Fiscal Year 2027 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Bill

Thank you, thank you, Mister Simpson, as long as he enjoyed it.

Anything he wants to show it up.

Wow.

That's what it takes.

Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Radio Agency's come to order. Welcome to the subcommittee's mark-up for the fiscal year twenty twenty seven. Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriation Bill. I would like to welcome our full committee chairman, Mister Koh, and the ranking member, Mister Loro, for being here today. I'm pleased to be here marking up the FY twenty-seven interior appropriation bill this morning I'd like to thank Chairman Koh for his leadership of the committee in getting us to this point in the appropriations process. I also wanna recognize uh ranking member Deloro and all her work on getting us through the process also. Ranking member Pingree, uh she has done a fantastic She consistently demonstrates her commitment to the important issues of this subcommittee and I appreciate her continued partnership. With ranking member Pingree's support, the subcommittee was able to hold a number of timely and informative hearings on the FY twenty-seven budget request. We may have held more hearings than almost any other subcommittee. Uh, and one very educational round table, and if you miss the bird display, uh, next year you won't. Anyway, I look forward to continuing our work together to move the interior bill Finally, I want to extend my thanks to the members of staff on both sides of the aisle for their hard work and it does take a lot of work to get one of these uh bills put together, and they've done a fantastic job. The FY twenty-seven Interior Bill reflects our commitment to our nation's natural resources, unleashing American energy dominance, and our commitment to our trust and treaty obligations for Indian tribes. The recommendation totals thirty-eight point nine billion. This bill prioritizes investments in health, safety, education, and well-being of our tribal communities. I have consistently said that I refuse to balance this budget or try to balance this budget on the back of our tribes and we continue uh that commitment with the choices we make in this bill the bill provides eight point seven billion for the Indian health services for FY twenty seven and six point one billion in advanced appropriations for FY twenty eight one point five billion for the Bureau of Indian Education three point two billion for the BIA including seven hundred and seventy four point eight million for public safety and justice programs to support law enforcement in Indian country and two hundred and eight point or two hundred and four point uh eight million a two hundred and four point eight million dollar increase over the FY twenty-six enactment level. This includes thirty-three million for the missing, murdered and indigenous women initiative, which I know is very m it's which you may know is very important to me and to the members of this subcommittee. This bill also fully funds the must-pay costs uh for our tribes, including contract support costs and section one O five L leases, which saw significant increases for FY twenty-seven. The total funding in this bill for Indian country builds on the same strong investments we proposed in our FY twenty-six bill. We continue to fully fund the payment in lieu of taxes program, which provides payments to nearly every state in the country for certain tax exempt federal lands. The bill also supports the administration's proposal to streamline firefighting activities through the Department of Interior through the establishment of the Wy- US Wildland Fire Service. The bill continues support for federal wildland firefighters and provides additional funding to support wildfire pay, help helping improve recruitment and retention and giving financial certainty to the men and women protecting our communities from catastrophic wildfires. Giving these priorities, the bill makes fiscally responsible reductions to most other appropri uh appropriations. For example, the EP is cut by nearly one point eight billion dollars or twenty percent below the enacted level. The bill continues to fund grants that go directly to states and tribes for water infrastructure projects, and to help fulfill their delegated authority under a federal law like the Clean Water Act and the Clean uh Drinking Water Act. These programs are important for issuing permits for continued development and economic growth. The bill also includes community funding, community project funding for almost one thousand two hundred EPA clean and drinking water infrastructure projects for three hundred and sixteen members. While requests greatly exceeded the funding available for projects, we did our best to provide some funding for all eligible projects, given the impact these dollars have in communities across the country. Lastly, the bill echos the administration's efforts to roll back costly regulatory overreach, and promote domestic energy production by providing the funding requested by the administration for off-shore for on-shore and on-shore oil and gas development and off-shore critical mineral leasing, limiting the prior administration's attempt to abuse the endangered species act, and ensuring continued access to our public lands and expanding expanding the access to hard rock and critical minerals. In closing, I'm proud of the work uh reflected in this bill to balance competing priorities, while focusing spending where it is most needed to address crit critical needs across Indian country protecting our federal lands from wildfire and unleashing America's energy and domestic mineral development I look forward to working with Ranking Member Pingree and the other members uh to move this interior bill forward. Now I'd recognize Ranking Member Pingree for her opening remarks.

Thank you very much, Mister Chair, for yielding, and thank you to everyone for being here this morning. Uh, I wanna thank Chairman Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro and staff on both sides of the aisle for their work on this bill. Chairman Simpson, I appreciate our working relationship and that we were able to find common ground last year to enact a bipartisan full-year funding bill. I think those of us on the committee understood our responsibility and the importance of achieving such a milestone, particularly during a tumultuous time for our government. Unfortunately, currently the bill before us reverts to the same partisan playbook, with grossly insufficient funding and a surplus of poison pill riders. This bill cuts the EPA by twenty percent. This agency has already lost one-fifth of its workforce since President Trump took office. The cuts in this bill would completely cripple EPA's ability to fight climate change, respond to environmental disasters, and hold polluters accountable. Meanwhile, the administration continues to roll back regulations that protect public health and the environment. including an announcement earlier this week that will increase exposure to toxic forever chemicals. I'm disappointed that this bill further cuts funding to our states for water infrastructure. This is the first year that states won't have the additional funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and I believe that it is critical that we don't lose the momentum we built with those investments. Amid all of this, The president is diverting significant resources towards pet projects that most Americans oppose. Tearing down the East Wing for his ridiculous ballroom, dunk- dumping toxic debris in a National Park golf course, and making the reflecting pool look more like a swimming pool. The arch, which they're planning to move forward on with no legal authority, this list goes on. At the same time, this administration is trying to sideline anything it deems artistically or culturally offensive. regardless of the effect its decisions will have on people and communities. Last year the Trump administration illegally terminated thousands of grants at both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. A judge has since ruled that the mass termination of NEH grants was, quote, "unlawful, unconstitutional, and without legal effect." This is money that is supposed to support scholars. research institutions, and humanities organizations. Instead, the administration is using it as another funding source for the president's pet projects, including the Arch and the Garden of Heroes. In the wake of these assaults, it is critical that Congress assert its support for the NEA and the NEH. So I am vehemently opposed to the cuts in this bill, which would slash each endowment by seventy-two million or thirty-five percent. With a relatively small budget, the NEA helps power a one point two trillion dollar arts economy, creating jobs and sustaining main streets in even the smallest towns. NEA funds go to book groups for veterans, to after-school theater programs in rural towns, to folk festivals that preserve cultural heritage, to local arts councils. Cutting the NEA doesn't just silence voices and stymie creators, it erases the space, where he- the spaces where healing, connection, and community happen. The bill also cuts funding for cultural institutions, such as the National Gallery of Arts and the Smithsonian Institution. Last year we prevailed and beat back these cuts, and I intend to do the same this year. While the administration is focused on building a gilded ballroom and a triumphal arch in the president's honor, Americans are facing soaring gas and energy prices. It is deeply disappointing that this bill does nothing to rein in the administration's assault on energy projects that states have been counting on. Rather than including policies fighting the administration's use of two billion in taxpayer dollars for payouts to companies for abandoning offshore wind projects, this bill just continues to pile on by adding additional fees for offshore wind companies. Finally, I have to express my opposition to the dozens of poison pill riders included in the bill. These writers aim to cripple environmental protection, undermine climate change policies, and override the Endangered Species Act. Frankly, I'm surprised the majority even feels they're necessary since this administration is already doing all of these things. For example, just two months ago, it convened its so-called God Squad and exempted all Gulf of Mexico oil and gas activities from the Endangered Species Act. As written, this bill before us is not something I can support. I opposed the bill and I urge my college colleagues to oppose it, and I yield back.

