[House Hearing, 119 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
PART 1: COMMITTEE FUNDING
FOR THE 119TH CONGRESS
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE
ADMINISTRATION
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
FEBRUARY 11, 2025
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on House Administration
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
www.govinfo.gov
www.cha.house.gov
_______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
58-836 WASHINGTON : 2025
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
BRYAN STEIL, Wisconsin, Chairman
LAUREL LEE, Florida, Vice Chair JOSEPH MORELLE, New York,
BARRY LOUDERMILK, Georgia Ranking Member
H. MORGAN GRIFFITH, Virginia TERRI A. SEWELL, Alabama
GREG MURPHY, North Carolina NORMA TORRES, California
STEPHANIE BICE, Oklahoma JULIE JOHNSON, Texas
MARY MILLER, Illinois
MIKE CAREY, Ohio
Mike Platt, Staff Director
Jamie Fleet, Minority Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
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Page
Opening Statements
Chairman Bryan Steil, Representative from the State of Wisconsin. 1
Prepared statement of Chairman Bryan Steil................... 2
Ranking Member Joseph Morelle, Representative from the State of
New York....................................................... 2
Prepared statement of Ranking Member Joseph Morelle.......... 3
The Honorable Brian J. Mast, Representative from the State of
Florida........................................................ 5
The Honorable Gregory W. Meeks, Representative from the State of
New York....................................................... 6
Prepared statement of Gregory W. Meeks....................... 8
The Honorable Tim Walberg, Representative from the State of
Michigan....................................................... 13
Prepared statement of Tim Walberg............................ 15
The Honorable Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott, Representative from the
State of Virginia.............................................. 16
Prepared statement of Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott.............. 18
The Honorable Bruce Westerman, Representative from the State of
Arkansas....................................................... 24
Prepared statement of Bruce Westerman........................ 26
The Honorable Jared Huffman, Representative from the State of
California..................................................... 29
Prepared statement of Jared Huffman.......................... 31
The Honorable Mark E. Green, Representative from the State of
Tennessee...................................................... 34
The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson, Representative from the State
of Mississippi................................................. 36
The Honorable Brian Babin, Representative from the State of Texas 41
Prepared statement of Brian Babin............................ 43
The Honorable Zoe Lofgren, Representative from the State of
California..................................................... 44
Prepared statement of Zoe Lofgren............................ 46
The Honorable John R. Moolenaar, Representative from the State of
Michigan....................................................... 50
Prepared statement of John R. Moolenaar...................... 52
The Honorable Raja Krishnamoorthi, Representative from the State
of Illinois.................................................... 53
Prepared statement of Raja Krishnamoorthi.................... 55
The Honorable Sam Graves, Representative from the State of
Missouri....................................................... 59
Prepared statement of Sam Graves............................. 60
The Honorable Rick Larsen, Representative from the State of
Washington..................................................... 63
Prepared statement of Rick Larsen............................ 65
The Honorable French J. Hill, Representative from the State of
Arkansas....................................................... 70
Prepared statement of French J. Hill......................... 73
The Honorable Maxine Waters, Representative from the State of
California..................................................... 77
Prepared statement of Maxine Waters.......................... 78
The Honorable Roger Williams, Representative from the State of
Texas.......................................................... 81
The Honorable Nydia M. Velazquez, Representative from the State
of New York.................................................... 83
Prepared statement of Nydia M. Velazquez..................... 85
The Honorable Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford, Representative from the
State of Arkansas.............................................. 88
The Honorable James A. Himes, Representative from the State of
Connecticut.................................................... 89
The Honorable Jason Smith, Representative from the State of
Missouri....................................................... 92
The Honorable Richard E. Neal, Representative from the State of
Massachusetts.................................................. 93
PART 1: COMMITTEE FUNDING
FOR THE 119TH CONGRESS
----------
February 11, 2025
Committee on House Administration,
House of Representatives,
Washington, D.C.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:09 a.m., in
room 1310, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Bryan Steil
[Chairman of the Committee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Steil, Lee, Loudermilk, Griffith,
Murphy, Bice, Carey, Miller, Morelle, Sewell, Torres, and
Johnson.
Staff present: Michael Platt, Staff Director; Janet
Schwalb, Deputy Staff Director; March Bell, General Counsel;
Rachel Collins, Deputy General Counsel and Parliamentarian;
Jordan Wilson, Director of Member Services; Kristen Monterosso,
Director of Operations and Legislative Clerk; Annemarie Cake,
Professional Staff and Deputy Clerk; Jamie Fleet, Minority
Staff Director; Khalil Abboud, Minority Deputy Staff Director;
Owen Reilly, Minority Professional Staff; and Andrew Garcia,
Minority Special Assistant.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BRYAN STEIL, CHAIRMAN OF THE
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION, A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM
WISCONSIN
Chairman Steil. The Committee on House Administration will
come to order.
I note that a quorum is present.
Without objection, the chair may declare a recess at any
time.
Also, without objection, the hearing record will remain
open for 5 legislative days so Members may submit any materials
they wish to be included therein.
Thank you, Ranking Member Morelle, Members of the
Committee, and our witnesses, for participating today.
Today the Committee on House Administration begins the
oversight of the legislative branch for the 119th Congress. We
have a duty to the American people to ensure their tax dollars
are being used efficiently and effectively by all House
Committees. Committee work is a critical part of our job here
in Congress. It is where we discuss legislation, debate issues,
and most importantly, hear from Americans who are experts on
issues that impact them directly.
Over the next 2 days, we will hear from the Chairs and
Ranking Members of each Committee on what funding they need to
accomplish their goals for the 119th Congress. It is our goal
to increase transparency with this process and show the
American people how their tax dollars are working for them.
I look forward to speaking with each of the Committees'
leadership to determine how we can ensure that no taxpayer
dollars are being wasted. We will continue our mission of being
an open and transparent Committee, and we welcome every other
Committee to use this platform to do the same. I look forward
to hearing from each of the Committees coming before us today.
I would like to thank our witnesses for joining us today to
discuss the important topics.
With that, I will yield to the Ranking Member, Mr. Morelle,
to offer an opening statement.
[The prepared statement of Chairman Steil follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOUSE
ADMINISTRATION BRYAN STEIL
Today the Committee on House Administration begins the
oversight of the legislative branch for the 119th Congress. We
have a duty to the American people to ensure their tax dollars
are being used efficiently and effectively by all House
Committees. Committee work is a critical part of our job here
in Congress. It is where we discuss legislation, debate issues,
and most importantly, hear from Americans who are experts on
issues that impact them directly.
Over the next 2 days, we will hear from the Chairs and
Ranking Members of each Committee on what funding they need to
accomplish their goals for the 119th Congress. It is our goal
to increase transparency with this process and show the
American people how their tax dollars are working for them.
I look forward to speaking with each of the Committees'
leadership to determine how we can ensure that no taxpayer
dollars are being wasted. We will continue our mission of being
an open and transparent Committee, and we welcome every other
Committee to use this platform to do the same. I look forward
to hearing from each of the Committees coming before us today.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOSEPH MORELLE, RANKING MEMBER OF THE
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION, A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM
NEW YORK
Mr. Morelle. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding to me,
and also for convening this series of hearings.
The Committee funding process is truly one of the more
unique aspects of House Administration's duties, and I look
forward to hearing from our fellow Committee leaders today and
tomorrow as we undertake this important process.
The Committee system is the hallmark of the U.S. Congress.
The Committees are where we exercise critical oversight, where
we craft and debate policy proposals, and where we decide what
to recommend to the broader House for consideration.
The work is oftentimes not glamorous. It is certainly not
easy. It is, however, fundamental to our system of
representative government.
Article I of the United States Constitution is clear about
powers granted exclusively to Congress, including the power of
the purse. Article I, section 1: ``All legislative powers
herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United
States.'' Article I, section 7, clause 1: ``All bills for
raising revenue shall originate in the House of
Representatives.'' Article I, section 9, clause 7: ``No money
shall be drawn from the Treasury but in consequence of
appropriations made by law.''
It is important to remind the American public, the
executive branch, and even some of our colleagues here in
Congress, that unless the Constitution is amended, Congress is
still the only authorizer and appropriator of Federal public
money. As an appropriator, and I share that with a number of
Members here, we take this to heart.
We have witnessed over the past 3 weeks Federal agencies
that implement our laws are under an unchecked assault of
questionable legality. While the assault is ongoing, it is
important we give House Committees the resources they need to
execute their responsibilities while what little separation of
powers remain.
For years, the bipartisan Select Committee on
Modernization, and our own Subcommittee on Modernization, led
ably by my friend Mrs. Bice, has documented Congress'
desperately needed infusion of resources, capacity, and
expertise.
Whatever you believe about the Supreme Court's decision to
end Chevron deference in a series of decisions last year, if
you, like me, think it is badly misguided or others who feel it
is appropriate, you cannot avoid the impact on how it impacts
our work here in the Congress.
These decisions, together with what seems like an endless
assault on the Federal Government's regulatory authority in the
last several weeks, makes adequate Committee funding even more
imperative.
You will recall experts from across the ideological
spectrum stressed at a hearing before this Committee just a few
months ago, relative to Chevron, that Congress must now craft
laws with more technical expertise than ever before. Effective
lawmaking is dependent upon this expertise, and it does not
come without significant investment.
Committees also need to be adequately supported in their
exercise of legitimate oversight. Oversight jurisdiction is one
of the most effective tools we have in affirming the coequal
branch and status of the legislative article I
responsibilities.
I, personally, still believe in the powers and
responsibilities of the Congress, which is why I am glad we are
having these hearings today and tomorrow.
Though the Federal Government is being systematically
dismantled by an unelected billionaire and the foundational
principle of checks and balances erodes more by the day, I am
hopeful we will stop it, not as Republicans and Democrats, but
as public servants and Members of Congress who swore an oath to
support and defend the Constitution.
With that, I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Ranking Member Morelle follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF RANKING MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOUSE
ADMINISTRATION JOSEPH MORELLE
The Committee funding process is truly one of the more
unique aspects of House Administration's duties, and I look
forward to hearing from our fellow Committee leaders today and
tomorrow as we undertake this important process.
The Committee system is the hallmark of the U.S. Congress.
The Committees are where we exercise critical oversight, where
we craft and debate policy proposals, and where we decide what
to recommend to the broader House for consideration.
The work is oftentimes not glamorous. It is certainly not
easy. It is, however, fundamental to our system of
representative government.
Article I of the United States Constitution is clear about
powers granted exclusively to Congress, including the power of
the purse. Article I, section 1: ``All legislative powers
herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United
States.'' Article I, section 7, clause 1: ``All bills for
raising revenue shall originate in the House of
Representatives.'' Article I, section 9, clause 7: ``No money
shall be drawn from the Treasury but in consequence of
appropriations made by law.''
It is important to remind the American public, the
executive branch, and even some of our colleagues here in
Congress, that unless the Constitution is amended, Congress is
still the only authorizer and appropriator of Federal public
money. As an appropriator, and I share that with a number of
Members here, we take this to heart.
We have witnessed over the past 3 weeks Federal agencies
that implement our laws are under an unchecked assault of
questionable legality. While the assault is ongoing, it is
important we give House Committees the resources they need to
execute their responsibilities while what little separation of
powers remain.
For years, the bipartisan Select Committee on
Modernization, and our own Subcommittee on Modernization, led
ably by my friend Mrs. Bice, has documented Congress'
desperately needed infusion of resources, capacity, and
expertise.
Whatever you believe about the Supreme Court's decision to
end Chevron deference in a series of decisions last year, if
you, like me, think it is badly misguided or others who feel it
is appropriate, you cannot avoid the impact on how it impacts
our work here in the Congress.
These decisions, together with what seems like an endless
assault on the Federal Government's regulatory authority in the
last several weeks, makes adequate Committee funding even more
imperative.
You will recall experts from across the ideological
spectrum stressed at a hearing before this Committee just a few
months ago, relative to Chevron, that Congress must now craft
laws with more technical expertise than ever before. Effective
lawmaking is dependent upon this expertise, and it does not
come without significant investment.
Committees also need to be adequately supported in their
exercise of legitimate oversight. Oversight jurisdiction is one
of the most effective tools we have in affirming the coequal
branch and status of the legislative article I
responsibilities.
I, personally, still believe in the powers and
responsibilities of the Congress, which is why I am glad we are
having these hearings today and tomorrow.
Though the Federal Government is being systematically
dismantled by an unelected billionaire and the foundational
principle of checks and balances erodes more by the day, I am
hopeful we will stop it, not as Republicans and Democrats, but
as public servants and Members of Congress who swore an oath to
support and defend the Constitution.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
Without objection, all other Members' opening statements
will be made part of the hearing record if they are submitted
to the Committee clerk by 5 p.m. today.
Today we will hear from the chair and Ranking Member of 11
Committees, beginning with the Foreign Affairs Committee.
For each panel, we will begin by recognizing the chair for
5 minutes, the Ranking Member for 5 minutes, and then we are
going to do questions 5 minutes total for the majority, 5
minutes total for the minority.
As we ask questions, we will do it a little more casually
on our side. I will defer to the Ranking Member as he navigates
the 5 minutes for the minority. It will keep everything
reasonably tight. It will be a little bit of a different
structure. I think it will move us right along through the
hearing.
I now welcome our first panel of witnesses, Chairman Mast
and Ranking Member Meeks on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
I will recognize Chairman Mast for 5 minutes for an opening
statement.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. BRIAN J. MAST, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA
Mr. Mast. Thank you, Chairman Steil, thank you, Ranking
Member Morelle, Members of the House Administration Committee.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the funding needs
of the Foreign Affairs Committee for the 119th Congress, along
with my friend, Ranking Member Gregory Meeks.
The Foreign Affairs Committee is a great authorizing
Committee. Our role in helping craft foreign policy, it is
essential, as we all see around the globe.
We literally have the power to declare war and to end war.
We conduct oversight of the State Department, USAID, the United
Nations, Millennium Challenge, the Development Finance
Corporation, and other agencies and bureaus that make up
America's foreign policy infrastructure.
We manage export controls, which is everything related to
chips. We approve weapons sales, to include basically every
weapon system, engine modifications, aircraft, Navy vessels--
you name it--that may be sold to any one of our allies. In the
119th Congress we will conduct the first full State Department
reauthorization since the year 2002.
This is our mission, and it is more important than ever.
Reauthorization is the only way to ensure the State Department
is accountable to Congress under any administration.
Right now, only 15 percent of the State Department is
strictly authorized by Congress. On the State Department's
organizational chart there are nearly 66 offices that Congress
has not authorized, and that does not count the nearly 40
special envoys appointed during the previous administration.
A full reauthorization is the only way to ensure that there
is no wasteful spending within the State Department or USAID or
any of the other arms of foreign assistance.
For this reauthorization to succeed, it has to be just as
serious as how the House Armed Services Committee conducts
their NDAA; and as such, we have worked to model everything
that we need off of what the House Armed Services Committee has
done, since this has not been done in so many years with the
Foreign Affairs Committee.
The needs are to hire a budget director to review every
dollar that the State Department has received and will send out
the door; build out a new amendment tracking system for
reauthorization that will mirror the one used by the House
Armed Services Committee for the NDAA; and hire and retain
staff with the expertise necessary to ensure that every dollar
and every diplomat that we authorize does, in fact, put America
first.
The world is a dangerous place at this very moment. We all
realize this more than ever. We have Iranian-backed terrorists
looking for their next target in the Middle East; we have a war
waging in Ukraine throughout Europe; we have China probing
every facet of America and our allies for weaknesses. Yet,
these dangers have increased over the past 4 years as our
foreign assistance system has lost sight of its mission.
Conducting oversight of this system is not easy. That is
why it hasn't been done in 20 years. However, the State
Department alone has nearly 80,000 employees. Some of them are
based right here in Washington, but a large number work out of
the nearly 300 embassies and consulates America has across the
globe. In comparison, the House Foreign Affairs Committee has
at most 59 employees who are responsible for doing this
oversight.
That is why we are respectfully requesting $11,683,048 for
the year 2025, and $12,693,693 for the year 2026. This increase
reflects the need for added staff, again, modeled after how the
NDAA is conducted with the Armed Services Committee, who will
be tasked with performing diligent oversight of regional issues
and conducting, again, that full State Department
reauthorization.
It also reflects the Committee's addition of a new task
force focused on foreign military sales that will add to our
workload and require additional highly skilled professionals to
oversee the increasingly critical foreign policy function.
We have a constitutional duty to conduct rigorous oversight
over America's vital foreign policy institutions and ensure
that every dollar and every diplomat is working to advance
America's national security interests.
I am asking for your support to help us carry out this
mission. I thank you for your time. I do look forward to
answering any questions you may have.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much, Chairman Mast.
Ranking Member Meeks, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. GREGORY W. MEEKS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK
Mr. Meeks. Thank you, Chairman Steil, Ranking Member
Morelle, and Members of the Committee on House Administration.
Thank you for this opportunity to appear before the Committee
with Chairman Mast, my friend, in support of the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs' budget request for the 119th
Congress.
In the 118th Congress, the Foreign Affairs Committee
conducted unprecedented oversight and pushed an ambitious
legislative agenda, including several pieces of legislation
supporting America's ability to win the competition with China,
addressing crises in Haiti and Sudan, the war in Gaza, and
Putin's illegal invasion of Russia.
This year, Chairman Mast has expressed through the
Committee oversight plan and the budget request an intention to
pursue a State Department authorization bill, as he just
described, in this Congress, which I know from my own
experience as chair of this Committee in the 117th Congress is
a difficult and time-consuming task. It is, however, an
important undertaking that will require significant staff
resources.
Chairman Mast has also put forward an oversight agenda that
includes seven Subcommittees, and has indicated he will
establish a task force to review the arms sales process and
potentially others.
This work will require new technology and new resources and
additional mid-career and senior staff. I look forward to this
work and believe an increased budget would enable the staffing
and supporting resources required to maximize the quality and
output of our efforts.
America's national security interests are squarely at the
center of this Committee's jurisdiction at a time when global
challenges will continue to require our most skilled staff and
innovative thinking.
We know wars are easier to start and much more difficult to
stop. It is the work of this Committee that helps us do the
latter.
Whether it is the war in Ukraine or Gaza, strategic
competition with China, addressing newfound global challenges
in the race for AI dominance, and deepening our diplomatic
engagement in our hemisphere and on the continent of Africa,
this Committee will be on the forefront of addressing these
challenges.
The minority in the 118th Congress, and by past practice,
controls one-third of the Committee budget, and I appreciate
the fact that Chairman Mast intends to honor that practice and
allow me the autonomy to use the minority budget to best meet
the unique needs that come with being in the minority.
Unfortunately, because of a smaller budget and staff
allotments in the minority, my staff have taken on more
responsibilities without the increased compensation that they
deserve.
They are highly skilled policy staff and lawyers with the
technical skills required to meet the demands that come with
the work of the Committee, people with both regional expertise
but also with experience in the agencies this Committee
oversees.
This budget increase would allow me to compensate the staff
for their work, hire additional staff to cover the additional
issues outlined in the Committee oversight plan, and,
importantly, retain talented employees.
