut, leaving communities more vulnerable to crime.

21:20Finally, this bill is bad for the economy. It is bad for rural Americans, as the majority's bill

21:26cuts economic development administration programs that create jobs, predominantly in rural communities.

21:33And this bill is bad for everyday hardworking Americans across the country who cannot keep up

21:38with the high cost of living by cutting funding for the Department of Justice's antitrust division.

21:46After years of mergers across industries allowed the biggest companies, from grocery and home goods

21:53stores to airlines, to acquire their closest competitors, these corporations have relentlessly

22:01and shamelessly pursued and acquired record profits by price gouging Americans out of every

22:07dollar they can. Corporations have limitless resources for lawyers and lobbyists to fight

22:14for their interests. We must ensure that the Department of Justice can go toe-to-toe,

22:20fight to keep the economy fair for everyday Americans. Because this bill defunds and

22:26politicizes law enforcement, harms women, hurts the economy, makes our communities less safe from

22:33violence and crime, I cannot support this bill. Democrats are at the table, ready to pass

22:39legislation that protects American safety, and I implore the majority to join us. It is time

22:45to govern. Thank you, and I yield back.

22:53Do any other members wish to make opening remarks?

23:04All right. Seeing no amendments, I now recognize Mr. Adderholt.

23:13Thank you. For the purpose of making a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the bill be

23:17favorably reported to the full committee. Question is on the motion. Those in favor say aye.

23:24Aye. Those opposed say no. No. The ayes have it. The motion is agreed to. I ask unanimous consent

23:32that staff be permitted to make technical and conforming changes to the bill and the report.

23:39The report. Without objection, so ordered. Copies of the bill and report will be

23:48delivered to all full committee members' offices no later than three business days before full

23:56committee. Thank you, and very much to everyone here. That concludes today's markup, and the

24:05committee now stands adjourned.

House Appropriations Committee Holds Hearing About Spending Bill For DOJ, Commerce Department

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