Thank you. Uh Chairman Cole?

Thank you Chairman Simpson, thank you uh ranking member Pingree, and certainly uh thank my good friend uh ranking member the. Maybe it's gone. So maybe it was just a late night last night. Um. DeLauro and And uh all the members of the committee on on both sides of the aisle. Today we continue our fiscal year twenty twenty seven work with the Interior and Environmental Appropriations Bill. The measure before us makes uh or marks a focus on effective stewardship, one where we manage our lands responsibly, unleash domestic energy, strengthen wildfire response, and ensure agencies are focused on core missions. To fulfill these objectives we provide critical and targeted funding to the Department of Interior, and Env- the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Forest Service, with investments reinforcing America's natural, cultural and environmental resources. Importantly, this bill also reflects our commitment to honoring and upholding our sacred trust and treaty oaths to protect Native American communities. I'm proud that the legislation prioritizes funding for the accounts that deliver critical services to Indian country. Building on our work from last year, We're again enhancing resources for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, the Bureau of Trust Funds uh Administration, and the Indian Health Service. Because delivering better outcomes for tribal communities strengthens our nation and supports long-term stability. I appreciate Chairman Simpson's common sense approach to directing funding to the initiatives that connect our communities grow opportunity, and reinforce our way of life. Altogether, this bill uh takes a conservative and common sense approach to managing our nation's resources. It reduces regulatory burdens, protects American jobs, and unleashes domestic energy. It invests in the mapping, exploration, and development needed to fuel America's prosperity and strengthen our national security. And it ensures Americans continue to have responsible access to the lands and resources they rely on every day. Working together, Chairman Simpson, Ranking Member Pingree did an excellent job in crafting an effective bill. I thank him, the Ranking Member, and the majority and minority staff for their hard work. I look forward to consideration of this legislation today. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

Thank you. Uh, Ranking Member DeLauro.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to say thank you to you and to Ranking Member Pingree, um and to Again, yes, my dear friend Chairman Cole, it's always great to be with all of you, though I spend a lot of time with all of you, you know, most recently. Uh I wanted to say a thank you to the committee staff, to Rita Culp, Tyler Koh, uh and the minority, Maggie Earle, Sara Piri, Andreas Barks-Ibanga, and Lou Lucy Alford, and the majority. Uh thank you so much for your hard work always. I am opposed to the bill we are considering today because it puts the interests of corporate polluters over those of working families. It saddles vulnerable Americans with higher costs for energy and utilities, while severely weakening environmental protections. And it does nothing to push back against the administration raiding funds, meant for the arts and humanities, to pay for President Trump's triumphal arch. It just makes me re- reflect on, you know, centuries ago with, uh, in France, uh where there was a monarch who said let them eat cake, and so for the American people it's about letting them eat cake. This bill cuts the EPA's overall budget by twenty percent, substantially scaling back the agency's ability to prevent pollution, punish polluters, keep our communities clean. Specifically, it cuts enforcement under the EPA nearly in half. Earlier this week we learned that the Trump administration is rolling back restrictions on, quote, forever chemicals. in our drinking water. These are contaminants that we know are harmful to human beings. And yet the Trump administration decided that allowing corporations to continue polluting is more important than protecting the health of our communities. Gutting the enforcement budget for the EPA will only allow more pollution to take place. This bill also includes numerous policy writers that impede the EPA's ability to enforce regulations. under the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and other laws governing hazardous waste. Clean air and clean water are basic necessities that every American is entitled to. They are not exclusive luxuries reserved only for a privileged few. Not only will our communities be left in a dirtier environment under this bill, but they will have to pay higher prices for it as well. This bill slashes water infrastructure funding by five hundred and seventy-six million dollars including an eighty-six million dollar cut to states for infrastructure projects that support clean drinking water and sanitary wastewater systems. Eliminating these funds will saddle our communities with these additional costs. The bill also continues the president's bizarre war on wind power by imposing additional field fees on offshore wind projects, disincentivizing the production of new energy sources. Generating more energy is key. to bringing down costs, and clean energy is the future. But this bill seems designed to keep us stuck in the past, even as our global competitors race ahead. This bill slashes funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities by seventy-two million dollars each. It's a thirty-five percent cut. It has been said that robust investment in the arts is a mark of any advanced society and yes, The arts and humanities are the soul of this nation. It's a reflection of who we are, what our history is, what our past has been and where we wanna go in the future. It is a reflection of our humanity. The use of public funds for private ends, however, is a mark of a civilization in decline. This bill gives the administration the pass for taking humanities funding from our communities, in order to pay for an arch, a ballroom, a reflecting pool, vanity projects. that President Trump admits being built for himself at a time when the American people are struggling to make ends meet. This bill makes the problem worse, does nothing to bring down costs, while allowing the billionaires and the big corporations who have profited by polluting our communities to get even richer. Meanwhile, the air we breathe and the water we drink gets less and less safe. I encourage my colleagues to oppose this bill. As the ranking member pointed out, we did come to a good conclusion in the last go-round, we're all on this planet together, we ought to take better care of it. I encourage my friends across the aisle, let's work with the Democrats, let's craft a bipartisan bill that protects the environment, keeps our community safe and healthy, and helps to bring down costs for working families. Thank you and I yield back.