The work of this Committee is consequential to our national
security. If we are to leverage diplomacy to avoid conflict,
counter global threats, expand our soft power, and increase
America's competitiveness and global standing, there is no
Committee of greater importance than the House Foreign Affairs
Committee.
Having the resources to do the important work the American
people expect us to do requires a budget that can support the
high expectations we have set.
Thank you for this opportunity to speak and testify before
this Committee, and I look forward to answering any questions
you may have.
[The prepared statement of Representative Meeks follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GREGORY W. MEEKS
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Chairman Steil. Thank you, Ranking Member Meeks.
I will begin our questions on the majority side of 5
minutes. Just raise your hand if you would like to jump in. We
will keep it a little bit casual as we go.
I am going to ask the same question of all chairs and
Ranking Members today out of the gates, which relates to
cybersecurity.
Will you, Chairman Mast and Ranking Member Meeks, commit to
having your systems administrator meet with the House CIO team
in the first quarter to discuss cybersecurity issues?
Mr. Mast. Absolutely.
Mr. Meeks. Absolutely.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
First question, Chairman Mast, a lot of conversation about
oversight, in particular as it relates to USAID in your
jurisdiction. We think about the role of Committee funding and
a real opportunity to utilize that funding to actually save
taxpayer dollars.
Looking through your oversight plan, do you feel you have
the resources you need, knowing the heavy work you have in
front of you, in particular as it relates to recent revelations
at USAID?
Mr. Mast. Given the oversight plan that we gave you for the
future, yes, we specifically pinpoint the individuals that we
need to conduct that.
One example would be somebody that has a specific expertise
in looking at the budgets of the State Department to be able to
see where those dollars have been and have been tracked and not
tracked in the appropriate way, which is very difficult when
you consider the way foreign aid is doled out, often going to a
foreign company, a foreign country, a foreign NGO who may send
it on to one, two, or three more, who may send it on to one,
two, or three more.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much. I think it is a really
important part of the work of your Committee ahead.
I will recognize the vice chair, Ms. Lee.
Ms. Lee. Mr. Chairman, in your testimony, you mentioned
standing up a new task force that was focused on U.S.
Government process for weapon sales to foreign countries. Could
you tell us more about that task force and the types of
staffing needs and costs you think will be associated with
standing it up?
Mr. Mast. That foreign military sales task force, which
will also be looking at export controls, will be dealing with,
again, everything that falls off the wing of an aircraft, out
of the belly of an aircraft, something that is fired out of a
weapon system, something that helps any foreign militaries,
even engine systems, down to small arms, and even things when
you are talking about export controls like chips that we see as
so vitally important.
It is important that we understand what are going to be our
controls that are needed to make sure that we do not have China
advancing past us, as one example, but to make sure that we
have the capabilities to make sure that we are running faster
than every other country, not hindering our industry as well.
Specific individuals, professional staff members that will
be working for that new task force, along with who will be the
chair, Ryan Zinke, Representative Ryan Zinke, great military
experience, intends on bringing that to the table to make sure
everybody is up to date on the weapon systems, what they need
to know, and which individual should be receiving them so that
America is not sending them to the wrong place.
Ms. Lee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
Chairman Steil. Representative Bice is recognized.
Mrs. Bice. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Chairman Mast, for being with us this morning.
In your submission you mention a specific reauthorization
software that your Committee is looking to purchase. Can you
talk a little bit about that and why the need for that specific
application?
Mr. Mast. When you look at this reauthorization, again, we
have looked at specifically many conversations with the House
Armed Services Committee to understand how they do it well year
after year after year, having not done it in a full scope for
so many years. We did not want to reinvent the wheel; we wanted
to base it upon something successful. We are looking at
something known as the Dextera system.
One of the primary reasons to put forward on this is to
say, there will be thousands of amendments that come in as it
relates to doing the State Department reauthorization. You have
to be organized in order to conduct that properly, track the
changes that are made, the last-minute changes that are made
right before you bring these items to the Committee for a vote,
you name it.
To not be organized in that system would be to set
ourselves up for failure. It is the Dextera system to look to,
to advance that into the modern age so that we can do it right.
Mrs. Bice. Are you familiar, do you have any perspective on
the cost of that particular software application?
Mr. Mast. The specific cost of the Dextera system--I have
it on my system here--and it does go with other things as well.
Literally, the Committee has to replace every server as
one. The last time our servers were replaced were in 2012, so
that is a requirement.
The Dextera system, I believe, is at $140,000 right here. A
few other--$110,000 labeled under AVATAR data systems software.
Mrs. Bice. Great.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much. Mrs. Bice yields back.
I will ask one maybe final question. If there is time, we
can continue.
You are new as a Committee chair, but the Foreign Affairs
Committee uniquely has Members that represent other Committees.
Mr. Meeks and I both serve on the Financial Services Committee,
for example.
Have you been utilizing the Deconflict tool? Do you have
experience in that? How has it been working for you?
Mr. Mast. We have been utilizing the Deconflict tool. It is
important us. You mentioned the House Financial Services
Committee. That is the best example to use for my Committee.
As we all know, sometimes Members are waivered onto
Committees. I have more waivers than anybody, probably to the
tune of about seven or eight more than any other Committee.
Seven of those individuals that are on waiver to the House
Foreign Affairs Committee come directly from the Financial
Services Committee. That is an easy one to identify as the need
to deconflict.
Chairman Steil. Seeing none, I will now yield 5 minutes for
questions to the Ranking Member.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you.
First of all, thank you, Mr. Chair, my partner in optics
and photonics in our caucus. Thanks for your work, and good
luck to you in your new assignments.
Mr. Mast. Thank you.
Mr. Morelle. To my dear friend from Queens, thank you for
being here.
I also want to acknowledge our newest Member on this
Committee is also a Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, so
Ms. Johnson is doing double duty in that regard.
I do want to ask, and I think the Ranking Member mentioned
this, the two-thirds/one-third split, which is traditional
here, that the minority be given unrestricted access to the
resources they need out of that allocation. I noticed the
Ranking Member mentioned this in his comments.
Mr. Chairman, are you fully in accord with that?
Mr. Mast. Absolutely. That is the way the Committee will
function.
Mr. Morelle. Very good. Thank you.
I would join with the chair in regards to concerns about
cybersecurity issues. I am grateful for that.
I did want to ask a question related to security. We have
seen a number of Member threats and they continue to increase,
something our Committee is intimately involved in as the
oversight Committee over Capitol Police.
This may not be something, Mr. Chair, that you can answer
right now in your new responsibility, but certainly as we move
in the future, we want to make sure that the Committee is
receiving the necessary security support from United States
Capitol Police, Sergeant at Arms, not only when you are
convening here in D.C., but if you do field hearings. As you
travel about, please make sure that the chair and I are aware
of any lapses, any concerns that you have. We are very, very
focused on Member security.
I do not know if you want to speak to it now or withhold
your comments, but this is something that is important to us.
Mr. Mast. Mr. Ranking Member, I would speak to that on two
fronts.
We do not have a large budget for field hearings, really
less than $50,000. It is not a big part of the Foreign Affairs
Committee. Our foreign travel comes through a different bucket
when we are conducting congressional delegations abroad.
There are probably few that deal more with foreign
terrorist organizations, cartels, foreign interests in a number
of different ways, that absolutely puts our Members at a risk
posed by international actors that, in many cases, are trained
at a high level to conduct espionage, to conduct attacks, to
conduct assassinations, to harm individuals, not just as the
principals but our staffs and our families as well, and this is
something 100 percent that we take seriously.
Mr. Morelle. Very good.
Mr. Meeks. Mr. Morelle, if I could add to that.
Mr. Morelle. I would ask the Ranking Member to comment as
well.
Mr. Meeks. Yes. That is extremely important, because we
have seen because of the issues that are coming before this
Committee, Members have had threats on a consistent basis,
telephone, through emails. Even individuals are demonstrating
before their homes or threatening and graffiti'ing or doing
other activities that endangers the Members and their families
and make them feel insecure.
That Member security at this point in time, where we are
with all that is going on around the world, is extremely
important for both sides, to make sure that we secure the
Members, and to the degree their homes and their families, that
becomes really important.
Mr. Morelle. I just encourage you to keep us posted of any
concerns that you might have.
I would ask, Ms. Johnson, if you have any questions?
Ms. Johnson. Sure. I can ask a question. I cannot turn this
mike on, however. There we go.
I noticed that there are a lot of vacant positions here on
the employee roster. Do you have anticipations of filling those
slots?
Mr. Mast. Some slots we have removed individuals from. We
want to make sure that any individual is the best fit, capable
of doing work at the highest possible level, and in the end not
have anybody on that is not, let us say, pulling their weight.
We will make sure that every person that we bring on is
vital to accomplishing the mission and not have individuals on
that we do not need to accomplish the mission.
Ms. Johnson. If those funds are not utilized for staff then
what happens to that?
Mr. Mast. I do not know if we can literally return the
funds and what the mechanism is for literally returning, but if
it is not used, more than happy to return any unallocated
funds.
Ms. Johnson. I am trying to understand. I do not know. OK.
Thank you.
Mr. Morelle. Yield back.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
We thank our witnesses for appearing before us today. We
look forward to your work this Congress.
We will pause while our next panel arrives.
Chairman Steil. I welcome our next panel of witnesses,
Chairman Walberg, Ranking Member Scott of the Education and
Workforce Committee.
We are moving right along. We are going to manage our time
5 minutes for questions each, 5 minutes for opening statements.
I will recognize you, Chairman Walberg, for 5 minutes for
the purpose of an opening statement.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. TIM WALBERG, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN
Mr. Walberg. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks to the
Committee as well.
Chairman Steil, Ranking Member Morelle, thank you for
giving me the opportunity to testify on behalf of the Committee
on Education and Workforce.
Ranking Member Bobby Scott, who also is here today, and I
share a view that the Committee is one of the most important in
the House of Representatives because its jurisdiction not only
affects every American, but also because the issues Americans
are most concerned about fall into our Committee.
For example, the Committee has jurisdiction over ERISA and
welfare plans for 156 million workers, retirees, and
dependents. These plans' solvency and dependability are vital
for many, and the Committee plans to ensure that ERISA funds
are safeguarded.
The Committee has shared jurisdiction over healthcare.
High-quality, low-cost healthcare is one of the most important
issues for Americans, and it is a priority in Congress.
The Committee also plans to work alongside the Trump
administration to return control of education to the States. It
is critical this is done so in a way that supports students,
teachers, parents, and not bureaucrats.
One approach we will use to gather information needed to
make important legislative decisions is to hold multiple field
hearings.
For example, the Committee intends to use field hearings to
gather information about our Nation's K-12 schools, including
antisemitic discrimination, declining academic achievement, and
successful career and technical education and apprenticeship-
based programs.
Also, the Committee may hold field hearings to shine a
light on the academic rot and antisemitism at colleges that
continue to refuse to uphold the law and protect their Jewish
students, faculty, and staff.
Information gathering is not the only way the Committee
intends to strengthen its toolbox. The Committee will be
working to replace approximately a dozen staffers who left to
join the Trump administration.
The Committee also recognizes the Speaker of the House has
issued a pay order to raise maximum annual salary to a rate
equal to Level II of the Executive Schedule, effective January
1, 2025. As such, the Committee will need funding to remain
competitive in maintaining employees who have policy expertise,
oversight experience, or both.
Additionally, the Committee anticipates the creation of
several new positions, including a healthcare policy director,
to help shepherd crucial legislation now that a Republican
Senate may increase the likelihood that a greater number of
bills may be favorably considered in both Chambers.
Filling staffing vacancies with motivated and experienced
employees, adding new positions to meet anticipated expansion
in legislation that will be sent to the President, increasing
the number of hearings and markups, and holding multiple field
hearings will require additional resources.
It is for these reasons that we respectfully submit the
Committee's budget request. I am happy to answer any questions
that you might have.
[The prepared statement of Representative Walberg follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE WALBERG
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Chairman Steil. Thank you, Chairman Walberg.
Ranking Member Scott, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT, A
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA
Mr. Scott. Thank you, Chairman Steil, Ranking Member
Morelle, and Members of the Committee. Thank you for the
opportunity to appear before you today as Ranking Member with
Chairman Walberg to speak in support of our bipartisan budget
for the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
I want to thank Chairman Walberg for developing our
Committee budget and supporting the requests for the 119th
Congress, which represents an increase over the last Congress.
Although I believe the Committee deserves more, I think the
increase is sufficient enough to carry out the Committee's
legislative and oversight responsibilities.
Moreover, I support Mr. Walberg's desire to hold more
remote hearings in Members' districts where our issues have an
acute impact.
Mr. Walberg and I want to continue to be role models for
our colleagues on how to work in a productive, bipartisan
manner. In short, we want to show how you can disagree without
being disagreeable.
Per the past practice, one-third of the budget will be
allocated to the minority. It has been the practice of the
Committee to provide the minority with autonomy over its budget
allocation, and I am confident that Chairman Walberg will
continue to honor the Committee's tradition.
Moreover, the Committee allocation would allow the minority
to continue its work with the highest level of professionalism
and expertise.
As you know, the Committee has jurisdiction over matters
that impact all walks of life--children, students, workers, and
older Americans--by having jurisdiction over all forms of
education, workforce, including civil rights and employment and
pensions, healthcare, and other issues, such as juvenile
justice, child nutrition, and the Older Americans Act.
As such, it is imperative that we attract, develop, and
retain a diverse, highly talented, and credentialed staff who
can develop evidence-based policy to improve the lives of the
American people.
During the 118th Congress, our robust staff worked to
present 62 Committee hearings, report out 54 bills from the
Committee, pass 32 bills through the House, and ultimately five
bills signed by the President.
Moving forward in the minority, Committee Democrats and our
staff will not rest. We pledge to work with Mr. Walberg to find
areas of commonality, especially in areas of workforce
development, juvenile justice, promoting transparency in
healthcare billing, and hopefully many others areas.
We will press for the protection of workers' rights to
organize, earn livable wages, and work in safe environments
free from harassment and discrimination.
We will continue to promote equity in education so that
students can learn in a safe, welcoming environment and access
high-quality public education that prepares them for the modern
economy.
We will also promote food security policies and expansion
of affordable healthcare.
In sum, the minority on Education and Workforce remains
committed to our legislative responsibilities to build an
economy where everyone can succeed. I join Chairman Walberg in
asking the House Administration Committee to support our
request. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
I am happy to answer any questions, and I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Representative Scott follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much, Ranking Member Scott.
Each side will have 5 minutes for the purpose of asking
questions, and I will be yielding to my colleagues on our side.
I recognize myself for 5 minutes.
Quick question out of the gate, so we are asking all chairs
and Ranking Members as it relates to cybersecurity. It is
asking will you commit to having your systems administrator
meet with the House CIO team in the first quarter to discuss
cybersecurity issues?
Mr. Walberg. Yes.
Mr. Scott. Yes.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
First question to you, Chairman Walberg. I was reading
through and noticed that you created new positions for
healthcare policy. Could you elaborate on how those positions
will further the work of Education and Workforce?
Mr. Walberg. Well, in the past, while we had dealings in
that area, we had no one specifically given toward attention to
that matter. We know that working with the Senate, the
opportunity to move things forward in that area, we would like
to enhance our ability to compete and not be seen as the second
cousin in the process.
We want to expand our capabilities. We want to give
intentionality to it. Frankly, we want to make the Senate deal
with the people's House in a way that they have not had to in
the past.
Working with the Chairman over there, who I respect and
have had a friendship over the years, yet he is a doctor. We
are going to have to stay ahead of the game ourselves.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
Let me now yield to Representative Miller.
Mrs. Miller. Good morning, Chairman.
You wrote about resurrecting field hearings in the 119th
Congress and your request includes a substantial travel budget
of $1.1 million.
Why do you think it is so important that Committee Members
conduct hearings outside of Washington, D.C.? Can you please
elaborate on how these hearings will help you further your top
agenda items for the Committee?
Mr. Walberg. Thank you for that question.
I think it is absolutely a necessary thing to go out where
the issues are. Our schools are not here in D.C. specifically
and in the Halls of Congress.
What is going on in our colleges and universities with
antisemitism, we took aggressive action on that last year in
the Committee, and we achieved some significant results. I
think there are students, as well as trustees, administrators,
and hopefully some faculty, that want us to see the reality of
what is going on.
I think the same is true in the workplace. Where are the
workers? They are back in the districts. I think for us to not
simply bring in expert witnesses who we hear often from here
around the Halls of Congress, but to hear from practitioners in
the field will be extremely important.
That costs something, we understand that, and we will use
it expeditiously. I think it would be important for both those
individuals involved in education and in workforce areas to see
us come to them and hear directly from them.
Mrs. Miller. Great. I hope to see you in Illinois.
Would you please describe the process for putting your
budget submission together? What was the biggest factor you
took into consideration when preparing your budget request?
Mr. Walberg. I think reality of what we are contending
with. I mean, if you look at the fact that we have lost 12
individuals from our Committee to administration, we get that.
It is an exciting time with opportunities, and they are looking
for the best people, and we think we had the best people.
We have to replace that. We look at what it is going to
cost. When the Speaker of the House ups the ante with the
maximum pay level we have to go to, that puts a reality in
place.
That is what we are looking at. We are not trying to pad;
we are trying to just do what is necessary. Even as we are
attempting to be more efficient with electronic voting, to be
able to work better with Committees, it is time to upgrade our
efforts in the trenches as well.
Mrs. Miller. I hope that the recent increase in the
Speaker's pay order will help you retain your staff. Thank you.
I yield back.
Chairman Steil. I will now yield to Ms. Lee.
Ms. Lee. Mr. Chairman, one of the things we do in the
Committee on House Administration is try to help Committee
chairs schedule hearings and do it in a way that is efficient
and effective.
I note in your testimony that you mentioned that the
Deconflict tool was not particularly useful. Could you share
with us how we could improve that and make it a better tool for
you?
Mr. Walberg. I did not hear what--what did I say was not
helpful?
Ms. Lee. The Deconflict tool for Committee hearing
scheduling. How could we improve that so that it is more
helpful to you?
Mr. Walberg. Well, I think it comes down to the chairmen
understanding that that is an effort to make things happen more
efficiently. I think we have to accept the fact that while
Bobby and I believe that this is an A Committee and it is most
important for our people to be there, we are dealing with life
situations, we have to conform to the necessities of each
Committee.
That is why we have gone this year to electronic voting. We
will be trying that tomorrow for the first time in Committee,
so Committees' chairmen can work together and say, ``Give me 30
minutes, I will have that done. You give me 20 minutes, I will
have that done. We will get your people back to your
Committee.''
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
I now recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. Morelle, for 5
minutes for the purpose of asking questions.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you.
First of all, congratulations, Mr. Chair. As a former
Member of your Committee, I am excited for the work that you
both do and all the Members do.
Mr. Walberg. You are welcome back.
Mr. Morelle. I am happy to hear about your thoughts about
expanding some of the work that the Committee does on
healthcare policy, which I think is very, very necessary. Good
for you for taking that on, both of you.
I do want to go back to something I think the Ranking
Member, my friend, Mr. Scott, mentioned, which is the two-
thirds/one-third split.
Mr. Chair, I just want to make sure that I understand
whether or not you are prepared to give unrestricted access to
the minority for the dollars that they control in the budget.
Mr. Walberg. I believe that has been the policy over the
years, and I do not plan to change that. I think Bobby and I,
No. 1, we are good friends.
Mr. Morelle. Yes.
Mr. Walberg. We are good friends enough that we can agree
to disagree at times, but we can also agree to work together.
Mr. Morelle. Very good.
Mr. Scott, are you comfortable that that is the arrangement
you have?
Mr. Scott. That has been the tradition of the Committee,
and I do not expect a change.
Mr. Morelle. Good.
I would like you both to comment a little bit, I know that
the administration has talked about dismantling the Department
of Education, clearly something that comes under your
jurisdiction.
If you could just talk a little bit about how the resources
here will help ensure adequate oversight of administrative
policy when it comes particularly to the Department of
Education.
Mr. Walberg. We are article I. We have the most significant
powers in the Constitution. We are not going to relinquish
that. We will take all the help we can, resources from the
outside, new eyes on the subjects, new capabilities using AI,
algorithms, whatever.
In the end, I am committed as Chairman of this Committee to
make the decisions based on the reality of what we can do with
House of Representatives. While I may share some of the similar
goals and ideas of this administration, I understand that in
the end 218 votes are needed here in the House and then the
Senate has the challenge as well. What can we do to foster
Education and Workforce in the most positive way possible in
the reality that we have?
Mr. Morelle. Mr. Scott, do you have any thoughts on the
subject of adequate oversight, whether you have the resources?
Mr. Scott. I am sorry. Say again?
Mr. Morelle. Whether you feel there are adequate resources
to conduct appropriate oversight.
Mr. Scott. I would rather have more, but I think we can
fulfill our mission with the budget as it is.
Mr. Morelle. Good.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for your comments on article I
responsibility, something that I think we all need to be really
mindful of at this point.
Just I want to close my questions, particularly in light of
the fact that you intend to do many field hearings. I want to
just make sure that you feel you have adequate security support
from the United States Capitol Police and the Sergeant at Arms.
I have asked this of the previous and I will ask each of the
chairs and Ranking Members.
In this case, Mr. Chairman, you have not had any field
hearings yet, but I would urge you to just make sure you stay
in close contact with Chairman Steil and myself.
We have oversight of the Capitol Police, and I am
increasingly concerned about threats against Members and staff,
both here in D.C. and as we travel. I would just ask for your
commitment to stay in touch with us particularly as it relates
to security.
Mr. Walberg. I appreciate the offer, and we indeed will,
even having issues in my district this week where we have had
to deal with that security issue on several occasions. Yes, we
are going to do what is necessary to make sure that our team
that goes out is as safe as we possibly can be, and if we
cannot be assured of that, we will not be going out.
Mr. Morelle. Very good.
Ms. Johnson.
Ms. Johnson. Mr. Chairman, I just want to applaud you on
bolstering healthcare policy in the Committee. I think there is
a lot of ERISA reform that can happen in that regard, and I
applaud your assertion of the priority of the House over the
Senate. I think that is outstanding.
I do have a quick question, and I see that you have a civil
rights counsel as a vacant position. Do you intend on
fulfilling that role?
Mr. Walberg. The civil rights counsel----
Ms. Johnson. Yes, sir.
Mr. Walberg [continuing]. position?
Ms. Johnson. Yes, sir.
Mr. Walberg. We will do what is necessary to administer
appropriately the civil rights issue and concerns, including
using the Justice Department as necessary, as well.
Ms. Johnson. Yes. You have a budget item to hire a civil
rights counsel in the budget, and I was just wondering if you
are planning on hiring and fulfilling that role.
Mr. Walberg. I think that is up to the administrative
Committee. If you give us the resources to do that, we will do
that.
Ms. Johnson. OK. Thank you. I yield back.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
That concludes our questions.
Chairman Walberg, Ranking Member Scott, we appreciate you
being here today. We look forward to the really important work
of your Committee.
We will pause while the panel exits and the new panel
arrives.
Chairman Steil. We believe Ranking Member Huffman is just
moments away, so what we are going to do is we will begin that
panel and he will slide in, I think, in the next 5 minutes.
I now welcome our next panel, Chairman Westerman, Ranking
Member Huffman.
Appreciate you both being here.
We are going to keep this reasonably informal on the
questioning side. Each side will have 5 minutes. We will give
you each 5 minutes for your opening statements.
I will recognize you, Chairman Westerman, for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. BRUCE WESTERMAN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ARKANSAS
Mr. Westerman. Well, thank you, Chairman Steil and Ranking
Member Morelle and distinguished Members of the Committee.
Appreciate you holding this hearing today to discuss funding
for Committees of the House of Representatives. Ranking Member
Huffman and I are pleased to submit the Committee on Natural
Resources' budget request for the 119th Congress. I do
recognize the challenging task that you have in allocating
resources among Committees and appreciate the opportunity to
testify before you.
Before I outline our budget request, I do want to
familiarize you with the makeup of the Natural Resources
Committee.
The Committee may not be the most well-known, but we are a
high-performing Committee with jurisdiction that touches the
lives of every American. The Committee's five Subcommittees
have jurisdiction over American energy and minerals, Tribal and
insular affairs, Federal lands and waters, wildlife and
fisheries, as well as oversight of the Department of the
Interior and certain agencies within the Departments of
Commerce and Agriculture.
We are one of the busiest Committees in the House. During
the 118th Congress, we reported 116 bills out of Committee,
held 152 hearings and 21 full Committee markups. We also passed
over 90 bills on the House floor, many of which were bipartisan
bills that went on to become law.
Last Congress, we also held 14 field hearings--that is the
most of any House Committee--including a field hearing in Guam
where we examined the malign influence of the Chinese Communist
Party in the Indo-Pacific region, a critical discussion as
Congress worked to reauthorize the Compacts of Free Association
with the Freely Associated States of Palau, the Federated
States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
In the first 19 days of the 119th Congress, the Natural
Resources Committee has already moved 16 bills across the House
floor. Yet, while we are historically at the top of the list
for legislative activity and have jurisdiction spanning from
the Arctic Circle to the Marianas Trench and across all 50
States and territories, we fall to number 12 amongst Committees
when it comes to funding levels.
We are requesting a budget increase of 10 percent for this
2-year period based on the authorized levels for 2024. This
funding will allow the Committee to attract and retain talented
staff, fund a robust agenda of field hearings and site visits,
and replace our two Committee servers, which is estimated to
cost $100,000.
Natural Resources has 69 staff positions for majority,
minority, and nonpartisan staff. Our extremely hardworking and
ambitious staff has expertise on issues vital to our Nation,
including energy and critical minerals production, forest
management, catastrophic wildfires, management of our Nation's
fisheries and ocean resources, and the Federal Government's
trust responsibility to Indian Tribes.
Having the means to recruit and retain dedicated staff is
paramount to our work on behalf of the American people and to
the Committee's success.
A priority for me this Congress is for the Natural
Resources Committee to continue bringing Congress to the
people. Issues involving natural resources are ones you really
need to experience outside the Beltway.
We have our first field hearing scheduled for April 4 in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to examine matters relating to
healthcare and economic development in Indian Country.
The best way for Congress to make good policy decisions is
to get into the field and understand matters on a local level.
With jurisdiction spanning from forests all across the
country to the deserts of the Southwest and from the North
Slope of Alaska to the far-off islands of the South Pacific,
robust funding for travel is needed to implement our ambitious
agenda and afford as many Committee Members as possible the
opportunity to participate.
Maintaining an aggressive legislative agenda supported by
skilled staff and executing the Committee's field agenda will
require investments in both the Committee's personnel and
travel budgets.
Thank you again for the opportunity to develop and explain
this budget request. You do have a critical task, and your
decision will impact the work we do at the Committee on Natural
Resources.
I ask for your favorable consideration and look forward to
answering any questions you may have. I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Representative Westerman
follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE BRUCE WESTERMAN
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Chairman Steil. Thank you, Chairman Westerman.
Ranking Member Huffman, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. JARED HUFFMAN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Mr. Huffman. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member
Morelle, Members of the Committee. I am glad to be here with
Chairman Westerman to ask for your support for our Natural
Resources Committee's budget for the 119th Congress.
I am honored to take on the new responsibility of serving
as Ranking Member of this important Committee. It is difficult
to overstate the importance of the work this Committee does.
Our jurisdiction is vast. It includes vital issues that go
to the heart of so many people's lives. We oversee the people's
public lands and waters, including for conservation,
recreation, development, and the prevention and management of
wildfires.
We are stewards of the sovereignty of the Tribal Nations
that were here long before this country was founded. We have
the responsibility of promoting the self-determination and
well-being of the U.S. territories and the Freely Associated
States. We are at the center of the Federal efforts toward
environmental justice, and we are a vital component of any
response to the climate crisis.
Our Committee oversees national parks, wildlife refuges,
fisheries, our water resources in places of severe drought. We
conduct oversight of the Endangered Species Act, the National
Environmental Policy Act, and an array of other bedrock
statutes.
As you see in our budget request, we also value the
importance of traveling to communities that are impacted by the
decisions that we make and to see for ourselves the lands and
the waters that the American people have entrusted to our
stewardship.
I am also cognizant that our funding resources come from
taxpayers, and we should use them efficiently. Our Committee is
usually one of the most active on legislation in the Congress.
In my short time as Ranking Member, I have already managed
two bills on the floor and two sets of suspensions. The Members
and staff of this Committee are incredibly productive and work
very hard.
Although--and this will not come as a shock--Chairman
Westerman and I have some disagreements on policy, strong ones,
but we do agree on the importance of our shared work and that
sustaining this level and quality of activity requires a full
roster of majority, minority, and nonpartisan staff.
We want to attract and keep the most knowledgeable,
skilled, and dedicated public servants, and the budget
resources we are requesting will help us to do the best
possible work that we can for the American people.
I also know Mr. Westerman understands the importance of
resources for the minority, having himself been Ranking Member
previously.
We have a lot of work ahead of us. I want to thank you
again for allowing us to present our budget request today.
Chair Westerman and I are pleased to join together in this
request, and thank you for your consideration.
I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Representative Huffman follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE JARED HUFFMAN
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much. We appreciate both of
your testimony.
I will recognize myself for 5 minutes for the purpose of
asking questions. I will ask one question out of the gate
before I yield to Mr. Carey.
One question we are asking all chairs and Ranking Members
as it relates to cybersecurity is will you, Chairman Westerman
and the Ranking Member, both commit to having your systems
administrators meet with the House CIO team in the first
quarter to discuss cybersecurity issues?
Mr. Westerman. Yes, we are already doing that. We are
working with the House cybersecurity team members. We welcome
the opportunity to meet with the CIO or anybody else when it
comes to cybersecurity.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
Ranking Member, you agree, as well?
Mr. Huffman. I would welcome that, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
I will now yield to Mr. Carey.
Mr. Carey. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
One of the things that you mentioned in your questionnaire,
and I am just trying to go through it, was the field hearings
and the onsite educational opportunities with the increased
oversight with the visits among some of your highest
priorities.
I would agree with this, because I think if you are
looking--having been in the mining industry myself, not being
able to be on the ground, that is something that you just
cannot teach in a classroom. I think it is really important.
One of the things that when I was going through your
testimonies, are there any additional resources that your
Committee would need to perform some of these onsite functions
at all?
Mr. Westerman. Well, thank you, Representative Carey.
The main thing is just funding to get more people out into
the field and to do more field visits. We are not always doing
a field hearing when we go to the field. A lot of it is
educational. We did a trip last year where we went, and we went
to the Yell forest and spent a day out in the forest learning
about good forestry practices.
We travel and we pick up information that is beneficial to
us formulating policy. When we do have field hearings, the only
thing I can think of that we would need extra is with the House
Recording Studio. To have the House Recording Studio there
gives a very much higher quality video stream than if we are
trying to make do.
When we are in in-session weeks and we have a field
hearing, it is tough to get the House Recording Studio to get
out into the field and get set up for the hearing. If there is
some way to bolster the resources of the House Recording
Studio, that could help us out.
Mr. Carey. I yield back.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
I yield to Dr. Murphy.
Dr. Murphy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Just a question just about field hearings, because I think
your Committee, among some of the others, are most germane
about going out and seeing what is going on in the country and
into our beautiful land.
Do you guys have any plans to go out and look at the
California wildfires, the conditions that made them worse, et
cetera, et cetera, just as something to help prevent disasters
again in the future?
Mr. Westerman. Dr. Murphy, we actually had a field hearing
at Yosemite in this previous Congress, and we find ourselves in
California quite often because there are so many resource
issues out there.
Do not have anything on the books to go to southern
California right now, but it is certainly an opportunity to, if
the need came up, we would welcome going out there. I am more
focused on going to areas that have not burned yet and looking
at ways to keep things from happening like happened down in
southern California.
Dr. Murphy. Excellent.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yield back.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
I will now recognize the minority, Ms. Johnson, for 5
minutes for purposes of asking questions.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
One of the things that we are just wanting to confirm is
the two-thirds/one-third split, to make sure that the minority
will have full, unrestricted access to the resources that you
need. Will you both commit to that?
Mr. Westerman. Yes. As Ranking Member Huffman said, I have
been in the Ranking Member position before, and I know it is
important to have funding when you are in the minority, and I
would not want to set a precedent for something in the far, far
distant future.
Mr. Huffman. I have received that assurance, and I believe
Mr. Westerman, so we are happy with it. Not happy with it, I
mean, we are three seats short of a majority here and we are
getting one-third, but we will live with it.
Ms. Johnson. The other issue is, when you have your field
hearings, we just want to make sure that you are safe and
secure and that you will advise the Committee on your needs of
Capitol Police to make sure that you have adequate safety when
you are out and about.
Unfortunately, we do not live in the safest of times. We
have people out there that want to do us harm. We just want to
make sure that you keep the Committee apprised and that you
advise us of any security needs that you may have.
Mr. Westerman. Yes, that is very important, and we
coordinate with Capitol Police and usually with various amounts
of local law enforcement.
If we are in a national park, you have got the Park Service
Police, but then you have also got local law enforcement in the
areas that we go. We are very cognizant of that, and we will
continue to coordinate with the Committee and Capitol Police on
that.
Ms. Johnson. Yes. Well, I applaud you for getting out and
about. I think too often there is a huge disconnect from the
country and D.C., and it is great that so many of the
Committees are wanting to expand their field hearings. I think
the role you do in particular, that is fantastic. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Chairman Steil. The gentlewoman yields back.
I appreciate you both testifying before us today. You have
very important work on the Committee on Natural Resources and
appreciate you coming in with us today.
We will pause while the witness panel exits.
Chairman Steil. We welcome our next panel. We have Chairman
Green and Ranking Member Thompson from the Homeland Security
Committee.
As you will see, we will manage our questions on each side,
managing between the minority and majority. See if the mike
volume gets back up. We will also recognize you each for 5
minutes for an opening statement.
Starting with you, Chairman Green, for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. MARK E. GREEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TENNESSEE
Mr. Green. Sounds good.
Thank you, Chairman Steil and Ranking Member Morelle and
Members of the Committee. I thank my Ranking Member for the
work that he has put in over the years, 20--how many years have
you been on this Committee?
Mr. Thompson. Since it has been created.
Mr. Green. It has been a while.
I want to thank you for the leadership of this Committee
and the work that you guys do to make the business of the
people's House possible.
The decisions you make have a real and tangible impact on
the ability of all congressional Committees to carry out the
legislative duties in this House, and your efforts are greatly
appreciated by all of us at the House Committee on Homeland
Security.
In the 119th Congress, the Committee on Homeland Security
will build upon our work from the previous Congress to oversee
and improve the Federal Government's third-largest department.
The Department of Homeland Security and its component
agencies--including Customs and Border Protection, the Coast
Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency,
the Transportation Security Administration, the Secret Service,
and Immigration and Customs Enforcement--play critical roles in
securing the homeland land, maritime, and cyber borders,
countering terrorist threats, combating transnational criminal
organizations, and responding to major disasters.
Across all of these agencies and support components DHS has
over 260,000 employees and a budget of more than $70 billion,
in addition to nearly $40 billion in disaster relief and
supplemental appropriations for FEMA in Fiscal Year 2024 alone.
The threats to the homeland are ever-present and come from
many different actors. In just the last year we have witnessed
major cyber attacks, such as Salt Typhoon; an assassination
attempt that nearly took the life of President Trump in Butler,
Pennsylvania; last month's terrorist attack in New Orleans; and
devastating natural disasters that have destroyed homes in
communities in North Carolina, Florida, California, and in my
home State of Tennessee.
By supporting the Homeland Security Committee you will
enable the Committee to take an active role in overseeing and
evaluating the efforts of DHS to safeguard the American people.
In the 118th Congress, the Homeland Security Committee held
a total of 87 hearings and ordered 57 bills to be recorded with
a favorable recommendation. Over the next 2 years the Committee
plans to continue its agenda of developing and advancing
legislation on issues ranging from border security and
counterterrorism to strengthening our cyber workforce and
protecting our Nation's critical infrastructure.
The Committee's budget request focuses on recruiting and
retaining critical talent to support an aggressive agenda of
legislative and oversight activities across the Committee's
jurisdiction.
Additionally, the Committee on Homeland Security requires
resources to travel to engage with DHS personnel serving on the
front lines of operations to protect the homeland in a variety
of roles and agencies. We are planning an active schedule of
site visits and investigative travel to inform our legislative
work with the observations and information gained from these
visits.
Furthermore, during the 118th Congress events such as the
attempted assassination on President Trump in Butler and the
aftermath of hurricane damage in North Carolina necessitated
site visits to be arranged at short notice for Members of the
Committee and staff in order to further the Committee's
oversight responsibilities following these situations.
Investing in the Committee on Homeland Security will equip
the Committee to carry out its critical legislative role with
respect to the important mission of DHS.
In a world where the United States faces serious and
complex threats to the homeland, this mission to protect the
American people requires a strong commitment to ensuring that
the Department of Homeland Security is prepared to carry out
the responsibilities entrusted to it by Congress and act as a
sound steward of taxpayer dollars.
As we pursue this task, we will manage our resources
responsibly, with an aim toward maximizing the value that we
contribute to Congress and the security of the American people.
Thank you for your consideration of our funding request,
and I look forward to answering any questions you may have
about this request.
Chairman Steil. Thank you, Chairman Green.
Ranking Member Thompson, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Mr. Thompson. Thank you, Chairman Steil and Ranking Member
Morelle. I appreciate the opportunity to come before you to
speak in support of the Committee on Homeland Security's
funding request.
I have been on the Committee for over 20 years. What was
started in 2003 as a temporary select committee formed to
oversee the newly created Department of Homeland Security has
matured into a standing panel with broad oversight and growing
legislative responsibilities.
In the Committee's earliest days, our work was primarily
focused on bolstering security and information sharing to
prevent future attacks by foreign terrorist organizations like
al-Qaida.
Today, with the threat landscape far more divisive and
complex, our oversight responsibilities have expanded to
include DHS' efforts to detect, prevent, and respond to threats
posed by domestic violent extremists, transnational criminal
organizations and hostile nation-states, cybersecurity, the
security of our air, land, and sea borders, the security of
air, rail, mass transit, pipelines, and all other
transportation modes, emergency preparedness response and
recovery, nuclear, biological, radiological, chemical, and
explosive threats.