I think there aren't any member, are there other members who wish to make comments? Mr. Chairman. Miss McCollum.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to I wanna thank you and ranking member Pingree and all the staff for the work that you do on this subcommittee. And you're right, we held a lot of hearings and I thank you for that. The only time I missed them, well, I'm just gonna blame Ken,

Hmm.

uh, for poor scheduling defense hearings. Um, the increases in this bill to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Education, Indian Health Services, as Chairman Cole pointed out, is necessary for meeting our tribal trust and treaty responsibilities. And I am so proud and honored to work on this committee and the way it has forged over the years with many of us who have who have just never abandoned this committee stayed on it, um to prioritize funding for Indian country and to write to write up write the wrongs of s too many broken promises. Um and we stand united on this. But that means uh with Chairman Cole um when you give the subcommittee an allocation you increase it we put it towards tribal affairs, it's not big enough so other things get cut and left by the wayside. So I do have concerns with the funding in this bill for the cuts to the other agencies, and of course for the partisan writers that have been mentioned. Um so at this time I can't support the passage out of committee. The bill before us as you kno there's been pointed out the cuts to the EPA, and I won't get into what I'll say in my opening comments and and spare you all of that, but um the cuts to the science and technology um is just in my opinion a rubber stamp for what this administration has taken, this election to mean that it has an absolute ability to reshape the entire government and into their image in the way that they'd like to see it move forward. And I just strongly disagree with that. I also wanna just point out a couple of things that I'm going to try to work with you on Mister Chair and other members of the committee. The twenty percent cut to the office of international uh programs in trade trade is concerning to me. Um and I I know you tried to protect uh because we worked on this before the best that you could but that's responsible for enforcing the Lacey law which works on on uh illegal trafficking on fish wildlife and plants and it strengthens trade compliance and prevents the introduction of harmful uh species into the United States ecosystem so you know saving a dollar here now could cost the next generation irreparable harm so I believe that the president's gonna be serious about his trade policies. It's gonna require us to be intact and fully fund the office to protect the American forest and domestic wood products which we are very proud of in Minnesota and many parts of this country and as I said I could talk about the cuts to the Smithsonian the National Endowment for the Arts and the Humanities. We're all gonna work on that together. But I do have a way we can pay for this bill, and it's called going back to not having payment in lieu of, catch the word, taxes in this bill. It belongs in the tax bill, not in the interior bill. And I'm going to figure out and draft legislation to get it the, excuse my language, the hell outta here. Um so the other thing I wanna give you a heads up on on on chairman and ranking member, um Pingree, is what the president has done now with removing buffalo from grazing lands, to putting cattle on it. I I wanna figure all this out and see what we can do to make this work, because we've worked very hard to protect this iconic species, which um is indigenous and life support and culture to Native Americans as well as many of us who who cherish the buffalo. And eat it, I not only and I ate the tongue, uh two of you didn't when we were at at the the tribal reservation.

Ooh.

It's delicious, by the way. And I say this as a granddaughter I'm not opposed to cattle. I'm not out to, you know, uh clear war on cattle,

Good.

but I think we can do I think we can maybe try to do a better job on that. So I I thank I thank the committee members. This truly is a very special it's special to be on the appropriations committee, but it's very special for me to continue my work on this committee, and I thank both the ranking member and the chair for their indulgence and letting me vent a little bit. Thank you.

Thank you and thanks for bringing up the tone.

No.

And

Well

those were memories. And if you can get if you can get payment on rule of taxes out of this, that's great, but while you're working on that, why don't you get the Indian Water Rights settlements out of this and into the judgment fund also. So I'm just suggesting.

I'm not from the west.

I'm just Anyway.

I'm from the east.

Are there other members who wish to make opening statements? Mister Zinke.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On cattle, if you want buffalo to graze on public land, then change the Taylor grazing act. And until you change the Tay the Taylor grazing act, food production on leased land is exactly that, is for national food production. So there's nothing wrong with buffalo on private property. Matter of fact, uh the deer that passed uh recently Uh, Ted Turner had the largest buffalo herd in Montana.

Mm.

So Montana doesn't object to buffalo.

I know.

We object to grazing on land that violates the Taylor grazing act. And that land on leased land and BLM is for production. So with that

I want to eat more buffalo.

I love buffalo. Uh, you know, I'd love to I'd love to shoot one.

Let's see if we can work out that together.

I know.

Um but anyway,

I'm quite sorry too.

brazen's brazen.

Yeah.

I'm pro z I'm pro bison.

Oh, oh.

Are there other members who wish to make

No, no, Nicodian for sure, for promoting

Are there other members who wish to make opening statements?

the

Mister Amadei.

No thank you, I yield back, I say.

Hearing no other members to wish to have w opening statements, I'd recognize our Vice-Chairman, Mister. For the purposes of making a motion.

I move the bill be favorably reported to the full committee.

Question is on the motion. Those in favor say aye.

Aye. Aye. Aye.

Those opposed no.

Aye. No.

Opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.

Request a roll call.

The motion is agree the motion is agreed to. Those a r a r recorded vote is requested. Those supporting a recorded vote will raise their hands. Sufficient number having raised their hands, recorded vote is ordered. Members or the clerk will call the roll.

Mister Hamone, aye. Mister Clout.

Aye.

Mister Clout, aye. Mister Clyburn.

Aye.

Mister Clyburn, no. Mister Cole.

Aye.

Mister Cole, aye. Mister Loro. Mister Loro, no. Mister Elsie.

Aye.

Mister Elsie, aye. Mister Harder.

No.

Mister Harder, no. Mister Malloy. Mister McCollum.

No, thank you, at this time.

Miss McCullum, no thank you. Uh Miss Pingree.

No.

Miss Pingree, no. Mister Reckman-Culler. Mister Simpson.

Aye.

Mister Simpson, aye.

Does anyone wish to record their votes or change their votes?

No.

Hearing none, clerk will tally. On this vote the ayes are seven, the nays are five, the bill is favorably reported to the full committee. Uh I ask you to Adam's extent that staff be permitted to make technical and conforming changes to the bill and report, without objection, so ordered. Copies of the bill and report with the technical and conforming changes will be delivered to all full committee members' offices, no later than three days uh before the full committee mark-up. Uh and I believe the full committee mark-up is

That's the bill itself. On the third.

On the third of uh what month is that?

June.

June. Third of June, the week after we get back. Anyway, thank you all for being here today. I appreciate uh everyone's uh participation. With that, today's uh mark-up is concluded. Committee stands adjourned.

Thank you. Okay, thank you.

good good

i should have because will Well, let's just have a new one for real, family. So what they ask, Three, one, two, three, four, five, I mean, one thing we didn't put, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, sixteen, seventeen, but we wanna throw in a mention to the crucifixes, eighteen, nineteen, nineteen, nineteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty, twenty, twenty, twenty. we're getting i really feel like i'm a little bit sad right now that i'm a little bit that offers for for me i think is just like a scare i mean i i know but i feel like i'm a little bit sad you look at it

Good morning. The Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies will come to order. Welcome to the subcommittee mark-up for the fiscal year twenty twenty-seven Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and related agencies appropriations bill. Welcome Chairman Cole, Ranking Member Dilauro, and Ranking Member Clyburn, and fellow colleagues. The discretionary allocation for the bill is ninety-two point two billion dollars, ten point seven billion below the fiscal twenty-six level. We've also redirected seven point eight billion from low priority programs funded through the IIJA to support higher priority programs like air traffic control, highways, and freight rail. The bill prioritizes transportation safety on our railroads, highways, and in our skies, and ensures a responsible safety net with housing support for our most vulnerable citizens, especially the elderly, the disabled, veterans, and the working poor. This bill champions the priorities of the Trump administration, such as seven hundred thirty-two million to support the President's maritime action plan. It includes a hundred sixty-five million for capital needs of the Merchant Marine Academy, and historic investment in our nation's mariners. This bill continues our commitment to maintaining America's global leadership in aviation through workforce and infrastructure investments. We provide funding to hire and train twenty-three hundred new air traffic controllers building on historic funding in FY twenty-six for our controller workforce and we provide another four billion for FAA facilities and equipment to build a world-class national airspace system. The bill includes three hundred fifty million set aside in the build program for high growth areas like mine northwest Arkansas, Charleston, Huntsville, In Jacksonville, I know all too well that growing communities face unique infrastructure demands, and this kind of targeted initiative is a responsible use of federal dollars. We've included eight hundred seventy-five million to support transportation needs for the Olympics, building on the ninety-four million this committee provided in fiscal twenty-six. The twenty-twenty-eight games will put America on center stage, and this investment will ensure that we are prepared to meet the moment. I would note that the TNI committee is marking up their five year surface transportation reauthorization today. This bill cuts the check for the highway trust fund programs, and we look forward to tracking progress on that bill. In the meantime, our twenty-seven mark holds those trust fund programs at fiscal twenty-six levels. The bill provides sixty-four and a half billion for highway programs, including two hundred million for for tribal transportation and two hundred million for truck parking. These resources are directly allocated to state departments of transportation, enabling state and local governments to collaborate on high priority road projects. The bill invests five hundred twenty-three million for the consolidated rail infrastructure and safety improvements grant program, CRISI, supporting freight rail infrastructure. The bill meets our responsibility to support our most vulnerable citizens, who rely on housing assistance while implementing fiscal discipline. The funds provided in this bill support a authorized rental assistance programs at a physically responsible level of fifty-eight billion dollars for section eight vouchers, projects based rental assistance, and programs that serve the elderly and disabled. The bill provides four point two billion for homeless assistance grants, including three point eight billion for the continuum of care program. This program faced a lot of uncertainty last year. This bill continues a bipartisan agreement to ensure certainty for local providers, while returning competition to the program. We fund community development block grants at three point three billion maintaining a program that was proposed for elimination. As a former mayor, I know how important this program is to meet local needs. We also include programs that leverage private dollars to support housing affordability like home, shop, NeighborWorks. This bill represents a responsible approach that prioritizes core infrastructure needs, maintains an essential safety net for our most vulnerable citizens, and implements the fiscal discipline and regulatory relief that the American people demanded in the last election. I believe the decisions in this bill will have a positive impact in every congressional district while meeting our responsibility to rein in spending, and reduce regulatory overreach. In conclusion, I wanna thank all the members of this subcommittee for their participation in the process. This bill reflects many of your priorities. And I wanna thank my dear friend, ranking member, Cliburn, for his collaboration and respect during this process. I've learned from each of you through our hearing process and all the ideas you've brought to me either through your formal requests or through casual conversations. This bill is better. because of your participation. I also want to thank Chairman Cole for his leadership in moving appropriation bills forward. This gives us a legitimate shot at completing our work without endless continuing resolutions. Uh Chairman Cole, the re-engineering you've done to this long-established appropriations process uh speaks for itself, and we are all eternally grateful. While the Senate has yet to act on their version of the bill, I am pleased