We have conducted site visits throughout the country,
including visits to the border. We have also held field
hearings in various Members' districts.
This Congress, with additional resources, we are well
positioned to build on the Committee's longstanding record and
to increase our oversight of DHS' efforts in the field as well
as international engagement with foreign partners.
We know that we cannot predict when a natural disaster or
terrorist attack on our soil will occur, so increased resources
will improve our ability to conduct timely, robust oversight in
the field when necessary.
I can say with certainty that Democratic Members on the
Committee are concerned about border security and will travel
to the border to speak with local stakeholders and Border
Patrol agency.
Also, given the recent terrorist attack in New Orleans, the
Committee must have more oversight of soft targets, vehicular
attacks, and terrorism inspired by ISIS.
Further, given the devastating disasters, such as tornadoes
in North Carolina and the wildfires in California, the
Committee will need to continue to direct its attention to
oversight of disaster recovery and response.
Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member, this year marks the
20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and disaster response
and resiliency is still an ongoing issue in many areas of the
country, including my district, which is still rebuilding from
a tragic storm that occurred in March 2023. I hope the
Committee can contribute to creating more pathways for
equitable response for disasters.
On the legislative front, an increase in budgetary
resources will help ensure the Committee has adequate resources
to advance timely legislative initiatives.
Going into the 119th Congress, we will be looking to build
upon achievements from previous Congresses. I do not need to
tell you that it takes a lot of staff and resources to carry
all the great oversight and legislative work we do. Those staff
deserve to be compensated appropriately for their work.
With respect to CHS, I am fortunate to have Hope Goins lead
the talented and diverse professionals who make up the
Democratic staff.
Thank you for allowing me to testify in support of the
budget proposal Chairman Green submitted. The resources sought
are critical to ensuring the Committee can continue to
effectively carry out its responsibility as the primary
authorizer of the Nation's third-largest Federal department.
With that, I yield for any questions.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much. The gentleman yields
back.
I appreciate both of your testimony, Chairman Green and
Ranking Member Thompson. I will begin. I yield to myself for 5
minutes for the purpose of asking questions. I will be yielding
amongst my colleagues.
Out of the gates, I have asked every chair and Ranking
Member the same question, which is: Can you both commit to have
your systems administrator meet with the House CIO team in the
first quarter to discuss cybersecurity issues?
Mr. Green. Well, that is a great question. Thank you for
asking it. The answer is an absolute yes.
Cybersecurity is one of my big issues in this current role
and a big concern for me. I often consider it our Nation's, I
guess, fifth border, fourth border. It is critical. Obviously
we have had Congressmen compromised before with the Microsoft
hit. We will work very closely with the CIO.
Chairman Steil. Thank you.
Yes, also, Mr. Thompson?
Mr. Thompson. Yes.
Chairman Steil. Thank you.
Chair Green, I am going to want to dive in because you have
a lot of travel scheduled. You also have done a lot of travel
last Congress. I want to get your feedback on your experience
and the importance of having boots on the ground, not only to
inform staff, but Members as well, about the issues that are
taking place at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Could you share with us some of your perspective of the
importance of having boots on the ground both at the staff and
Member level?
Mr. Green. Yes, absolutely. I am informed by my years in
the military of the leader's reconnaissance, going to the
ground, looking at the ground before you plan the mission.
Obviously, you cannot sometimes in the military, so you
rebuild the sand table or you rebuild the building and do your
models in order to train and prepare for what you have to do.
There is nothing replacing the leader's boots on the
ground. I can cite a very specific example when it came to the
Butler assassination attempt. Standing where the President
stood and looking at that building, every single person--and it
was a huge group of us from the Committee that went,
Republicans and Democrats--standing in that site, going, ``Oh,
my gosh, this was a massive failure.''
In our oversight and in our policy responsibilities to the
country, being able to stand there and look at it is critical.
We did a field hearing at the border. That was one of our
first activities last Congress and it was very helpful. Here in
a few weeks we will be doing a trip to Palo Alto for
cybersecurity.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
I will yield to Representative Bice.
Mrs. Bice. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
In your request you mentioned that it would be helpful if
the House provided more Committee-specific type of training, as
most of the training that is put on is actually geared toward
personal offices.
What type of Committee training would you be interested in
seeing?
Mr. Green. One of the challenges for us, for example, and
this is just an example, cybersecurity, is AI and how AI is
being used to pit machine against machine.
Our staff, both on the right and the left, have to grapple
with how AI is being utilized. We can bring witnesses and the
staff get educated that way. It would be really good to be able
to send folks to the MIT course, the 4-to 6-week course at MIT.
These types of trainings make a huge impact for the staff
for two reasons. One, it makes them better at doing their jobs.
Two, it helps us retain them.
When we invest in our people, they want to stay on the
team. I believe the Ranking Member would agree with me on that.
That is one example of some Committee-specific training
that could happen for our folks.
Mrs. Bice. Thank you.
With that, I yield back.
Chairman Steil. We could have a broader conversation, but
some of the adjustments we have made inside the reap may
provide some of that funding opportunity as it relates to
staff, which I think is a real reason that we are making those
types of adjustments, to make sure that we have adequate
funding for staff training.
Before our time expires, I just want to touch base in
particular on the importance of the pay scale. In particular,
when we look at the administration, maybe as we have seen in
other Committees, maybe it is the case in your Committee as
well, where Members of your Committee, experienced staff
members, are now joining the Trump administration, on how that
compensation piece is impacting your ability to retain staff.
Mr. Green. Well, it is not just the new administration or
the change over there. There is a labor workforce shortage in
the country.
Folks who work on Committees, I have discovered this in my
time, my few years here, I came in with you, of course, and we
are going on 7 years now, but our Committee staff seems to be
more broadly developed and our--or, I am sorry, our
congressional staff, our Committee staff, they become experts
and they become highly sought after. Their salaries have to
adjust to keep pace with what is happening in corporate
America.
Not just the administration, although that is an issue, we
have a challenge because we have experts in fields that become
very marketable for salaries that are much higher than what we
probably could ever attain, but that buffer becomes service to
the country.
At some point an individual goes, ``Gosh, this could be
life changing for my family. I have served. I am going to go
work.''
The more competitive we can make it, the better folks we
get to keep.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
I will now recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. Morelle, for 5
minutes to ask questions.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, thank you, Mr. Ranking Member, for
being here.
I want to start with the--I know the traditional split
among Committees is two-thirds majority/one-third minority. I
also am cognizant of the fact that most Committees allow the
minority unrestricted access to their funds. I want to make
sure, Mr. Chairman, that that is something that you will
continue to recognize.
Mr. Green. Absolutely.
Mr. Morelle. Mr. Thompson, are you confident, have an
agreement with the Chairman?
Mr. Thompson. We have an agreement.
Mr. Morelle. I would like to ask you both to just comment
on the requested budget providing you with the adequate
resources to be able to enhance and build oversight
capabilities. A lot going on in terms of Homeland Security, as
you both rightly identified.
I continue to want to make sure that our article I
responsibilities of oversight are protected, our prerogatives
are protected as a Congress, and we are doing everything we can
to make sure that adequate oversight exists.
If you could talk about within your budget request how
comfortable you feel that you have the resources to continue to
provide that article I oversight responsibility.
Mr. Green. The budget request we put in this cycle is
reflective of a great deal of oversight that happened last
time, and we are committed to continuing that same level of
oversight and it is informed by what we did last cycle. I think
the answer to that is, yes, we will be very aggressive in that
area.
Mr. Morelle. I wonder if the Ranking Member has any comment
in that regard.
Mr. Thompson. Well, we have a standing Oversight Committee.
It is staffed. In conjunction with that, sometimes Members and
staff need to go out in the field, see what is occurring. Some
of it occurs with respect to disasters, which we know will
happen, we just cannot predict when.
We need to have the resources to do the necessary
oversight, especially with disasters. With cyber coming
nonstop, we need to have the responsibility to be as fast and
nimble in that response.
Mr. Morelle. Very good.
Last thing. As it relates to--and you have done a number of
field hearings. I want to make sure that you feel comfortable,
first of all, with security arrangements for Members and staff
traveling. It has been increased throughout assessments that we
have gotten from the U.S. Capitol Police as well as the
Sergeant at Arms.
Any concerns about that? If not, just an open invitation to
make sure you communicate, both of you, with the chair and with
me so that we can make sure that Members and staff, as you
travel around the country, are safe. I do not know if you
wanted to comment on that at all.
Mr. Green. No, I cannot thank you enough for that question.
Let me apologize for mispronouncing your name at the beginning.
But, yes. No, I cannot thank you enough for that question.
We think about that all the time.
Your security posture should be driven by the threat at the
time. I think if either of us have a concern, we are going to
come talk to both of you and get the resources that we need.
Mr. Morelle. Very good.
I meant to identify Ms. Johnson is also a Member of the
Homeland Security Committee.
Mr. Green. She is.
Mr. Morelle. She is very busy. Our newest Member here. She
is serving on three different Committees. I wanted to make sure
that she and Mrs. Torres, if they have any questions.
Mrs. Torres. I do not have a question. I just want to say
thank you for the work that you do.
I was once a Member of the Homeland Security. I like to
sleep at night. I like to talk about my work. I left that
Committee because I just did not like being in classified
briefings.
You have to work really hard to keep us safe in the
homeland. I hope that this one area where we can work in a
bipartisan way.
Thank you again, Chairman and Ranking Member Thompson.
I yield back.
Ms. Johnson. I just want to make a comment on the
importance of the field hearings. I had the privilege to go to
New Orleans on a field hearing, a mission just to inspect the
Super Bowl, and I found it immensely helpful. I learned so much
to meet with all the various law enforcement agencies to see
how hard they are working to keep us safe and the security
there. It came off without a hitch. It was very informative for
me.
Just to say how significant these hearings are. I am
looking forward to getting to the border and some of these
other issues. I just think they are really important. I am
really glad that you, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member, are
facilitating those opportunities for us.
I yield back.
Mr. Green. Yes, we have our border boot camp for any
Member. All the new Members will get a personal invitation.
Really anyone who wants to go can go. That is March 17 through
19.
Mr. Morelle. I yield back, Mr. Chair.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
We appreciate your testimony, Chairman Green, Ranking
Member Thompson. Really important work before you this
Congress. We appreciate you being here.
We will pause while the witness panel exits.
Chairman Steil. We are joined by our next panel, the
Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
We welcome you, Chairman Babin, and congratulations on your
Chairmanship.
Ranking Member Lofgren, welcome back to the Committee on
House Administration's hearing room. It is good to have you
here. We miss you here on the Committee on House
Administration.
We will recognize each of you for 5 minutes for an opening
statement. Then we will do 5 minutes of questioning on each
side and then yield between our colleagues.
I will now recognize you, Chairman Babin, for 5 minutes for
an opening statement.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. BRIAN BABIN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS
Mr. Babin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate it. It is
good to be here with you all. Appreciate it.
Ranking Member Morelle, it was good to sit next to you at
the inauguration the other day too.
Mr. Morelle. You too, sir.
Mr. Babin. Yes, sir.
Chairman Steil, Ranking Member Morelle, thank you so much
for the opportunity to testify today regarding the budgetary
needs of our House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,
also known as SST. It is a privilege to serve as Chairman of a
Committee dedicated to advancing America's leadership in
science, in innovation, in space exploration.
I appreciate your consideration of our request for
increased funding to support our Committee's vital work going
forward.
I want to begin by thanking my colleague, Ranking Member
Zoe Lofgren from California, for her cooperation in building
out the SST budget request.
Thank you and your staff for working with us.
Our shared commitment to ensuring the Committee operates
effectively is essential, and I deeply appreciate her
partnership. Under my leadership, I will absolutely maintain to
Ranking Member Lofgren and the minority that they will have a
full one-third share of the Committee's budget and staff
allocations.
SST oversees Federal research, space policy and energy
innovation, critical areas for national security and economic
competitiveness. When I look at your membership up there I know
there are a lot of folks that are interested in those issues.
To fulfill our mission, we must recruit and retain highly
qualified staff, conduct thorough investigations, and engage
with stakeholders nationwide.
One of the most pressing challenges that we face is the
need to offer competitive salaries to attract and retain the
top talent, especially in the fields that we have jurisdiction
over.
Staff with science, engineering, and research backgrounds
demand higher salaries, and the job market for these
individuals is highly competitive.
The reality is, without appropriate compensation, this
Committee will lose experienced professionals to the private
sector or over to the executive branch, which specifically
carves out special compensation packages for individuals with
these backgrounds.
Our Committee must be able to recruit and retain qualified
staff with the expertise necessary for sound policymaking and
oversight. Failing to offer competitive salaries will weaken
SST's ability to legislate effectively on extremely complex
issues.
A key component of our budget request is funding for
increased travel, including two field hearings per Subcommittee
for the 119th Congress. Given the rapidly evolving nature of
this Committee's issues, we also plan to retain funding for two
additional field hearings so the Committee can promptly respond
to an emergency or to a critical event.
I strongly believe that firsthand engagement is critical,
especially as we work to inform and include new Members of the
Committee. Field hearings allow us to interact directly with
scientists, engineers, and industry leaders, providing deeper
insights into challenges and opportunities.
From research laboratories to commercial space flight
facilities, travel is vital to have effective oversight. As
Chairman, I am committed to being a responsible steward of our
taxpayers' moneys. Every request that we make is based on a
clear need to enhance the Committee's ability to accomplish our
mission, and that is to serve the American people.
We are not seeking additional funding frivolously, but to
ensure that we fulfill our oversight and legislative
responsibilities at the highest standards. The issues within
the Science, Space, and Technology Committee's jurisdiction are
more pressing now than ever before. Rapid advancements in
artificial intelligence, space exploration, quantum computing,
and energy innovation require proactive legislative efforts to
keep up with our enemies, if you want to say.
These fields are not just about technological progress.
They are about national security. They are about economic
prosperity and maintaining America's leadership in global
science and innovation.
For these reasons, as laid out by my formal budget
submission, I respectfully request an increase in the
Committee's budget. This investment will allow us to retain top
tier staff, conduct essential travel and field hearings, and
provide the necessary resources to advance American leadership
in science and technology.
I appreciate so much your time, Mr. Chairman and Members of
the Committee, and look forward to working with you all to
ensure that our Committee has the resources necessary to
continue the important work that we do.
With that, I will welcome your questions.
[The prepared statement of Representative Babin follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN BABIN
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Chairman Steil. Thank you, Chairman Babin.
Ranking Member Lofgren, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. ZOE LOFGREN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Ms. Lofgren. Thank you, Chairman Steil and Ranking Member
Morelle. It is good to be back in the hearing room where we had
so many wonderful experiences.
At the outset, I would like to say that Chairman Babin and
his staff collaborated with me and my staff in formulating this
request and I fully support it. Because we are in agreement, I
will keep my remarks brief.
The Science Committee bore the brunt of some very steep
Committee budget cuts from the year 2010 to 2013. The
Committee's budget was cut by over 26 percent, and that is even
not accounting for inflation, although in recent years the
House Admin Committee has tried to consistently increase the
Science Committee's budget, which is very much appreciated.
The Science Committee's budget in real dollars has only
just began to recover from those cuts. Last year was the first
year where our budget was as high as the budget in 2010, and
that is in real dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
The budgets of the Federal agencies that the Science
Committee oversees have seen very large increases in recent
years to increase regular appropriations.
While I was a strong supporter of this increased funding,
we need to be good stewards of the taxpayers' money for these
programs. Quite frankly, I think that will be hard do without
bringing on additional professional staff to the Committee to
conduct oversight.
The last point I would like to make, and it is the same
that our Chairman has made, is that the quality of the staff is
also a factor in our ability to conduct oversight. Due to the
highly technical programs the Science Committee oversees, we
need people with specialized expertise. I will say the majority
of my staff have advanced degrees or backgrounds in the
technical fields that they oversee.
We simply have to be able to offer candidates competitive
salaries, if we went to retain our current staff and attract
qualified professionals to the Science Committee.
As just one example, as the Chairman has mentioned, we are
heavily focused on the issue of artificial intelligence. This
is a very serious competitive priority for our country with
regards to Communist China.
Bringing on qualified staff who understand this issue is
not cheap, but it is vital for us to ensure our public policy
keeps us competitive in this emerging field.
The budget that Chairman Babin and I have jointly submitted
would allow the Committee to fully staff up and conduct the
skilled oversight of the technical programs within our
jurisdiction and, as has been mentioned, would also allow for
increased site visits to our Nation's various laboratories and
field centers, which is critically important for effective
oversight.
The minority side alone has nine new Members this Congress,
and it is important for Members and staff to undertake
oversight visits to Government research facilities and
laboratories under the jurisdiction of the Committee.
It has been years since Members and staff have visited some
of those facilities, and it is important that our policy
initiatives be informed by an understanding of the actual work
being undertaken at our Federal laboratories and research
universities.
I want to thank you for allowing me to testify. I am happy
to answer any questions. I yield back.
[The prepared statement of Representative Lofgren follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE ZOE LOFGREN
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Chairman Steil. Thank you, Ranking Member Lofgren.
We will now take 5 minutes each for the majority and
minority for questions, yielding between our colleagues. I will
now recognize myself for 5 minutes for the purpose of asking
questions.
A question that I have asked every chair and Ranking
Member, simple yes or no, as relates to cybersecurity, will you
commit to having your systems administrator meet with the
House's CIO team in the first quarter to discuss cybersecurity
issues?
Mr. Babin. Absolutely yes.
Ms. Lofgren. Yes.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
I will yield to Dr. Murphy.
Dr. Murphy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Congratulations, Dr. Babin. You will do a great job. I miss
my days back on Science and Technology. Actually, given my
past, I love a good science thing.
CODELs. As you guys move forward, we have seen the requests
more and more. You have asked for $1.7 million; you used
$100,000 last session. Can you tell us a little bit more about
why you feel this is needed, what you plan to do, et cetera?
Mr. Babin. Absolutely. You are asking me, right?
Dr. Murphy. You are the Chairman.
Mr. Babin. We are absolutely in need of more travel. Last
Congress, in the 118th, our Committee chair was injured
severely by a bull and I do not think that we took a single
congressional delegation trip. I am not sure. I think we might
have had some field hearings, but the travel was absolutely
basically zero. You can confirm that if you would.
We need to, with what is going on worldwide, when it comes
to space, when it comes to science, when it comes to the
technological developments and advancements by searching--I
said enemies a while ago, by our adversaries--we certainly need
to get out and travel and find out weather reporting,
meteorology satellites, you name it. We have to go and get our
feet on the ground and talk to the folks that are necessary to
get this information to help. It is vital information that is
national security.
Dr. Murphy. Thanks, Mr. Chairman.
I yield back.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
Anybody else?
I will jump in. Let me follow up with you on that, Chairman
Babin.
Mr. Babin. Sure.
Chairman Steil. Ranking Member Lofgren, you are welcome to
join in here.
When we think about retaining staff, in particular in the
space of AI, I think that is an area that is absolutely
critical and it is an area you are studying. It is a challenge
to find staff members with expertise in that space. How do you
think about retention of staff in that regard?