Uh thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, uh Chairman Chairman and co-ordinating member. Thank you. DeLauro, thanks to all of you. Across this country, families are struggling to make ends meet. Whether it's rising rents, it's shrinking job market, or increasing costs at the gas pump, seventy-six percent of Americans see the cost of living as their biggest economic concern. In my home state of South Carolina, forty-six percent of likely voters identified inflation and cost of living as their biggest concern. Yet, the bill before us proposes to eliminate all investments for eviction eviction prevention and reduces HUD's homeless assistance grants by more than two hundred and fifty-six million dollars. This comes at a time when more than seven hundred and seventy-one thousand people are experiencing homelessness across America and seventy-five percent of low income renters spend more than half of their income on rent. Despite a shortage of more than seven million housing units, the bill eliminates programs that cut red tape, and guts new affordable housing production by sixty percent. By cutting housing counseling assistance in half, this bill also limits opportunities for families to create and build wealth and achieve the dream of home ownership. These programs not only help ensure uh working families and seniors remain home owners, But they continue to contribute to a stable and thriving housing uh economy. As if Americans are not already struggling to access a home they can afford, the bill cuts support for local organizations at the front lines of fair housing enforcement by sixty-four percent. People with disabilities who account for fifty-five percent of individuals' filing discrimination claims will bear the brunt of these decisions. Although this bill rejects many of the harmful policy riders that would weaken transportation safety, it does not come without trade-offs. For transportation, the bill would practically eliminate public transit and bus service improvement projects. Zeros out investments for Amtrak. And take seven point nine billion dollars from the bipartisan infrastructure law in a Robin Peter to pay Paul Gimmick to make up for a woefully inadequate allocation. Democrats have shown that they are willing to compromise in these areas. But it cannot be at the expense of programs important uh to our constituents. Let's be honest about what's happening here. For months, Republicans have allowed their president to wage a war overseas, which the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton budget model estimates is costing the American people roughly eight hundred million to one billion dollars per day. Meanwhile, experts at the Harvard Kennedy School project this illegal war would increase the deficit by at least one trillion dollars over the next decade. Let's not forget that just last year Republicans increased the deficit by trillions of dollars over the next decade through tax cuts for billionaires and big businesses when they pass their big ugly bill. Mister Chairman, I understand the challenges that lie ahead of you and all of us. My hope is that we can get to a place where we can put politics aside and do that which is necessary to make America's greatness accessible and affordable for all. Unfortunately, this bill fails to meet that goal. I urge my colleagues to vote no on this bill, and I thank you, but before yielding back my time, Mister Chairman, I notice she is not here.

She's coming.

She is on her way, but maybe I will

She's on her way, so just wait.

I want her to to know that I said some kind of things about it. Uh, Miss Watson Coleman is on the way, so I'll wait until she gets here, if you allow me to uh uh recognize her at the moment. Yes, so I'll hear back.

Absolutely. Thank you. Appreciate the ranking, member. If only you could say some nice things about me now. Yes.

I always do.

I'm I'm only kidding.

I always do.

I I'm I I'm I'm I'm

And I really do mean it when I do.

Yeah, you're not fake.

Oh, and I know that.

That's not fake.

Uh, I now like to recognize the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Mister Cole, for his opening remarks.

Well,

Chairman?

man, uh thank you uh, Mister Chairman and uh ranking member Clyburn, uh certainly my good friend ranking member Delora and all of you for being here. And I can throw away my prepared remarks and just say nice things about you for, if you need an ego fix. This morning I'm happy to participate in that, but uh today's Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill is about building a stronger America. With a focus on modernizing infrastructure, improving travel, and supporting communities across the nation, this measure responsibly funds critical priorities while safeguarding taxpayer dollars. With targeted investments in surface infrastructure and new budget authorities to rebuild uh critical systems we're delivering resources to build the most modern, safe and efficient transportation system in the world. This will benefit all Americans and pay dividends for our nation. From the traveling public to freight haulers, uh improving national connectivity is critical to keeping America moving. The safety of our skies and seas is also reinforced. This bill provides enhanced resources for FAA facilities and equipment to modernize air traffic control, hire needed controllers, and accelerate the deployment of new technologies. And on the maritime front, we provide strong support for programs and initiatives that support our supply chain and our defense. The bill empowers communities through local development, housing initiatives, and resources to help the vulnerable, making a difference where Americans live and work. From our founding, America has always been a nation that builds. This bill continues that tradition by investing the networks and infrastructure that power commerce, connect communities, and improve everyday life for families. I appreciate the dedication of Chairman Womack, his work alongside ranking member Clyburn, and the majority and minority staff throughout this process. I look forward to advancing this bill and the FY twenty-seven process. Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate uh the manner in which you lead this committee and the manner in which you work across the aisle to get things done. And with that, I yield back.

I thank uh the overall chairman. I'm gonna yield uh brief moment to Mister Clyburn to finish his uh opening remarks.

Thank you very much, Mister Chairman, and thank you so much, uh, Miss Watson Coleman, uh, for gracing us with your presence this morning. Uh, you miss one of the joys of your life in missing my opening statement, uh, but um, I'm gonna revisit that today to thank you so much. We recognize uh that this is your last mock-up. uh on this subcommittee and um you have served on this committee for seven years. Uh you've served as a friend of mine for many many more. Uh and um as I said about the chairman a little earlier, uh when I say uh you're my friend, I really do mean it. And I thank you so much for your service. Now you gonna miss your hard work, I will miss your company on the floor. Um uh but it may be missing your company uh from home. Uh it all depends upon what happens in South Carolina uh later this week. Uh we will greatly uh miss your decision making uh but it is my hope um that you will visit us as often as you can and hopefully uh, whatever lies ahead, uh, you'll meet it, uh, with as much joy as you've given all of us, uh, with your presence here. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I give back.

Thank you. Well said, well said. Thank you, Miss Watson-Kolman, uh, for your your service. Now I'd like to recognize the, uh, ranking member of the overall committee, Miss DeLauro, for her opening remarks.