Mr. Babin. Well, this is something that is extremely
important, and we addressed it in our opening statements, Mr.
Chairman.
I think that this is a cutting-edge development that if we
fail to take the lead--or keep our lead, I should say, I think
we are in the lead right now--but we have adversaries that are
absolutely intent on replacing and supplanting us as the No. 1
power, and AI is going to be huge.
We have to have the personnel working for us that can
address these developments so that we can keep abreast, not
only abreast, but out in front of these developments. We have
very good staff members. We have Members who sit on our
Committee who are well versed in AI. I am not going to tell you
that I am an expert in AI, but I can tell you that I am well
aware of the importance of it as we move forward.
We use AI every day. Most people do not even realize the
things that we do in everyday life that absolutely has that
function.
We have got to keep the right people working at the
Committee, Mr. Chairman and Members. That is why we have asked
for this increase in our budget.
Chairman Steil. Thank you.
Ms. Lofgren. I would just add that on the minority side we
have individuals with advanced degrees in the area of AI,
quantum, as well as fusion, which are the three elements where
we are in a race with China. They love the work. They are
committed to public policy. They also have to support their
families.
We have to at least have a stab in the direction of
competitiveness. They could all earn a lot more in the private
sector. I am glad that they are willing to stick with us. I
will say our staffs work very well together. The Republican
staff is also very skilled.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
I yield back.
I recognize the Ranking Member for 5 minutes.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Congratulations. I did indeed
appreciate the time we got to spend together on inauguration
day. As a member of CJS on the Appropriations Committee, we
have many mutual interests. I appreciate that. Of course it is
always great to see my friend and the former chair of the
Committee here, Ms. Lofgren.
I want to just quickly ask some questions I have asked each
of the Committee chairs as it relates to, and I think, Mr.
Chairman, you mentioned the two-thirds/one-third split. I just
want to make sure that you are going to continue the tradition
of allowing independence of the minority to spend their money
in the way that they feel is appropriate.
Mr. Babin. Yes, sir.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you.
I am interested. I talked a little bit about our article I
responsibilities as oversight. Clearly in the case of the
administration, with particularly someone who is very, very
involved in space, space, space, space, with SpaceX, who is
also now a special governmental employee, whether you feel you
have adequate resources on the Committee to discharge your
article I responsibilities of oversight.
I know there could be conflicts and challenges. Do you feel
this adequately funds your ability to dispense our
responsibilities as Congress for oversight of the
administration, particularly in the critical areas you
mentioned.
Mr. Babin. I think our budget is sufficient for that, yes.
Mr. Morelle. Very good.
Ms. Lofgren, does the Ranking Member have any comments?
Ms. Lofgren. Well, we have had a fire hose experience here
these last few weeks. I do think that the training we were
recently offered on whistleblowers is very helpful because
certainly there are people who want to explain what they are
seeing inside the science enterprise. We have had a hearing
just last week and we are having another one tomorrow on where
we are in the science enterprise.
I would be lying if I did not note that I have some grave
concerns about some of the activities in the last few weeks and
their impact on our competitiveness. We are in a race with the
Communist Party of China, and kneecapping the science
enterprise is not going to help us win that fight.
I do think, I will say in the last Congress I would say all
but one of the bills in the Committee was passed unanimously.
We worked very closely to have bipartisan agreement on each and
every matter.
The Chairman and I talk frequently and we have every hope
that that past experience was not just the last Congress but
decades of bipartisanship and the Committee will be able to be
sustained in this Congress, although I am sure there will be
challenges.
Mr. Morelle. Yes. I thank you both for that. There is no
question, particularly in the area of AI and the emergence of
quantum computing, when those two technologies sort of come
together, that is an incredibly powerful tool. We have to be
the ones to harness that before any of our adversaries do. That
is clearly a game changer. I appreciate that.
The last question I have is just as it relates to field
hearings, and you may not have had run into this yet, but I
guess this is as much an invitation as it is a request for
information. We are increasingly concerned with threats against
Members and staff. As you are planning your field hearings, we
would love that you communicate with the Chairman and myself.
We have oversight over the Capitol Police and the Sergeant
at Arms. We want to make absolutely certain Members and staff
have the resources they need and that we have thought about
field hearings to protect people.
There is a little more protection just built into being
here in D.C., although it is not without risk. Certainly as you
are moving about, we want to make sure that have you adequate
security. Frankly, if there are any concerns you have, now
would be the time to express it. Certainly moving forward I
would urge you to continue to communicate with us.
Mr. Babin. Absolutely.
If you do not mind----
Ms. Lofgren. Go ahead.
Mr. Babin [continuing]. take a dig at that, if you do not
mind.
Yes, I think today we have increased threats all around the
world. Of course some of the issues and subjects that we are
going to be looking at absolutely have to do with those types
of threats.
One of you all had mentioned a while ago we want to go not
only to have field hearings in our National Laboratories, NASA
centers, but at these National Labs, I do not think I have
visited one, quite frankly. We have neglected that. We want to
make sure that we go.
There have been some great developments that have happened
at our National Laboratories. We want to stay on top of that.
To do our duty in oversight, I think it is imperative that we
take these field hearings to this, and some of our
Subcommittees will be doing so.
Ms. Lofgren. Could I flag just one potential issue? The
Third Street Southwest entrance to the Ford Building, which is
where the minority staff is housed, has been closed for several
Congresses.
What that means is the staff has to walk around the
building, stand in line. Especially during inclement weather,
that is not fun. It is to enter the building and it has impact
on staff morale.
I do not think it is the very safest way for cleared staff
to get in. Either opening the door, at least in the morning, so
people can get in might be a good help. If someone could take a
look at that, I think that would be super.
Mr. Morelle. OK. We will take a look at it.
Chairman Steil. Yield back?
Mr. Morelle. Thank you. Yes, I yield back.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
Agreed, more than happy to look into it. Good to see you
still have a little House Admin going on in the brain. That is
great. We miss you here on the Committee.
We will pause while the panel exits and the next panel
arrives.
Ms. Lofgren. Thank you.
Mr. Babin. Thank you all.
Chairman Steil. I welcome our next panel to the Committee.
Chairman Moolenaar, Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi, thank
you both for joining us here today. We will recognize each of
you for 5 minutes for an opening statement. We will have 5
minutes on the majority and the minority for questions shared
between the Members in total.
I will now recognize you, Chairman Moolenaar.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. JOHN R. MOOLENAAR, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN
Mr. Moolenaar. Thank you, Chairman Steil and Ranking Member
Morelle and Members of the Committee. We appreciate this
opportunity to testify on the funding request for the select
committee.
The select committee's recent authorization by the full
House reflects the reality that the Chinese Communist Party
represents an unprecedented urgent threat to our national
security, our economy, and our values.
I am proud of the work that my teammate, Ranking Member
Raja Krishnamoorthi, and I have advanced to combat this threat
on behalf of the American people. Raja's clear-eyed recognition
of the CCP threat, coupled with his courage and creativity,
make him the ideal Ranking Member.
Through close collaboration and diligence, we have
leveraged the full range of available tools to investigate,
conduct oversight, develop actionable policy recommendations,
and inform the American people of the high stakes involved.
Our work is illuminating the true nature of the CCP and its
dangerous actions, forging bipartisan consensus and resulting
in critical steps to safeguard our Nation.
Our funding request for the 119th Congress reflects this
strong foundation. It also reflects a vision for further
delivering on our mandate to counter the economic,
technological, security, and ideological threats posed by the
CCP.
As we carry out our mission, the Ranking Member and I are
committed to being faithful stewards of our resources and doing
right by the taxpayers through efficient and effective
operation of the select committee.
Our budget request for this new Congress has the benefit of
experience gained in the first 2 years when we built a new
Committee from scratch.
What we learned last Congress about our scope of work,
staffing demands, and operational rhythm has helped inform a
request that responsibly meets the Committee's operational
requirements. This includes having a bipartisan staff with
specialized expertise and robust experience in the relevant
areas, which comes at a higher cost in salaries to attract and
retain talent.
Additionally, this year and next our investigative work,
central to the Committee's mandate, will increase in scale,
scope, and complexity. The request therefore accounts for
necessary personnel and related resources, including some new
investigative tools.
With the resources provided to us, we will work diligently
to hold the CCP accountable for its threatening actions,
including fueling the fentanyl crisis and engaging in malign
trade practices.
Two, stem the flow of American capital and technology
boosting the Chinese military buildup.
Three, strengthen deterrence against the CCP's military
aggression.
Four, address the CCP's brutality and human rights abuses.
Five, position the United States to win the competition
against the CCP.
This task is a significant one, but I am confident that we
have the Members, the staff plan, and partnerships with the
standing Committees of jurisdiction to help deliver national
security wins for the American people.
In closing, let me also express deep appreciation on behalf
of the select committee for your vital work. Under your
leadership, important tasks such as making our legislative
branch more cost effective and efficient are in capable hands.
I want to thank you for your time and your consideration of
our funding request. I look forward to answering any questions
you might have.
[The prepared statement of Representative Moolenaar
follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE JOHN R. MOOLENAAR
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Mrs. Bice.
[Presiding.] Thank you, Chairman Moolenaar.
At this time I recognize Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi for
5 minutes for opening remarks.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
Mr. Krishnamoorthi. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you to
all of you for your distinguished service.
I want to thank my good friend and colleague, Chairman John
Moolenaar, for his bipartisanship and just the way he has
conducted this Committee.
Thank you so much for everything you do. Thank you to your
staff as well. Thank you to mine.
The mandate of this Committee as written in the House rules
package is to help study, investigate, and make policy
recommendations on our strategic competition with the CCP.
I am proud to say that over the course of the last Congress
our Committee conducted 18 hearings, produced five
groundbreaking investigative reports, three bipartisan policy
recommendation reports, and significant legislative measures
that meaningfully advanced our strategic competition.
Our work is not yet finished. In fact, the recent Salt
Typhoon attacks--and I hope that all of you pay close attention
to this particular issue--only remind us of how we must be
prepared even more so now than ever for the competition ahead,
as well as aggression on the part of the CCP, technologically,
economically, and militarily.
With the evolving work in mind, we work very closely with
the Chairman and the majority staff on a host of issues,
including this budget, to have it reflect the demands of the
work ahead.
As we work together to meet the challenges and the mandate
posed to this Committee, I am very pleased to join Chairman
Moolenaar in supporting this funding request, and I believe
that it reflects the sobering realities of the threats posed by
the CCP.
This competition will be the defining geopolitical
challenge of the 21st century, from unfair trade practices and
supply chain vulnerabilities--and thank you to Ranking Member
Morelle for pointing out some of these challenges in his own
district, and he has worked very closely with our staff, and
thank you so much--to intellectual property theft, to human
rights violations, we must remain vigilant in defending
American interests, protecting workers, and upholding our
values.
At the same time, our approach must continue to be
measured, strategic, and solutions oriented, rooted in
strengthening America, working with our partners and allies,
and always taking a powerful position in defending America.
The CCP poses major economic and security threats to our
Nation, as well as to democracy and prosperity throughout the
world. Those dangers are illustrated by the CCP's threats to
Taiwan, its escalating posture in the South China Sea, and its
numerous human rights abuses, including the Uyghur genocide,
which again I respectfully request all of you to pay close
attention to. It is something that Chairman Moolenaar and I
talk about at every possible venue.
Using the resources provided to this Committee, we will
study and develop the policy tools we need to continue to
protect our Nation and outcompete the PRC by rebuilding our
industrial capacity, upskilling our workforce, cooperating with
our partners, and countering the CCP's nonmarket policies that
hurt American workers.
We will pursue this agenda while rejecting the dangers of
xenophobia and division. Thank you, Chairman Moolenaar, for
your strong condemnation of any kind of xenophobia,
discrimination, hate, or prejudice toward anybody, including
Asian Americans.
The tasks before this Committee are significant, but
Chairman Moolenaar and I know that the budget that we have
proposed will enable our Committee to continue to deliver the
actionable policy recommendations necessary to ensure security
and prosperity for our country.
I want to say thank you again to Chairman Steil, thank you
to Ranking Member Morelle, to all the distinguished Members of
this Committee, and thank you to our staffs.
I yield back. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Representative Krishnamoorthi
follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Chairman Steil.
[Presiding.] Thank you, Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi,
Chairman Moolenaar, for being here.
We will now take 5 minutes each between the majority and
minority. I will recognize myself for 5 minutes.
We have asked every chair and Ranking Member the same
question, yes/no, as it relates to cybersecurity. Will you
commit to having your systems administrator meet with the
House's CIO in the first quarter of this year to discuss
cybersecurity?
Mr. Moolenaar. Yes.
Mr. Krishnamoorthi. Yes.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
I will yield to Representative Bice.
Mrs. Bice. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I do not think that there is a more important Committee for
oversight or working together with our CIO to ensure the safety
and security of your systems than this particular select
committee.
If I can just jump in, you are requesting a 20-percent
increase to your budget. You noted it in the budget request
that you intend the spending increase to be a one-time bump and
really to correct the baseline. Can you briefly let us know why
that increase is necessary?
Mr. Moolenaar. Sure. When the Committee was established and
the scope was established the starting point was let us build a
team and these are some of the areas we want to be involved in.
Over time we have learned the importance of these
investigations.
For instance, on the fentanyl investigation that we did,
that required people who spoke Mandarin, investigating Chinese
websites, people who understand our intelligence operations.
The experience in a wide variety of areas has become very
clear.
I think the initial estimates did not reflect the expertise
that is required for investigations and knowledge of whether it
is the financial markets or trade policy, such a broad range of
things that this Committee is looking at, that this is really a
correction, if you will.
Mrs. Bice. Thank you. I yield.
Chairman Steil. Let me build on that a little bit, Chairman
Moolenaar, because the work you and Ranking Member
Krishnamoorthi are doing is really important.
Inside this grown jurisdiction as it started with then-
Chairman Gallagher working with the Ranking Member, what else
are you utilizing in this broader jurisdiction, trips, field
hearings, investigative work, site visit, in addition to the
staff?
Mr. Moolenaar. Yes. We have done different field hearings,
we have done roundtables in different sectors. Because one of
key things is to understand, whether it is the automotive,
agriculture, biotech, even entertainment, we spent some time
talking with film producers about how they are self-censoring
just so that they can show their movies in China, but then also
the threats of retaliation.
Each of these areas. The automotive sector was very
revealing considering what China is doing to subsidize their
automotive industry. These trips around our country that have
these various sectors have been very, very key.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
I will yield back and recognize the Ranking Member for the
purpose of asking questions.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking
Member, for being here and for all the great work that you do.
A special thanks to both of you for the conversations we
have had relative to liquid crystal displays in other forms,
most of which now are being produced in China, whereas I think
12 percent a decade ago, now over 50 percent are. You have both
been kind to listen to the thoughts I have about it and I
appreciate all the work you do.
I want to start, generally Committees follow a two-third/
one-third distribution. This Committee does as well. Mr.
Chairman, are you committed to allowing independence of the
Democratic side when it comes to spending their third of the
budget?
Mr. Moolenaar. Absolutely.
Mr. Morelle. OK. Mr. Krishnamoorthi, are you confident that
you have got an agreement with the chair on that subject?
Mr. Krishnamoorthi. Yes.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you.
The select committee is interesting in that most of the
Committees that have jurisdiction, authorizing jurisdiction
within the Congress, are to some degree siloed, but you are
crosscutting. You go across many different areas when you talk
about competition with China. Trade policy, tariffs, the
question of military readiness, supply chain. There is a lot
happening right now, even within the executive departments,
that will touch on these subjects.
Do you feel you have adequate resources in this budget to
make sure your article I responsibilities of oversight and the
implications of the decisions being made vis-a-vis China, that
those are adequate?
Mr. Moolenaar. I believe with this budget request that we
will meet the needs. To build on your point, this is going to
require an all-hands-on-deck House, Senate, White House working
together for a bipartisan united front in addressing this
threat.
I believe oversight is going to be very important. I feel
that this Committee has been probably the most bipartisan
effort that I have been involved in here in Congress and with
the goal of winning this competition. We need kind of our best
foot forward.
I believe this request meets the needs. It is an increase,
as you pointed out. I feel, based on what we have learned these
past 2 years and to be a force multiplier for the Committees of
jurisdiction in each of these specialized areas, I think this
is a good goal.
Mr. Morelle. Mr. Krishnamoorthi, do you have any thoughts
about oversight responsibilities?
Mr. Krishnamoorthi. Yes, I think so. I think that the
answer is yes. I think part of the reason why the budget
increase is requested is because I think the technologies, the
emerging technologies are so--I mean, they are just outside the
norm of what we are normally dealing with in Congress, whether
it is the DeepSeek technology that we are all hearing about in
the news right now.
First we have to translate. First we have to get Mandarin
speakers who can actually understand what is going on with the
underlying AI model. Then we have to be able to have some AI
specialists.
We actually have an AI specialist on staff who is working
with the modeling to understand what are the risks. As far as
oversight, yes, we have the sufficient staff for that. I think
this budget will allow us to do more of that going forward.
Mr. Moolenaar. Could I just add something?
Mr. Morelle. Of course, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Moolenaar. Just on the point the Ranking Member was
making, so you have got the AI technology. Then the question is
export controls, where did they fail, what chips were being
used, was there an end around.
Then you look at what DeepSeek did to try and influence the
markets. Then you are talking about the whole stock market and
that misinformation manipulation. To do a comprehensive look at
this, it requires a lot of varied expertise.
Mr. Morelle. Which is why I asked the question. I am really
worried, as I am sure you are, with the convergence--I
mentioned this to the previous panel, to the Science, Space,
and Tech chair and Ranking Member, that the convergence of AI
and quantum computing, when that happens, is really a game
changer in the world. No one has achieved it quite yet but it
is getting closer and this is one we cannot afford to lose. I
appreciate both your comments in this regard.
Look, without taking specific views on what the
administration is doing, there are a lot of implications, some
of the intended consequences, and then there may also be
unintended consequences, and it is your responsibilities both
and your Committee Members to continue to observe and to
provide that oversight.
Last thing I just want to do, and I apologize, if I can
just indulge for a second. This is just more of an invitation
for both of you, as you do your field hearings, while the chair
and I continue to be concerned about threats against Members
and staff, which are on the rise, here in Washington we have a
little more control.
When you do field hearings we would like you to coordinate
with us to make sure that you have adequate support and you
feel protected when you are out doing whatever hearings you do.
I would just offer that invitation.
Thank you. I yield back.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
Chair Moolenaar, Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi, appreciate
both of you being here today.
The Committee will pause while the witness panel exits.
Thank you.
I now welcome our next panel of witnesses, the chair and
Ranking Member of the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure.
Mr. Graves and Mr. Larsen, we appreciate you being here
today. We will give you each 5 minutes for an opening
statement. The Ranking Member and myself will each control 5
minutes total for questions. We will be yielding between the
Members. We appreciate you being here.
We will recognize you, Mr. Chairman, Chairman Graves, for 5
minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. SAM GRAVES, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF MISSOURI
Mr. Graves. Thank you, Chairman Steil and Ranking Member
Morelle. I appreciate it very much, the opportunity obviously
to share with you the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure's budget request for the 119th Congress. In
consultation with the Ranking Member, the Committee has
requested a 7-percent increase over funding levels for the
Committee last year, and those levels reflect an increase that
is going to provide the Committee with the necessary resources
to tackle our aggressive agenda that we have in the 119th
Congress.