Thank you very much, uh, Chairman Walmack, and Uh thank you, ranking member. Clyburn, I said at the earlier subcommittee mark-up, it's just wonderful to continue to spend so much time with all of you. I, you know, it just um and it is, it really is. So um uh and and Chairman Cole, it's always good to be with you. Uh let me say a thank you to the staff, Christina Monroe, Nora Fey, Jackie Kilroy, on the minority side, Doug Disruth, uh Avery Pearson, Andrew Giacchini, Mary Beth Pavlik, Heather Campbell, and Alexandra Mendejoa uh for the majority. Uh we are all so grateful for the hard work that you put into this effort, which helps us to do our work. I too, uh before I begin my comments, I I want to acknowledge uh uh Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman. Um it is the uh last subcommittee um mark-up for TIHUD and um what a privilege it has been to work with you over the years. Uh, Bonnie, and I mean that very sincerely. Um, I'm always uh when the chair calls on you and you stand up, I I know always it's going to be, you know, direct, right to the point. You don't pull punches, but you're, you know, you've been such an advocate for housing, for equality, uh for making sure that um people have what they need and understand uh that uh there is so much that we can do as members and you really understand that in your bones. Um and helping vulnerable communities have a roof over their head and we're in this committee today. Um I look forward to our work together and you said something very uh special to me um las last night. And um when I thanked you for speaking up and it's very personal and you said I always have your back. And I know that and I'm very very um I can't tell you uh how uh p uh proud I am that you're there and I thank you for always having my back. You're a dear, dear, wonderful friend. Thank you. We will miss you.

Thanks so much.

Mister Chairman, uh I oppose the bill under consideration today because it does nothing to bring down the rising costs that confront American families each and every day. In fact, by slashing funding for programs that help families who are struggling to stay afloat amid rising costs, this bill makes the problems At a time when the rising cost of living is not a hoax, affordability is not a hoax, rising cost of living, there's a shortage of affordable housing, are pushing more and more people out onto the street. This bill proposes to slash critical assistance that helps families keep a roof over their heads. This bill cuts funding for public housing by one point three billion dollars. This will co- cause cuts to rent, utility payments, for some twenty seven hundred housing agencies across the country, put hundreds of thousands of low income households at risk of eviction. I was evicted at nine years old, went home on a Friday night with my mom and dad and all of our possessions were out on the street. Wasn't because my mother and father were dogging it. They worked hard all of their lives and were financially challenged all of their lives. But they just couldn't make it. And so we lived with my grandmother until we were able to get back on their feet. So I know what it feels like to be evicted. These cuts include the complete elimination of funding that addresses lead-based pain hazards in nearly seven hundred thousand low-income housing units, which have been deemed at risk of lead exposure. This bill cuts funding that supports vulnerable people who are living without homes by slashing homeless assistance grant funding by two hundred and fifty-six million dollars this bill rolls back aid for the more than seven hundred and seventy-one thousand people experiencing homelessness and will prevent tens of thousands of people from getting off the street and into stable homes. That is a one-two punch in funding cuts. First, they slash the program that helps people afford houses. Then after that they are pushed out onto the street. It scales back assistance for people without homes.

Okay.

The message is clear. Costs are going up and you are on your own. Meanwhile, the bill retreats from efforts to address the affordable housing crisis by gutting investment in programs like home that increase the supply of affordable housing. NeighborWorks, which provides the funding backbone for nearly two hundred and fifty local organizations that construct and rehabilitate affordable housing, in every state, it is cut by over twenty percent. The rising cost of housing means more people are having to make longer commutes to and from work, as the distance between a decent wage job and an affordable home is getting wider, and wider. But instead of investing in our transportation infrastructure, to extend economic opportunity far and wide, this bill raids funds from the bipartisan infrastructure law zeros out funding for new transit capital investment grants. This means halting ongoing projects designed to eliminate transportation deserts and expand public transit. When you account for the funds rated from the bipartisan infrastructure law, this bill cuts the Federal Transit Administration by ninety-two percent. It cuts funding for the Federal Railroad Administration by one point five billion dollars eighty-four percent including funding for Amtrak's National Network and the Northeast Corridor and it eliminates all new funding for the Federal Highway Administration. Transportation infrastructure is an economic engine. It connects our communities and extends prosperity. As costs are rising and jobs are waning, we cannot afford to isolate ourselves by failing to invest in our infrastructure. Throughout the country, families are struggling to stay afloat as the cost of living keeps climbing and climbing. Instead of extending a lifetime, this bill cuts off support. I encourage my colleagues to oppose the bill before us today. Let's negotiate on a bipartisan basis to craft a bill that meets the needs of the American people. Thank you and I yield back.

I thank the uh General Lady for her opening comments. Are there any other members gathered here this morning who wish to make opening remarks? Mister Quigley.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh first uh to my seatmate, uh I I didn't really know Miss uh Watson Coleman all that well until we started sitting next to each other. Uh, for those of you who haven't had that experience, it is educational, inspiring, uh, and entertaining, uh, all at the same time. So, uh, I'm happy for her, cuz, uh, she gets to escape the island. Well, we wish her all so well. And, and, Mister Chairman, I was gonna say this before you said anything. Uh, for those who don't know, we flip-flopped being chair and ranker on FSGG before, and on, uh, and in your role as chairman here. It is genuinely a model for how we should work together. Uh, I think the theme is karma. Uh, you'd want the majority to treat you, you you should need to act like you'd wanna be treated if you were in the minority. Uh, and I, that's always been the case, it's always been extremely helpful and thoughtful and, as your staff has, so thank you. And um, you know I think we need to be candid that this time now because I think we have a transit and a housing crisis at the same time. And there's plenty of shared blame or responsibility or whatever you wanna call about that but uh we do have some things that uh we appreciate very much about in this bill, and that's uh you you restored funds for HOPWA and the community development block grants uh extremely important. Um we are still concerned about cuts in section eight vouchers. public housing fund, homeless assistance grants, housing counseling, self-sufficiency funds, and so forth. But uh l- l- let me just touch on that part about you know sharing responsibility for building housing. Um you know I think the cuts the administration have made have been devastating, but uh I I think at the same time we need to look at what's happening with tariffs right now and how that affects the cost of things and supply chains um and the energy costs that are part of this. We are already seeing uh changes in contracts due to energy cost making everything far more expensive. Yeah, but on a local level I think there's a also responsibility we have to look at, and offer a carrot and stick approach to encourage more housing being built. You know, if you look at Chicago, a lot of this is the building code. A lot of this is our zoning code. Cuz believe it or not, it costs more to build a subsidized unit in Chicago than a market rate unit. Uh, as the developers in North Lawndale and Roseland have told me, uh, affordable isn't affordable, and we need to get past that. And we do have, there is legislation afoot that will incentivize, uh, and again, encouraging and discouraging, uh, encouraging good behavior and discouraging bad behavior, cuz all that matters is that we build a heck of a lot more housing cuz it helps on all fronts. And and shifting as much as possible our emphasis from just building more and more rental to building you know permanent housing for folks again I was in North Lawndale last weekend and we look at names and we look at numbers on paper here I got to meet thirty families that were actually getting into their own house and their kids are gonna have a backyard and it's inspiring as it can possibly be to to see what that means for folks. So, uh, uh, just a few thoughts on transportation here, you know, some of these cuts, um, at a, coming at a time when, uh, air travel, for example, is gonna be so dramatically increased, the Olympics, um, World Cup and so forth. O'Hare's now again the busiest airport in the world. It's also in my district, so I think we have to understand just what all that means and how to address those things. So, I understand that it's, it's typical, uh, to say this is all your fault. Uh, I'm very concerned about where this president is on all these policies, but, uh, I think if we decide we're gonna work together to increase these investments, we can do both. Recognizing that, uh, transit and housing are virtually the same issue, uh, that they're so intertwined, and you can't think of one without the other. And if we're willing to do that, starting with this bill, uh we'll make a lot of progress. So thank you all.