On the legislative front, we have already begun discussions
on reauthorizing several major agencies and programs under the
Committee's jurisdiction. These include Coast Guard
reauthorization, pipeline and hazardous safety materials
administration reauthorization. The Committee also plans to
undertake the regular review of the Army Corps' projects and
programs and other water infrastructure legislation.
The Committee's biggest undertaking is obviously going to
be the reauthorization of the Nation's surface transportation
programs, which are set to expire October 1 of next year.
Equally important, the Committee has to provide oversight over
the many laws and funding that was passed in the Congress--in
this last Congress, including the following: We had
implementation of the 5-year FAA reauthorization; WRDA 2024;
reauthorization of the Economic Development Agency, which I
might point out was successfully reauthorized for the first
time since 2008; and our public buildings reform efforts to
ensure that efficient utilization of Federal real estate.
As part of developing our robust infrastructure agenda, the
Committee plans to travel extensively to conduct field
hearings. We are going to do roundtables, listening sessions
across America, and provide opportunities to visit and review
infrastructure projects and programs. Infrastructure impacts
every corner of the country, and each community has diverse
needs, and we intend to get out there and see firsthand what we
did in the 118th Congress.
In addition, the budget accounts for the fact that the
staff's salary cap has raised again, and the Committee is lucky
to have many long-tenured staffers and vast institutional
knowledge. Our proposed budget will help the Committee with
staff retention but also allows us to be competitive in
bringing on new staff to deliver our agenda this Congress.
Particularly on the majority side, we are having to compete
directly with the new administration, with the new Senate
majority, and bring in and retain top staff. This is in the
best interest of the House for both sides to continue to have
strong teams that are so necessary for the important work that
we obviously do.
With that, I look forward to answering your questions and
yield back the balance of my time.
[The prepared statement of Representative Graves follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE SAM GRAVES
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
Ranking Member Larsen, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. RICK LARSEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Mr. Larsen. Thank you, chair. Chair, Ranking Member, and
other Members of the Committee, I appreciate the opportunity to
join Chair Graves in presenting the Committee's budget request
for the 119th.
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has a long
history of bipartisan cooperation with both sides, realizing
the importance of investing in our Nation's infrastructure,
ensuring the safety of our transportation system, and creating
jobs. Chair Graves and I will continue this tradition that we
started in the 118th.
We passed the bipartisan legislation reauthorizing the
Federal Aviation Administration, which provides critical safety
enhancements, grows America's aviation workforce by creating
good-paying jobs, invests in resilient infrastructure at U.S.
airports of all sizes, sets clear priorities for advancing
innovative aviation technologies and provides robust
protections for airline customers.
We also passed the sixth consecutive bipartisan Water
Resources Development Act, or WRDA, which invests in protecting
communities from flooding and droughts, restores our
environment and ecosystems, and keeps our Nation competitive by
supporting our ports and harbors. WRDA 2024 included provisions
to grow the economy and create jobs as well by reauthorizing
the Economic Development Administration, improving the
operations of the General Services Administration's Public
Buildings Service, and redistributing $1.8 billion in unused
funding from the Department of Transportation's TIFIA program
to local transportation projects.
As Chair Graves has noted, we do have a full legislative
agenda for the 119th Congress. First and foremost is the
surface transportation programs expire in September 2026, and
the Committee needs to act on that. We also intend to
reauthorize the U.S. Coast Guard, Maritime Administration, the
Federal Maritime Commission, and the Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration's pipeline and safety programs.
For us to do our jobs for the American people, we request
you fund the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
requests of a modest increase of 7 percent over the funding
levels from the 118th. This funding will ensure that we can
retain the oversight and infrastructure specialists who can
help us achieve our objectives and accommodate as well an
increase in travel costs. We have a robust and bipartisan
travel plan, to include both domestic and international travel,
that will inform our legislative agenda and allow for greater
oversight of the projects and programs under the jurisdiction
of the Committee.
As in the past, the Committee will continue to provide two-
thirds of the personnel budget to majority and one-third to the
minority. The nonpersonnel budget, like the travel budget, will
continue to be shared fairly between the majority and the
minority.
I look forward to continuing a strong partnership with
Chair Graves in the 119th Congress. With your help, I know the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will achieve our
shared objectives and be one of the most productive Committees
in Congress. I want to thank you for the opportunity to appear
before the Committee today, and I am happy to answer any
questions you might have.
[The prepared statement of Representative Larsen follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE RICK LARSEN
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much. The gentleman yields
back.
We will each take 5 minutes for questions. I will start
with myself, yield myself 5 minutes.
If I could, I will start with you, Chairman Graves. You
referenced some of the work that you have done before on
reauthorization. You have a robust agenda on reauthorization in
this Congress. You have a request as it relates to additional
software necessary to do this. Could you provide a little color
on that request?
Mr. Graves. Yes. We utilized new technology when it came to
setting up the portals to allow Members to be able to access or
provide us with their priorities and their projects and their
sorts of things. In FAA reauthorization and in WRDA, we had
some pretty robust--I mean, literally, hundreds of requests
from Members. We expect, with the surface transportation
reauthorization, it is going to be even more robust. This just
makes this process so much easier for both Members doing it and
then us putting the legislation together in the, you know, in
the process. Yes, we are going to be using technology quite a
little bit.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
I will yield to Representative Bice.
Mrs. Bice. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen, for
being with us this afternoon.
I hail from the great State of Oklahoma, and my district
actually has what I would consider to be the crossroads of
America running through it, I-40, I-35, and I-44. Literally
east to west, north to south. You can get anywhere from my
State by truck in about 2 days. I really appreciate the
opportunity for you all to do field visits because I think that
does really give a hands-on view of what is happening in our
States.
I certainly know that the--there has been lots of
conversation around the FAA over the last, you know, couple of
weeks. I would be delighted to host you in Oklahoma City for
review of some of the infrastructure in my district and also to
visit the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, which is located
in Congressman Lucas' district, to see the work firsthand on
their training center capabilities. Thank you for the work that
you are doing. I look forward to working with you both in the
future.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield.
Chairman Steil. The gentlewoman yields back.
If I can jump on a question that I think builds on what
Representative Bice was speaking about, the travel budget, but
also the expertise of the staff. The Speaker's pay order has
adjusted this. It is a highly competitive labor market right
now. In particular, I know, on the majority side, where many
individuals are choosing to go into the administration or
private sector jobs for both majority and the minority. Could
you comment--let me start with you, Chairman Graves--on the
impact that the pay order may have or how we should be thinking
about that from the Committee standpoint.
Mr. Graves. Yes. It is--you know, probably more so than
even when it comes to the administration or the Senate, it is a
private sector, and it is just hard to compete with that.
Without that ability and that help, we are going to lose all of
this incredible talent that we have both in the majority and
minority side being able to move forward. This is important as
anything else, and we do have a lot of long-term tenured staff
on our Committee, and I do not want to lose that. I do not want
to lose that.
You know, right now, if you look, obviously, our increase
is going to be spread all over, but the fact of the matter is
95 percent of our budget goes to staff salaries, and so, you
know, we have--again, we have to compete. That is the bottom
line. We have to compete.
Chairman Steil. Ranking Member Larsen, do you want to
comment briefly?
Mr. Larsen. Yes. I would just note that, obviously--it
might be obvious to say the pressure is a little less on the
minority side but still an important pressure about going off
the Hill to work. Like the chair has said, we also on the
minority side have a long-tenured staff whose expertise we do
not want to lose, and we do not want to lose it because we have
a lot of work to do.
I think one of the successes of the bipartisanship on our
Committee is not just that Sam and I work together but the
staffs take that message and work together as well. We need to
continue to have the expertise on both sides of the aisle among
staff who also have great relationships off the Hill to produce
the kind of legislation, do the kind of work that we have been
doing.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much. I will yield back. I
recognize the Ranking Member for 5 minutes for questions.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I may have missed this,
but I think we have been asking each of the chairs and Ranking
Members on the issue of cybersecurity. Did you ask that
question? I apologize if you did.
Chairman Steil. Maybe I did not.
Mr. Morelle. I do not think you did, but whether----
Chairman Steil. You can take it for me.
Mr. Morelle. Yes, whether or not you would make available
the staff administration on both sides to meet with the CIO to
talk about cybersecurity issues and make sure that we are doing
everything we can to make sure that we are secure.
Mr. Graves. Absolutely, yes.
Mr. Larsen. I make that commitment as well.
Mr. Morelle. Great. Thank you.
I think this is directed more to the chair, the standard of
two-thirds/one-third split between the Committees. I just want
to make sure that the Democratic side, Mr. Larsen, has
independence over his third of the budget, and whether you
would commit to that, sir.
Mr. Graves. Yes, that is a given. Rick and I, look, we work
great together. We came in together a long time ago, but, you
know, I do not have the least bit of worry about any of that or
problem with it.
Mr. Larsen. I will just note, Ranking Member, we have not
had a problem with it as well.
Mr. Morelle. Good.
Mr. Larsen. We probably work more together, the staff side,
than some Committees do.
Mr. Morelle. Good. Well, thank you for that.
I wanted to just pick up a little bit, I think Mrs. Bice
may have mentioned some of the things that have happened,
obviously with regard to FAA and the tragedies that have
occurred recently. One of the things I want to make sure that
we are all focused in is on our article I response as it
relates to oversight of the administration. There is a lot
going on. People have differences of opinions on whether it is
appropriate or not, but we still have a job to do. I want to
just ask whether or not you feel you have adequate resources to
do the job necessary in carrying out our article I
responsibilities on it. I would like you to both comment.
Mr. Graves. Oversight is obviously a very big part of what
we do when we do reauthorizations. I will be honest with you,
what my concern is, and it is not administration-related in
terms of, you know, Democrat side or Republican side. What I
see as the problem are the lifelong bureaucrats that move from
administration to administration that try to change what we do
as Congress in their eyes, in what they want to see, rather
than what the intent of the law is.
Now, we wrote--the FAA bill we got very technical in for
that reason, because we got--I got frustrated at the fact that
the FAA did not implement a lot of the stuff we did in the last
FAA reauthorization. You know, they drug their feet or they
changed what the intent of the law was. I believe in
legislative intent and congressional intent, and I want it
followed, and so that is where the focus of a lot of our
oversight will be is just making sure they follow the letter of
the law and what we decided, as a Congress, the legislative
body, what we decided it should be, not what they think it
should be.
Mr. Morelle. Well, I agree.
Mr. Larsen?
Mr. Larsen. Yes. I think one of the benefits of the work
that we have done on the Committee is that we have produced
largely bipartisan products, and the FAA bill is one of those.
Because it passed 387 to 26 out of the House, and then I think
some number, 4 against in the Senate, we know we have a strong
bipartisan direction that we gave to the FAA, regardless of who
is there.
To bring it closer to home, over the last couple of weeks,
we have produced bipartisan statements on, you know, the
horrible tragedies that have taken place and the support we
want to show the FAA and NTSB to do its job. But, also, because
of the FAA bill, there is a list of things that we directed the
FAA to do to improve its operations, to improve technology
investment, to improve its safety oversight. It has the to-do
list. The FAA has the to-do list that we have created for it,
and so part of that oversight will be to, certainly, strongly
encourage--would be a nice way to put it--strongly encourage
the FAA to take care of that list.
Mr. Morelle. All right. One last point, which is less a
question and more, I guess, an invitation. As you not only hold
hearings in D.C. but field hearings, the level of Member
threats has gone up considerably. Our Committee has oversight
of the United States Capitol Police and the Sergeant at Arms.
We would just invite you to communicate with the chair and
myself to make sure we have adequate security, and we are
paying particular attention to making sure that Members and
staff are secure as they travel and as you do hearings around
the country.
Mr. Graves. Well, that is something I do appreciate from
this Committee and looking out for all Members. I agree, and I
have seen it personally is the uptick in, you know, in threats
and security issues, and so I appreciate what you all do to
keep us safe.
Mr. Morelle. OK. Thank you, both.
I yield back.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back.
We appreciate you both being here with us today. You have
got big work at the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure. I look forward to your work this Congress.
For Members of the Committee, momentarily we will recess
subject to call of the chair. We are going to reconvene by
12:50 sharp; that is 10 minutes ahead of schedule for the
Financial Services Committee, with the hope of getting through
as many of the Committees as we can prior to votes being called
on the House floor.
The Committee on House Administration stands in recess
subject to the call of the chair.
[Recess.]
Chairman Steil. The Committee will come to order.
We appreciate you being here, Chairman Hill. I know Ranking
Member Waters is on her way. Cognizant of the time, we are
going to move right along. We have been giving the chair and
Ranking Member 5 minutes each, 5 minutes total for questions
for the majority and minority, and then yielding between our
colleagues, so we appreciate you being here.
We will recognize you, Chairman Hill, for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. FRENCH J. HILL, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ARKANSAS
Mr. Hill. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, Ranking
Member Morelle. Thank you very much for inviting us to testify
to the Committee on House Administration on the budget request
for the 119th Congress for the House Committee on Financial
Services. I have outlined a broad, comprehensive agenda for the
Committee for the next 2 years.
Under my leadership, the Committee will seek to rightsize
the regulatory system particularly for community banks, create
a regulatory framework for digital assets that will protect
consumers and investors while maintaining America as a leader
in innovation, and ensure that agencies in the Committee's
oversight jurisdiction are focused on their core statutory
directed missions.
There are also items that are in the Committee's
jurisdiction that simply must get done in the 119th Congress.
First, the reform of the National Flood Insurance Program,
something that has been on its ongoing, continuing resolution
now, I think, for 6 years, and a reauthorization of the Export-
Import Bank. The last time we did that was in the first term of
President Trump.
The Committee must also work that it is prepared with the
relevant Appropriations Subcommittees and the Trump
administration to ensure that any negotiation over the capital
replenishments are accompanied by significant and much-needed
reforms for our multinational, multilateral development banks,
and the international financial institutions, such as the World
Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Additionally, I have asked the Committee to be prepared for
black swan events, such as the long-tailed impact of
quantitative easing, severe fiscal spending, and the result of
inflation, the refinancing risk associated with commercial real
estate in the United States as a result of the declining need
for space and increased interest rates, the risks associated
with Treasury's refunding challenge of a $2 trillion
unsustainable annual budget deficit, and the other
international shocks brought about by collapsing growth in
Europe and significant debt and structural weakness elsewhere,
such as in the People's Republic of China.
The Committee also must be prepared to consider reform and
restructuring proposals related to the mortgage Government-
sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, should this
become a priority of the Trump administration.
In order to accomplish this broad set of objectives and
necessary tasks, I am requesting a 10-percent increase in
funding for the Committee's budget from the previous Congress.
This increase would put the Committee in line with the historic
average. In the 118th Congress, we were the eighth highest-
funded Committee. This is a decrease compared to the 117th and
116th Congresses when the Financial Services Committee was the
fifth highest funded.
This increase would allow the majority to fully staff 57
allotted slots. In the previous Congress, the majority had 42
personnel on staff. I am seeking to recruit talent so that we
can fulfill and deliver what was promised to the American
people. Currently, there are two Subcommittees that only are
staffed by two people. As we look to properly hire for these
positions, it is critical that we are not forced to cut staff
elsewhere or limit our hiring in some of the other
Subcommittees.
Additionally, the Committee has created a new task force
examining both monetary policy and the Treasury debt markets,
particularly in light of the decisions during the past few
years as it relates to both monetary and fiscal policy. I am
proposing to hire a chief economist to oversee this effort as
well as in policy analysis to work in our--work across the
Committee in light of the Loper decision and the decline in the
Chevron deference. We want to make sure we have the cost-
benefit, economic talent on board our Committee as well. This
task force will be critical in examining the mistakes of the
past so the American people are not struck with stubbornly high
inflation as a result of furthering misguided monetary policy
decisions.
Finally, I have requested an increase in travel. As
demonstrated by the recent success of the House Ways and Means
Committee, field hearings will be critical at getting our
positive message out to the American people. I am encouraging
all of our Subcommittees to take advantage of these
opportunities to fully demonstrate the Committee's effort on
behalf of our citizens by meeting outside the beltway.
The financial services industry helps drive economic
growth, support small business, and is at the forefront of
innovation in our country. It is imperative that this Committee
can thoroughly examine the policies affecting this critical
sector of the economy.
I am grateful, Mr. Chairman, for your time, the
consideration of this request, and I am prepared for your
questions.
[The prepared statement of Representative Hill follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH J. HILL
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much, Chairman Hill.
We are tight on schedule as we are moving things around, so
if Ranking Member Waters joins us, we will allow her to have 5
minutes when she arrives. But, in the interest of time, I will
yield to myself 5 minutes for the purpose of asking questions.
A question I have asked every chair and Ranking Member
today is that, will you commit to having your systems
administrator meet with the House's CIO team in the first
quarter to discuss cybersecurity issues?
Mr. Hill. Absolutely. This is a problem facing everybody in
the House and everybody in the private and the public sector.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
Next question, you were talking about staffing up, about
building areas of expertise. This is absolutely essential when
we think about digital assets; we think about Chairman Powell
coming in tomorrow. He has a robust staff of Ph.D. economists.
We are looking in particular to hire an economist. What are the
challenges you would face in staffing up in particular with an
economist role?
Mr. Hill. Well, the economist role, I think, particularly
in light of the Chevron deference and the Loper decision, I
know that all the Committees, both authorizing and
appropriating, are thinking about how are they staffed in order
to push back and ensure that the Committees under--the agencies
under our jurisdiction are fully compliant with congressional
intent and statute.
One of those is clearly analyzing cost-benefit analysis. In
the financial supervisory area, both in banking and in
securities and insurance, cost-benefit analysis has frequently
been undone or not done at all when we are trying to consider
those ramifications when we have people testifying.
I think the chief economist will bring a great deal of
clout to the Committee and its analysis. Right now, we call
around and try to put together economic assessments from
outside groups, but we do not have somebody on the staff that
is an expert in econometric analysis or economic analysis to
provide that benefit to our Members.
Then, as you noted, in the Humphrey-Hawkins testimony,
which is the semiannual report of the Federal Reserve system to
the Committee, we want to get behind those numbers as Chairman
Hensarling did several years ago and really analyze what we
believe the right course of action should be for monetary
policy and how that monetary policy and the unsustainable
budget deficits that the Congress is currently incurring can
also be dealt with. We think that kind of macroeconomic
experience will be helpful there. You are right, I will take
one economist for the 750 Ph.D. economists over at the Fed. I
think that will really help our Members.
Chairman Steil. We would begin to get a better ratio.
Appreciate it.
I will yield to our mutual colleague on the Financial
Services Committee, as well as House Administration, Mr.
Loudermilk.
Mr. Loudermilk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, I am very excited to start my fifth term on
the Financial Services Committee, and especially, again,
serving in the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.
Over just the tenure that I have had on Financial Services
and especially over the past 4 years, we have seen a
significant increase in what I would call mission creep by a
lot of the areas of jurisdiction that we have: SEC going
outside of its constitutional boundaries. CFPB, that is just
the nature of their business of going after areas that they are
not legislatively empowered to go after.
There is a lot that I think that Oversight and
Investigations could be looking into, as well as abuse of
power. I just want to--kind of wanted to hear what your
priorities were, and do you feel that you have within this
budget the necessary resources to conduct that oversight?
Mr. Hill. Yes, it is a real good point. You know, some
Committee chairs will describe to you their style of the
Committee would be they have one big objective for the 2-year
Congress that they want to drive through their Committee, and
it could be big and complex, or it could be very
straightforward. My approach is different. I think with the
advantage of the Trump administration being in office and
sharing our political party and having Tim Scott chair the
Banking Committee in the Senate, it gives us a unique
opportunity in this Congress, in this 2 years, to make progress
across all of our Subcommittees. That really accounts for the
core of why I have made the request that I have had.
Chairman McHenry in the last Congress emphasized digital
assets. He staffed up for that, he delivered on privacy and
digital assets legislatively. But, in each of our
Subcommittees, including Oversight, we have given them robust
legislative agendas, and I want to make sure they have got the
talent on those Subcommittees to do it.
In quick, we talked about digital assets. That is a
continued priority. It is a priority for the Trump
administration. It is a priority for the majority leader, Mr.
Scalise, that we get a dollar-backed stablecoin bill and a
regulatory framework for digital assets accomplished in this
Congress.
We also want to make community banking great again, and we
do that by tailoring regulations. I would remind the Committee,
we have not had a bipartisan banking bill in this Congress
signed into law since 2018 when Mike Crapo, then Chairman of
the Senate, had S. 2155, which got strong bipartisan support in
both the House and Senate. We believe tailoring that regulatory
approach in community banking is critical. Those are just two
of our big priorities, and we have those across all of our
Subcommittees.
Mr. Loudermilk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I yield back.
Chairman Steil. The gentleman yields back. I yield back.
I recognize the Ranking Member for 5 minutes.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for being here.
Congratulations on becoming the chair of the Committee. I want
to first start, as I have asked each of the chairs, the normal
two-thirds/one-third split between majority and minority, I
just want to make sure that you are going to afford the
minority independence when it comes to the expenditure of their
third of the budget in terms of both personnel and whatever
other resources they intend to spend.
Mr. Hill. Thank you, Mr. Morelle, for your question. I am
delighted to be joined by my Ranking Member, the ever-
distinguished former chair of this Committee, Maxine Waters of
California. She is a tremendous defender of her third of the
budget, and I do not think you will have any question that we
will work together to make sure that she has the resources that
are needed for her to carry out her mission as Ranking Member.
We also want to collaborate on this idea of our Members
having an opportunity to, as I said in my testimony, do field
hearings, be out with our citizens around the country. I
really--I want to reiterate, I think that is an important part
of the work we do here in Washington. It needs to be out with
our citizens. I do not think the--while the Ways and Means
Committee has done a good job of that, I want to make sure
Financial Services Members are having that opportunity as well.
Mr. Morelle. Yes. I will say, back in my service in the
State legislature in New York, I chaired for a number of years
the Committee on Insurance, which is not banking but certainly
is part of the financial makeup in New York. Just as it related
to oversight in your comments, you know, I remember, and I was
the chair during 2007, 2008, during that crisis, and AIG, which
was obviously a significant insurance company in New York, the
challenge it seemed to me when I was--in my responsibilities
was striking the balance between consumer protection that was
appropriate and also freedom for people who had capital to be
able to use that capital to help people who needed financing
and also to build great companies and to try to continue to
maintain that balance.
I wanted to ask whether or not you feel you have adequate
resources here to do the job to protect both interests, the
consumers' interests as well as--I mean, there is a lot of talk
about deregulation and the regulatory framework, and I
appreciate that, but some of it is legitimately necessary to
protect the interests of individuals, particularly in a world
where financial products--and you certainly know more about
this than I do, both of you--have gotten much more
sophisticated, have gotten much more nuanced, and there are
many more financial products now than there would have been two
decades ago.
Just be mindful, and I want to ask whether or not you feel
you have adequate resources in this request to do that
oversight and to make sure you protect both the financial
interests of companies, but equally important, some would say
more important, the consumer interests of people who use these
products. I would love to ask both of you to comment.
Mr. Hill. Sure. I will be brief so my Ranking Member can
provide a comment as well. The short answer is yes. Look, there
is nowhere in our economic society that is more statutorily
driven on investor protection, consumer protection, and yet, at
the same time, to try to provide orderly, an efficient, safe,
and sound banking insurance and capital markets, and that
tension exists both statutorily and in oversight and in the
supervisory process. I believe in our Committee that we have
excellent staff that understand that responsibility in each of
the Subcommittees. I will say that all the Members recognize
that balance between adequate and robust consumer protection
and, at the same time, you know, letting the marketplace
operate as well, and it is constructive tension.
Let me turn to my colleague for an answer to your question.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. MAXINE WATERS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Ms. Waters. Well, thank you very much.
Mr. Chairman and Members, I am pleased to be here with
Chairman French Hill to make our requests for--to basically
cover the work that we do. He has more than adequately
explained to you the seriousness and the breadth of our
Committee. From time to time, when I have talked to people
about the Financial Services Committee and had them to
understand that we have oversight responsibility for everything
from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to HUD
and housing, and there is a big difference in all of that.
He is absolutely correct, we have to be concerned about our
citizens and their ability to know that we are dealing with all
of the cops on the block in financial services and looking out
for consumer interests, as well as understanding the markets
and what must be done to give support or find gaps because of
the economy that is impacted by the markets.
I am very pleased to be here. I do not know exactly how
much our Chairman has asked for for our budget. I do know what
my staff told me. I said to my staff, I think that 10 percent
or whatever he has asked may be adequate, but is it appropriate
for me to say, ``But we need a little more''? We have talked
about it. Our staffs have been together on it, and we would
appreciate your support for our request.
[The prepared statement of Representative Waters follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE MAXINE WATERS
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Mr. Morelle. Thank you very much, Ms. Ranking Member.
Before I yield, I just want to--an invitation, as you are
doing your field hearings, one of the things that the chair and
I are very concerned about is Member threats, so, you know, we
have oversight of the Capitol Police, Sergeant at Arms. We
would just invite you to share with us information about where
you are doing field hearings so we can coordinate to make sure
Members and staff are safe wherever you go.
Mr. Hill. Thank you for that admonition. It is one we take
seriously. It is also one reason why the budget request is what
it is. We recognize that we have got a security component for
traveling Members, and we do not take that at all for granted.
We know that, in order to provide transparency, we have got the
C-SPAN component as well and the right kind of location, and so
we will meet that commitment. We are very sensitive to making
sure our Members and our staff are in a safe condition as they
travel.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you. I yield back.
Chairman Steil. If the Ranking Member will give me an
extension just to re-ask the first question.
We appreciate you joining us, Ranking Member Waters. I have
asked all chairs and Ranking Members just a yes-or-no question
as it relates to cybersecurity, that you will commit to having
your systems administrator meet with the House's Chief
Information Officer and their team in the first quarter to
discuss cybersecurity issues.
Ms. Waters. Yes.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
We appreciate both of you being here today. Obviously, a
number of us are Members of the Financial Services Committee,
and so we appreciate your time and effort.
Committee will pause while the next witness panel
assembles. Thank you very much.
Mr. Hill. Thank you, Chairman. I appreciate your support.
Thank you.
Ms. Waters. Thank you very much.
Chairman Steil. Chairman Williams, Ranking Member
Velazquez, thank you for joining us today. We have been doing a
series of these hearings. Obviously, today you are our next
witness panel for the Committee on Small Business. I appreciate
you being here. We will give you each 5 minutes for an opening
statement. The Ranking Member and I will each take 5 minutes
for questions, and then we will be yielding during that time
for our Members.
We will start with you, Chair Roger Williams.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. ROGER WILLIAMS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS
Mr. Williams. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Ranking
Member. I appreciate it. I want to thank all of you for having
us.
I am here today to tell you: I do not need more money if
you want our Committee to be small and inefficient. Let me tell
you: We are anything but that, and if I can keep some of the
other Committees from stealing my employees, it would be a lot
easier.
But, over the past 2 years, the Ranking Member and I have
taken the Committee on Small Business to, I believe, the next
level. Last Congress, the Committee marked up 41 bills, 23 of
which passed the House, the most Committee activity in over 20
years. We issued the first subpoenas in more than a decade when
the SBA failed to respond to our investigative efforts. We also
issued four substantial Committee reports from our major
investigations, including the SBA's election hearing efforts in
Michigan and their improper interference into key battleground
State for Vice President Harris and Democrats; Government
entities using third parties to harm the revenue of small
businesses because of their speech, preventing them from
competing fairly online; the SBA's lackluster efforts to recoup
the reported $200 billion in fraud in pandemic lending
programs, including the SBA's decision to collect on certain
pandemic loans worth $70 billion; and the overly burdensome
regulations from the Biden-Harris administration that hurt
America's job creators.
Now, on top of that, we held 59 hearings which amplified
small business voices while simultaneously holding the Biden-
Harris administration accountable to Main Street. Our Committee
has one of the greatest returns on investment for the House, I
believe. ROI is important. In order to continue to grow these
efforts in the 119th Congress, we are asking for a $1.3 million
increase over 2 years.
Now, the logical question is, why do you need this money?
Well, we want to take this Committee to the next level. I just
walked through this last year's highlights, but we want to show
how we plan to go even harder this Congress.
First, the Committee will focus on reauthorizing the SBA,
something that has not been done in 25 years. Reauthorization
is necessary because, as we all know, there has been
unmitigated waste, fraud, and abuse at the SBA over the last
few years, and we conducted important oversight last Congress
to find this money and attempted to force the SBA to claw it
back. Now we need to reform the SBA not to only get back those
taxpayer dollars but also ensure this sort of abuse does not
happen again.
This incredible effort will require additional staff with
wide-ranging knowledge and expertise, which leads me to my
second point: The cost of doing business has totally increased.
In order to hire and maintain the most qualified staff, we need
to increase staff compensation to compete with the private
sector and the larger Committees.
Now, while the Committee has sufficient staff slots
available, 29 slots for the majority and 14 slots for the
minority, the budget has never been high enough to hire the
people to fill all of these slots. In fact, we averaged about
18 full-time staff during this past Congress. In order to hire
the right people, the Committee has been forced to hire fewer
staff to ensure we can offer a competitive salary, so we are
going backward. Now, this problem is confounded by the fact
that the pay ceiling for staff increased, allowing other
Committees with greater funds to increase their pay of their
staff. We will be unable to do this unless we get some
additional funds.
As a small business owner myself, I understand that more
people with money does not always equal more success. However,
I also know that getting the right people with the right
experience and expertise on staff will ensure that this
Committee can further President Trump's pro-business and
deregulatory agenda.
Third, we know how important it is for this Committee to
get on the ground in Main Street America. Many of our Members
have expressed interest in holding field hearings in their
districts to do just that. As the Committee fighting for Main
Street, oftentimes the best way to reach these constituencies
is by going directly to them. You take the product to the
people. Very few of our Members are within driving distance of
Washington. These hearings would be an additional cost but also
successful. Our Nation's entrepreneurs and innovators deserve a
strong advocate fighting on their behalf in Washington, and
increasing the Committee's budget will help to continue to
amplify the voice of small business across this Nation.
Fourth, this Committee is uniquely positioned to help push
President Trump's deregulatory agenda. The Regulatory
Flexibility Act requires all agencies to consider the economic
impact of their rules on small businesses nationwide. Last
year, our investigation found that many agencies skirt the
requirement, with some ignoring it entirely. Our investigations
helped lay the foundation for removing overly burdensome
regulations on small businesses, which we can actually begin to
do under President Trump.
Finally, we all know how important it is for small
businesses to have access to funds to rebuild after a natural
disaster strikes. As we saw after the North Carolina hurricane,
the disaster loan program at the SBA ran out of money, ran out
of funds, and failed to get necessary aid to small businesses
in a timely manner. The California wildfires are the most
destructive in their State's history. We know it will be years
before these small businesses can recover fully.
Unlike what happened during the COVID pandemic, which broke
the SBA, we want to make sure the SBA is properly equipped to
step in when disaster strikes. This Congress, we want to be on
the ground conducting oversight, Main Street, in California,
North Carolina, et cetera. This oversight will help inform the
disaster lending portion of the SBA reauthorization. We will
need to hire subject-matter experts to ensure we conduct the
most robust oversight of this program and produce legislative
solutions. We need experienced people.
I want to thank all of you for allowing me to be here, and
I look forward to working with the Ranking Member as we move
forward.
Chairman Steil. Chair Williams, thank you for being here. I
think that is the first time you and I have spoken for 5
minutes, and you did not try to sell me a car. That is good.
Mr. Williams. Well, I heard you banging the gavel.
Chairman Steil. You have still got time on the clock.
Ranking Member Velazquez, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK
Ms. Velazquez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member
and all the Members of the Committee, for having us.
Let me echo what I have said time and again in this forum
and in others: Small businesses are the backbone of the
American economy. That was proven during the Great Recession
and again during the global pandemic. These businesses ranging
from mom-and-pop shops to startups employ nearly half of the
private sector workforce and are responsible for a significant
portion of economic activity. Beyond their economic impact,
small businesses build community ties contributing to the
vitality of neighborhoods across the country.
The Committee on Small Business has the honor of ensuring
the stability of the Nation's small business community and the
many jobs they support in our local communities. Even during
times of crisis, our Committee has responded quickly to create
several historic emergency programs, the largest in history, to
be a lifeline for businesses of various sizes and even
nonprofits. Our staff, one of the smallest in the House, worked
tirelessly during and after the pandemic to do right by small
employers.
Our work has continued since then to oversee each of those
programs in conjunction with authorized SBA programs to protect
taxpayers' dollars. The Chairman and myself are committed to
overseeing, strengthening, and modernizing these programs and
the many others at SBA.
The Committee not only has jurisdiction over the SBA, we
are often relied upon by our Nation's small businesses to
advocate for their best interest in other areas. From
healthcare and taxes to energy and capital access, contracting
and trade, these are just a few of the issues the Chairman
Williams and I, along with our Members, must delve into, and I
am committed to working with the Chairman on these issues and
more.
This work does require an investment by Congress. The
Committee needs to be funded at such a level where it allows us
to do our work with sufficient resources and without having to
sacrifice our staff. Historically, this Committee has been
underfunded. Nevertheless, the Committee continues to keep
operational expenses at a minimum, all the while being
understaffed. The slots are there, but the funds simply are
not.
I am proud of the work we have been able to do these last
few Congresses, and it is even more of an achievement to have
done so much with so little. We have operated efficiently and
effectively, but I do ask for a minimal increase to ensure we
can properly oversee this program, which will require years of
work. It goes without saying that Chairman Williams and I,
along with our Committee Members, plan to continue working
together in a bipartisan manner to fulfill our jurisdictional
responsibility.
We know the task at hand that you have in reviewing the
numbers, but we ask that you do so with the utmost
consideration. Please do not wait until another crisis hits the
country to discover that there is a Small Business Committee in
this Congress. A very modest increase that the Chairman is
requesting will go a long way in helping the Committee hire
staff, upgrade our oversight technologies, and restart our
field hearings and on-the-ground disaster assessment to meet
the needs of our collective small employers in every district.
Thank you, and I am happy to answer any questions you may
have.
[The prepared statement of Representative Velazquez
follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ
GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much. We thank both of you.
I recognize myself for 5 minutes. I will begin with
questions. We will keep these reasonably short because we are
going to also try to get HPSCI in before votes.
If I can just ask one question I have asked every chair and
Ranking Member--it is a simple yes/no question--is that, will
you commit to having your systems administrator meet with the
House's CIO team in the first quarter to discuss cybersecurity?
Mr. Williams. Absolutely.
Ms. Velazquez. Yes.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
I will just ask you one question here, Chairman Williams.
We will do it briefly. The SBA Committee I do not think had any
field hearings last Congress. You are now looking at doing a
series of them. What is driving the shift in your perspective
of the Committee resources?
Mr. Williams. Well, we have not been out in the field. It
is like anything else. We have got to----
Chairman Steil. Do you want to check your mike real quick,
Mr. Chairman? Everybody on the live feed can get the sales
pitch for the cars as well.
Mr. Williams. Well, they have never been cheaper than they
are today, I will tell you that.
But, look, it is like anything else. We have got a product
to sell. We have a product to sell, and we are not able to go
out and sell it to Main Street America. When you get out in
Main Street America and they hear about the Small Business
Committee, that is what they want to hear from. We just want to
take our product to the people and let--and find out exactly
how Main Street is feeling, how we can fix it.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much. I yield back.
I will recognize the Ranking Member for the purpose of
asking questions.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you.
Thank you both, Chairman Williams and Ranking Member
Velazquez. Thanks for all you do and for your leadership.
First and foremost, I know that the Committees have a
tradition of a two-thirds/one-third split. I just want to make
sure, Mr. Chair, that you intend to give the Ranking Member
independence when it comes to her third of the Committee
budget?
Mr. Williams. Absolutely.
Mr. Morelle. I also, because I am going to follow the
chair's lead, and appreciate you being here, and I know we are
a little before votes so we want to get moving, but just an
invitation, as you begin these field hearings, which I think
critically important, the chair and I are very focused on
threats to Members and staff. We have seen the rise of them. It
is a challenge here in Washington, but it is even more of a
challenge when you get to field hearings. We would love to
coordinate with you and your staff to make sure that we have
adequate resources and we have taken every precaution to make
sure that you and your staff members are safe and secure when
you do field hearings.
Mr. Williams. Thank you.
Mr. Morelle. Yep. Thank you.
Chairman Steil. Yield back?
The gentleman yields back.
We appreciate both of you being here. Really important work
for the Small Business Committee ahead this Congress.
We will pause while the witness panel exits----
Ms. Velazquez. Thank you.
Chairman Steil [continuing]. and the new panel assembles.
Thank you for joining us.
Chairman Steil. Chairman Crawford, Ranking Member Himes,
thank you for joining us today. We have had a series of panels.
We will give each of you 5 minutes for opening remarks. The
minority and majority will each have 5 minutes total for
questions we will be yielding amongst ourselves. Our goal is to
complete this before votes. Do not feel obligated to use the
full 5 minutes, but obviously you may.
We will recognize you first, Chairman Crawford.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. ERIC A. ``RICK'' CRAWFORD, A
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ARKANSAS
Mr. Crawford. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate that,
and, Chairman Morelle. Thank you for giving us the opportunity
to testify in support of the budget request for the House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. I am joined by my
Ranking Member, Congressman Jim Himes. The proposal we have
submitted includes $19.2 million over the next 2 years, $9.5
million of which is planned for expenditure in 2025 and the
balance in 2026.
The first thing I want to note is that we are the only
House Committee to operate entirely within a sensitive
compartmented information facility, or SCIF. As a reminder, a
SCIF is a vault-like structure built to protect classified
information. Entry requires a security clearance, and
everything that passes through our doorway must be specifically
approved for use in a SCIF. This requires a lot of our
equipment to be physically modified.