I thank the gentleman uh for his kind words and uh his participation on this uh subcommittee. Others who wish to speak? Miss Watson-Coleman?

Good morning. First of all, let me thank um ranking member Delora and ranking member Clyburn for your kind remarks as well as my seatmate. Uh it's been an honor and a blessing to work under your leadership and your mentorship. And let me just say to you, Mister Cole and Mister Womack, it's been a blessing for me to be a part of this subcommittee and the committee in gen- in general um I must rise in opposition to this bill today though. We always say that our budget reflects our values and this bill shows how little I believe the majority seem to care about housing and transportation access across our country. The overall funding levels of this bill are eight percent less than FY twenty-six funding it falls short in providing for the needs of the American people. With the cost of housing continuing to rise and the rise of inflation due to the president's war of choice, The American dream of a home ownership is further than it's been in decades. This bill cuts the home investment partnership program by seven hundred and fifty million dollars or sixty percent below the twenty twenty six, which will result in twenty seven thousand fewer affordable housing units being developed at a time when housing is so critically um needed and so sorely un- unrepresented. It also cuts more than f- three hundred and fifty-five million for section eight voucher programs while ripping up the tenant protection assistances by half. This bill contains a fifteen percent cut in public housing or nearly one point three billion dollars below F Y twenty-six, which will lead to a rise in rent and utility payments to twenty-seven hundred public housing agencies across the country and could then lead thousands of Americans being forced on the streets. Not to mention the elimination of funding that addresses lead-based paint hazards in nearly seven hundred thousand low income units at risk of lead exposures. The transportation funding part of this bill really doesn't fare much better. Once again, there's an attack on the Northeast Corridor, the busiest and most profitable section of rail in the entire nation, receiving only six hundred and fifty thou fifty million, or two hundred million cut from FY twenty-six. This is on top of the elimination of the federal-state partnership for inner-city um passenger rail, delaying advancement in the safety and reliability of our passengers and freight rail system. Public transit is also under attack. The transit formula grant received three hundred and eight mill million dollars less, and transit infrastructure program receives seven hundred and sixty-eight million less than twenty-twenty-six. Millions of Americans rely on public transit to get to work, a doctor's appointment, or just to see friends and family. And let me just say that a lot of those people, a good portion of those people are very low income individuals. Denying these funds puts these people at a greater disadvantage. Housing and transportation are some most important basic needs people require, and are the most essential things government can provide. I don't see how we're able to serve the constituents we represent with funding cuts at this level. I wanna work with my Republican colleagues across the aisle to draft a bill that reflects those needs. And I call on everyone in the subcommittee to vote against the bill and to work towards a better bill. that we can all be proud of for on behalf of our constituents. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

I thank the uh gentlelady for her opening comments. Miss Torres.

Thank you, Chairman, um I also want to join uh my colleagues in thanking you and uh your staff uh for it's not always good news or great news, but at least they deliver it promptly and um you know without reservation, so thank you for um communicating so well uh with all of us and you know I I join in the sadness of my colleague um my classmate we came in together and I will miss you dearly.

Mm-hmm.

Um as far as the bill uh goes I I really hope that we can have a a second bite at this apple. I am uh disappointed at some of the cuts um that we have And just to give you a little background on the district that I represent, the Inland Empire, uh the west end of San Bernardino County and part of Riverside County, we're a freight corridor. We are our community is made up of hard-working warehouse uh workers, um truckers that, you know, drive all the goods that come in through the Port of LA and Long Beach to my district, in order for it to redistributed throughout the US, uh mostly the western states. These people need resources. They need they need some assistance. They refuse, you know, they don't want another welfare program, but they need right now, with the cost of living, the doubling of of uh diesel and gasoline, they n- they're very frustrated. They're frustrated with us that we haven't been able to stand up um to the policies that are driving the high cost. of living. They know, they know exactly who's to blame on this. Um, and they don't have to look very far when the president was recently asked about if he thinks about the suffering of hard-working Americans. You know, the president was very clear. He said, uh, that he does not think about Americans' financial situation,

Mm.

and not even a little bit. And it shows, and it shows when we are Cutting programs, like the bill cuts three hundred and fifty-five million in rental assistance and vouchers. These people are working. They're working, but the minimum wage just simply isn't enough for them to be able to make rent and and buy groceries, much less put gas in their cars. So public transportation is critical. Two hundred and fifty million dollar cut to homeless assistance uh grants. The budget not only cuts five hundred million from the home uh program, the largest federal program aimed at building affordable housing. I don't know how we're going to be able to meet the needs of our growing society, especially, you know, if we're trying to get American young women to have more babies. We need to be able to support these households um by ensuring that we are are facilitating the building of affordable housing. So, um, you know, it gets rid of the pro-housing program, which helps states and local governments get rid of the red tape. All of us here talk about the red tape and, you know, dealing with all of these policies that make it unaffordable and nearly impossible to build the n- the units the number of units that we need. So, um, in short, I wanna say thank you, um, for, um, trying to work with us, but I, I really do hope that we can have a second bite um at this apple in the near future, and with that I yield back to you, Chairman.