For example, we cannot have any devices in our Committees
with wireless Bluetooth or similar capability. As you know,
virtually all technology today has some kind of wireless
feature. This presents unique operational challenges and
therefore raises costs.
For the current budget request, the first area I want to
highlight is the significant amount of funding we are seeking
to complete critical security improvements to our SCIF. This
work was partially funded in 2024. The specific improvements to
our facilities cannot be discussed in open session, but we are
happy to provide details and address any questions you may have
in an appropriate setting.
In addition, our budget funds the final stages of
enhancements to our internal classified network. Work on this
network began in the 118th Congress, and completion is one of
my highest priorities. As a reminder, HPSCI operates the
House's largest and most sophisticated independent network.
Maintaining this unique classified network is a costly
endeavor, particularly as we are committed to meeting or
exceeding the standards associated with national security
systems.
We have divided the remaining work into two phases: Phase
one deploys a new SharePoint farm, and phase two involves
enhancements to overall security posture of the network. The
anticipated cost of the major work in 2025 and 2026 is
$431,000.
Another significant cost center, an area of funding growth
during the 119th Congress, is personnel. As the new Chairman of
HPSCI, I am undertaking aggressive effort to achieve full
staffing. In our request, we do not seek an increase in our
position cap, which you generously increased the last Congress;
instead, we seek the required funding to completely fill each
of those positions previously authorized.
Like other Committees, pay is our greatest cost driver.
HPSCI competes for highly specialized talent and must offer
wages competitive with the executive branch. The requested
funding will enable us to recruit talent to conduct aggressive
oversight related to black programs and activities, which, by
their nature, are designed to circumvent scrutiny.
I want to take a moment to underscore that our people are
our differential advantage. Experience has proven that
recruiting personnel with security clearance alone is not
enough to achieve oversight success. It can take several years
to fully develop the skills to become an expert at the complex
programs and activities we oversee. To give us an advantage, we
seek out compatible professionals with experience working
within those programs and activities. As you can imagine, the
pool of available candidates with such experience is highly
limited. However, at the proposed funding level, I am confident
that we can acquire this talent. In fact, I am pleased to
report that, since our budget's submission to you, we have
recruited and are in the process of onboarding several
candidates with exactly this kind of specialized experience.
Another factor impacting our budget is the establishment of
a sixth Subcommittee. The new Subcommittee is charged with
overseeing open-source intelligence, collection, use and
dissemination, which has been a growing conversation topic in
recent years. It is important that the Committee gain a deep
understanding of the intelligence community's use of open-
source intelligence, enabling us to legislate on the topic in
an informed way.
The final thing I would like to mention is that HPSCI will
be improving our support to the House by reforming how we share
classified information with standing and select committees. Our
intention is to do a better job of supporting our colleagues.
This effort is reflected in changes to HPSCI rules and is being
undertaken with the support of the Speaker.
Once again, thank you, Chairman Steil, Ranking Member
Morelle, and Members of the Committee. I look forward to your
questions.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much, Chair Crawford.
Ranking Member Himes, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. JAMES A. HIMES, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT
Mr. Himes. Chairman Steil, Ranking Member Morelle, Members
of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence's budget
request for the 119th Congress. I am pleased to support
Chairman Crawford in his budget request. Chairman Crawford was
consultative and transparent with the minority in the
preparation of the Committee's request. The request we have
jointly made to the Administration Committee would put HPSCI on
a strong footing to accomplish the critical priorities we have
set out for the 119th Congress.
HPSCI is a unique Committee in many respects, not least
because of the agencies we oversee. They operate nearly
entirely in secret. Unlike other Committees, which can benefit
from the expertise and research of outside experts,
journalists, and others, we can rarely turn to those resources.
Meanwhile, the task before the Committee is vast and growing.
The Committee oversees 18 IC elements and tens of billions of
dollars authorized each year, a task that is done with a staff
smaller than many House Committees that oversee smaller
agencies that are far less opaque.
To perform the functions at the House that the American
people expect of us, the Committee requires a specialized and
experienced group of professional staff. As the Committee's
budget submission reflects, additional resources for
professional staff members ensure the Committee's ability to
bring on high-quality staff, including those with technical
backgrounds in high demand in the private sector.
As the Chairman described, the Committee's SCIF underwent
significant renovation, which created additional desks for
staff. I hope the Administration Committee will provide us with
the resources to put those desks to good use and ensure robust
oversight of the intelligence community.
The Chairman well covered the IT needs that are particular
to our Committee. I will not repeat it, but I will just close
by saying, once again, I would like to thank Chairman Crawford
for his collaborative approach in preparing the Committee's
budget submission, and I would urge, respectfully, the House
Administration Committee to support this request. Thank you. I
yield back.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much, Ranking Member Himes,
Chairman Crawford.
I recognize myself for 5 minutes for the purpose of asking
questions.
One question I have asked every chair and Ranking Member is
whether the majority and minority will commit to having your
systems administrator meet with the House's CIO team in the
first quarter to discuss cybersecurity. That conversation will
probably look a little different for you on HPSCI than maybe
other House Committees, but will you still make the same
commitment for the meeting?
Mr. Crawford. Absolutely.
Mr. Himes. Yes.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
I will be succinct. I know votes have been called. We want
to be mindful so we make it to votes. We are told that they are
going to gavel at 20 minutes in. We will see if that is true,
but we will run on that assumption.
Chairman Crawford, I think one point that is really
important, you noted that all of your staff must maintain top
secret security clearance with SCI access. Obviously, you are
operating completely within the SCIF. When we think about the
Speaker's pay order, when we think about retaining staff, how
does that present unique challenges, and are you able to
acquire the talents and staff you need knowing the limitations
of the House pay scale?
Mr. Crawford. Well, it is a challenge. A lot of the reason
is just the onboarding process can be lengthy for folks that do
not already have a security clearance. Obviously we want to--we
are recruiting from a finite pool, and we are bumping up
against the executive branch. We are making pretty good
progress despite the fact that, you know, there is a lot of
talent out there that is being recruited by the executive
branch, but we are making progress.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much.
I am going to be mindful of the time then. I appreciate you
both being here, and I will yield back and recognize the
Ranking Member for 5 minutes.
Mr. Morelle. Thank you both for your leadership, for your
contributions. You are lucky; we have been grilling every other
Committee chair and Ranking Member. You will avoid that. I did
have one question. The traditional two-thirds/one-third split,
Mr. Chairman, are you committed to allowing independence of the
minority to hire as they see fit out of their budget?
Mr. Crawford. Certainly.
Mr. Morelle. Very good. The other thing I would just say
is, if you do field hearings, and I do not know that in
Intelligence really applies, but we are very mindful of threats
against Members and staff, and we just want to stay in close
contact, both here in D.C. But, certainly, if you do conduct
field hearings or if you move around, we would love to be
informed of that so we could help coordinate to make sure that
all the threats against Members we are aware of and can take
precaution. That is an invitation.
Mr. Crawford. Absolutely. Thanks for bringing that up.
Mr. Morelle. Yes. Great. Thank you both.
Chairman Steil. We thank you both for being here. Your
Committee has incredibly important work always but uniquely so,
I think, in this Congress, as we continue to see global threats
targeting the American people. We appreciate the work that you
do, that your Committee and staff members do, and we will be
keeping that under consideration when we review your requests
for funding. I appreciate you both being here.
The Committee will stand in recess subject to call of the
chair. We will plan to reconvene immediately following votes
for Ways and Means.
[Recess.]
Chairman Steil. The Committee on House Administration will
come back to order.
We now welcome our next panel of witnesses, Chairman Jason
Smith and Ranking Member Neal from the Ways and Means
Committee. We have been navigating through different panels
throughout the day, as you know. We will give each of you 5
minutes for an opening statement. We will have 5 minutes of
questioning in total from the majority and minority. We will be
yielding between Members for those Committees.
I will now recognize the Chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee, Jason Smith, for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. JASON SMITH, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM THE STATE OF MISSOURI
Mr. Smith of Missouri. Thank you, Chairman. It is a
pleasure to be with you. It is good to see so many familiar
faces from the Ways and Means Committee on here and also my
good friend from Florida.
Ranking Member Morelle, he is not here, but we are glad--he
is on his way.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the House
Administration Committee to testify about our funding request
of the Ways and Means Committee for the 119th Congress.
When I previously testified at the start of the last
Congress, we had before us a robust agenda at the Ways and
Means Committee. Much of that work was to prepare for what we
face today, particularly when it comes to America's economy and
the needs of our Nation's workers, families, farmers and small
businesses.
I do not have to remind everyone here that, if Congress
does not act to extend the existing tax policies--that is just
the current tax policies--in the coming months, every American
will face a tax increase, every single American. Simply put, it
will be the largest tax increase in American history. The
average taxpayer will see a 22-percent tax hike on average; 26
million small businesses will face a top rate of over 40
percent. You have got 2 million family farmers right now that
are wondering if they need to get an estate planner on the
phone to deal with the possible return of a much higher death
tax.
Making the tax cuts permanent will also unleash hundreds of
billions of dollars in small business and manufacturing-driven
growth and upwards of a million small business jobs being
created every year. Congress needs to act and act quickly to
that end.
The Ways and Means Committee will need to ensure we have
the resources and flexibility to preserve these key tax
provisions and prevent a massive tax increase on every
American.
Our Committee also has important priorities to address when
it comes to America's trade policies. If the past few weeks are
any indication, we can expect the Trump administration and
Congress to be spending a tremendous amount of time and
attention on ensuring our trade policies put the interests of
American workers and businesses first.
Despite achieving bipartisan victory last Congress in the
reauthorization and modernization of our child welfare
programs, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to
weed out waste, fraud, and abuse in welfare and to safeguard
resources for those families truly in need and promote the
dignity of work.
We must also make sure that more of our fellow Americans
can access quality affordable healthcare, especially those who
live in rural areas and lack even basic medical services, and
that our seniors have a retirement they can depend on.
President Trump has made it his longstanding commitment to
protect Social Security and Medicare. Our Committee will
continue our work to secure those benefits and ensure reforms
to the system, including the recent repeal of WEP and GPO are
carried out in a timely and orderly manner.
An integral part of the Committee's work last Congress was
the 14 field hearings held outside the Halls of Congress where
we heard directly from workers, families, farmers, and small
businesses across the country about the challenges that they
face and the solutions that we need to deliver.
The input provided by these hearings is informing the work
we are currently doing, particularly as it relates to tax
reform. Coupled with over 120 tax team events held across 20
States, the Committee and our Members have utilized the
resources at our disposal to reimagine how Congress carries out
our responsibilities. It has been working.
For these reasons and to ensure the Committee maintains our
ongoing aggressive oversight agenda to protect taxpayers and to
hold bad actors accountable, the Committee requests a 17.9-
percent increase in our budget for 2025, an additional 2.4-
increase in 2026.
Additionally, we were requesting an increase in our
allocation of staff slots from our current of 94 to 130, which
would bring the Committee in line with other Committees of
similar size and scope of jurisdiction to ensure parity.
We hold sacred our responsibility to the American taxpayer
and our Committee will respect the resources that they give us
to carry out our duties.
Thank you for your time, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Steil. Thank you very much, Chairman Smith.
Ranking Member Neal, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE HON. RICHARD E. NEAL, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS
Mr. Neal. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to acknowledge
there are five Members of the Ways and Means Committee here; we
have got a shot.
I am in accord with what Chairman Smith has suggested as it
relates to Committee staffing proportions. I also want to point
out that he did consult with us, which I think is helpful as
well. We appreciate the opportunity to have been given that
input. We are certainly working together to do what is best for
our storied Committee. We have a long history of splitting the
allocation two-thirds/one-third. We would report that that will
remain the practice. This has been the one place where both
sides can come to an agreement, and it is fundamental to
carrying out our work on behalf of the people.
I am pleased that the Chairman did note that he was
concerned about healthcare in rural areas, all the more reason
for us to defend the purpose of Medicaid, which overwhelmingly
is the major source of funding for those rural areas.
The majority is requesting a substantial increase in staff
ceilings. We will be supportive of that. We want to use the
increase to fill some of the open positions on the minority
side. We would also use the opportunity to give staff well-
earned increases.
We have been in the last few weeks talks that consider the
President's agenda, most of which will go through the Ways and
Means Committee, and we want to certainly be prepared on the
minority side for this eventuality.
This budget will ensure that the prestigious Ways and Means
Committee has the resources to tackle these important issues
facing the American people. We take our stewardship of taxpayer
dollars very seriously and the solemn responsibility that
accompanies. We appreciate your consideration of our request.
We hope that this will be the position that you will rest on as
well.
Thanks again for having me. I thank Chairman Smith for
working with us in consultation.
[The prepared statement of Representative Neal follows:]
Mrs. Lee.
[Presiding.] Thank you, Ranking Member Neal.
At this time, we will proceed to questions. We will start
with 5 minutes in total of questions from the majority, and
then we will have 5 minutes of questions from the minority.
With that, I recognize my colleague, Mr. Carey.
Mr. Carey. I want to thank the Chair. I just want to say,
for the record, this is a really strange position for me to be
in because normally I am sitting a lot lower than both of you,
so.
I want to thank you for joining us today, Mr. Chairman.
Starting off, I notice that you mention recruiting and
retaining staff is a challenge for our Committee due to them
needing very particular expertise. As the work of the Ways and
Means Committee is crucial to serving our country--you both
outlined that--I am curious if you think that the increase in
maximum pay rates in the Speaker's pay order has had any impact
on the hiring or the retaining of our teams?
Mr. Smith of Missouri. Mr. Carey, it absolutely has made a
significant impact, what the Speaker did with the pay raise, to
basically continue to hold onto some of the best staff that you
could imagine. A lot of our staff could leave the Hill in a
heartbeat and make double or maybe even triple of what we can
pay them, but this allows them to at least feel more valued and
have a competitive advantage.
Mr. Carey. All right. I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I also noticed in the budget request that you have asked
for 36 more staff slots, which would bring the total number of
the staff slots for the Committee to about 130. Can you explain
why the Committee requires the additional staff? Also, did you
end up using all of your staff slots in the 118th Congress?
Mr. Smith of Missouri. Sure, great question. During the
118th Congress, we did in fact utilize all of our available
staff slots. The Ways and Means Committee currently sits at 94,
and we are requesting an increase to 130 slots, which would
bring us in line with other Committees, specifically the Energy
and Commerce Committee with similar size and scope of
jurisdiction. This is important to ensure parity among
Committees, but it will also be vital to making sure that the
Ways and Means Committee is able to address the various pieces
of our robust agenda as quickly and efficiently as possible. As
you have seen in the last 3 weeks, trade and tax has been the
discussion, and we have a lot of work to do in tax and trade.
Mr. Carey. Again, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Is there
anything else that you think is important for us to keep in
mind when considering your budget request for the 119th
Congress?
Mr. Smith of Missouri. Just remember the Committee you
serve on. That is a great thing to do, Mr. Carey.
Mr. Carey. With that, I would just like to say that this is
probably the first time--and I have to both of you--the
Chairman and the Ranking Member, for those of us who sat on
Ways and Means, they were the two Members that actually stayed
when I would actually get to ask my questions. I thank you for
that.
With that, Madam Chair, I yield back.
Mrs. Lee. The gentleman yields back.
At this time, the chair recognizes our Ranking Member, Ms.
Sewell, for 5 minutes.
Ms. Sewell. First of all, I want to thank the Chairman,
Chairman Smith, as well as Ranking Member Neal. It has been my
great honor to be part of the Ways and Means Committee for the
last 5 Congresses. I want to say thank you for the yeoman's
effort that you all do, this yeoman's job.
My question is--I ask the same question so I would like to
begin by checking in with the chairs and the Ranking Member on
the allocation to the minority. Generally, Committees follow
the two-thirds/one-third split with some exceptions. I know you
are here in agreement with the proposal, but I would like to
just confirm that, if fully granted, the minority will have
unrestricted access to the resources that they need.
Mr. Smith of Missouri. Absolutely, the same that we have
done in the past.
Mr. Sewell. Awesome. How does your requested budget provide
you with the ability to enhance and build your oversight
capabilities? I wonder why I ask about Oversight.
Mr. Smith of Missouri. It is terrific to have you as the
Ranking Member of Oversight. Our Committee is better off with
you in that place. The staff allotments I think is extremely
important. We are at 94, and we are just trying to be at the
same parity as Energy and Commerce, which----
Mr. Sewell. Is a lesser Committee, we know. That was for
the record, by the way.
Mr. Smith of Missouri. I had to refrain from saying that.
Mr. Sewell. You guys have trained me well.
Mr. Smith of Missouri. I would not disagree with anything
you have said so far. It would definitely help. We are going to
be extremely busy moving forward with especially tax and trade
and healthcare, for that matter. It would be nice for both the
minority staff and the majority staff to have an--additional
allotments, prospectively, I think it would be very helpful.
Ms. Sewell. Are you proposing more field hearings? I just
wanted to say that I attended several and thought that they
were really helpful, and I am assuming it will still be
bipartisan.
Mr. Smith of Missouri. Absolutely. The field hearings, I am
extremely proud of. Our very first Committee hearing was in
West Virginia, in Petersburg, at a lumber yard that is now
closed. We have gotten out to rural Americans, whether Staten
Island port or whether it is the Iowa State Fair or the Native
American Reservation in Arizona or the homeless shelter in
Chicago. You are hearing from real Americans, and we will
absolutely be continuing to do that to help make us better
legislators. I think it is extremely important.
Mr. Sewell. Awesome. Is your Committee receiving the
necessary support from the U.S. Capitol and Sergeant at Arms?
Is there something that we could be doing better?
Mr. Smith of Missouri. They have been very good. They have
been very helpful and really protect our Members whenever we
are traveling.
Mr. Sewell. Great. I wanted to give the Ranking Member,
Richie Neal, an opportunity just to say, within the budget, I
assume probably the most valuable is to make sure that we have
good staff as well. Are you OK with the increase and the number
of staff?
Mr. Neal. Sure. In fact, I am pleased. The Ways and Means
staffers are the best on Capitol Hill. I would say that to E&C,
if they were here, without any hesitation. Smart, polite and
always I think loyal to the Committee. I think that is terribly
important. The Ways and Means Committee is a special
designation in Congress; it always has been: tax, trade,
tariffs, Social Security, Medicare, tax side of Medicaid,
pensions, welfare, management of the public debt. That is
extraordinary for a relatively small working Committee. I think
it is reflected in staff and also in the quality of the Members
that sit on that Committee. I have sharp disagreements with
them, but never once would I question their motivations. I
think that the Committee has always, since I have been on it,
which has been for a long time, I think there has been an
amicable, if not always publicly amicable, relationship
privately.
Mr. Sewell. Well, great. It is a pleasure, as I said, to be
a part of the Ways and Means Committee, and it is because both
you gentlemen take seriously your roles, and we really do
appreciate that.
With that, I will yield back to the chair.
Mrs. Lee. The gentlewoman yields back.
At this time, I would like to thank the Chairman and the
Ranking Member for your testimony and for appearing before us
today.
Without objection, each Member including our witnesses,
will have five legislative days to insert additional material
into the record or to revise and extend their remarks.
If there is no further business, I thank the Members for
their participation. Without objection, the Committee stands
adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 2:25 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.]