I thank the General Lady. Are there any other members wishing to make opening comments? Recognizing none, I there are no amendments to be offered. I would be remiss having uh everybody saying nice things about miss Watson Coleman, and I join the chorus of people anxious to uh wish you the very best on this last mark-up day. But we also have one on the other side who is probably enjoying his last mark-up, and that's Mister Zinke. And um, Ryan, I can tell you on behalf of this committee, we appreciate your participation and the perspective you have brought to this committee and to Congress writ large, um as a SEAL team commander and as a cabinet secretary. Uh, the perspective you've given us has been very helpful in our deliberations, and we could not um thank you more for your service.

With the uh

And uh yield to the overall chairman.

I'm just gonna say it's a lot harder to say nice things about you than it is about Miss Watson Coleman.

I I agree, yeah.

I mean to my democratic friends, the first time I really uh it's hard to miss Ryan Zinke in a crowd, cuz he's a pretty big guy, pretty impressive uh fellow, but uh he got up in front of the Republican caucus as a freshman and we were in a conference caucus meeting and Uh it was kinda rowdy and all of a sudden we hear this shout and it goes, " Hey!" "I really can't kill anybody in this room with a pencil." And it got really quiet. And uh but we are going to miss you a great, great deal. And uh uh you've served co- uh your country in so many ways. We appreciate your service obviously and got to know you here. But uh we also served with other men and women that served with you. in uniform, and I know what they think of you and the leadership that you provided them. Uh and just uh thank you not only for your friendship and all you've done to enrich our committee and the Congress, uh and uh m- my friend Mister Womack is certainly right about the value of having the executive perspective that you brought to us. But just thanks for a lifetime of dedication to the United States of America. And uh and for when none of us knew you, you were defending all of us. So uh all of us uh I know on both sides of the aisle both parties are grateful for that particular service and that dedication to your country. So thank you very much, my friend. And you actually will be missed. Uh and uh don't be a stranger at age two sixteen, cuz I know you like to smoke cigars and I know you like an occasional bourbon, so.

Well,

You're back.

thank you, Mister Chairman, and the the highest compliment comes from an army colonel, so thank you, sir. Uh, and and then, you know, you've given me a glimpse of hope. I'm I'm a big process guy. I think in this body we've lost perspective of the Constitution. And the way it was set up was our brilliant founding fathers, they understood authorization. As we're supposed to authorize everything. The authorization that you committed is supposed to be the menu. And then as the Chairman has pointed out over and over again, our our budget committee, the House Budget Committee, is supposed to pass the budget resolution. For the Democrat side, if you pass the the the the biggest budget you can get passed. For the Republicans, it's the most conservative budget that you can pass to House. And then it's supposed to go to appropriations, and appropriations is is simply to match what's on the menu uh and appropriate the money. But but we order off the menu all the time because most of what we do is not authorized. And then lastly, the I a gr great glimpse of hope that we can get back to conference committees. And conference committees, I think th- what they do really is they the edges, they round the edges out. Uh, and I I think member to member, I've never seen a problem where a member to member uh can't address. We may disagree on Buffalo or guns or or one of the issues, but we can talk about it. And sometimes I think we lose that as members. Uh, and make sure I thank the chairman. Did anybody else wants to join the love fest this morning? Thank you. Wow. It's stressful.

Yeah.

Um.

Mister Espeon.

Thank you, Mister Chairman and and uh ranking member. Um, this funding billed uh at a time when there is a hi housing a terrible housing crisis um in our country uh falls severely short. Um, specifically the bill cuts funding for public housing and section eight housing. Uh, it does nothing to stop really the the shortfall of housing choice vouchers uh in the public housing agencies around the country. Despite uh what the secretary secretary Turner said the other day during our hearing,

Yeah.

it doesn't seem like he is interested in keeping our h our families together. Of course, um the public housing fund uh falls short uh by one point two billion dollars and section A which has been an important tool to help families uh afford uh like affordable housing and uh a and have a roof over their head also falls short by three hundred and fifty-five million dollars. So as we go through the country and we see homelessness go right through the roof, As we go around the country and see how difficult it is for family to pay for housing, many of them are paying over fifty percent of their income towards rent. Uh, we don't see an investment in this budget for that, and that that's uh really shameful because I think the country is hurting. And so um this is um a real a real challenge uh for this budget and uh this funding bill and for for the nation. I hope that we can address that aggressively. And finally, the secretary talked about splitting a mixed status family. So, I continuously asked him what's gonna happen to the kids that are US citizens, and he couldn't answer that. So, if we're gonna be about family values, if we're gonna keep families together, and we're gonna resort to the Bible, then we should be able uh to to answer that question, what's gonna happen to these kids that are US born citizens that were denied basic services too. Thank you, and I yield back, Mister Chairman.

I I I thank the gentleman. Um there are uh no amendments that I see, uh and before I recognize Miss Bice uh for a motion, let me just remind everyone that this is uh there's been a reference or two to the getting another bite at the apple. Uh here in a couple of weeks there'll be another bite at the apple. when we have this uh bill before the full committee. And then of course we all need to remind ourselves from time to time that the Senate gets a vote in this process too. And uh one day we'll have an opportunity to match our product with the Senate product. And let's just hope that this process can unfold in a timely way so that we can keep America funded and uh give an opportunity for these agencies that we are funding, uh to be able to make the uh plans accordingly. Uh, and with that said, I'll recognize Miss Peice for a motion.

Thank you, Mister Chairman, I move the bill be favorably reported to the full committee.

Uh, the question is on the motion. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed no.

No. No.

Pena, chair, the ayes have it. Motion is agreed to.

Mr. Chairman?

Mister Claveron.

I'd like to have a recorded vote.

There is a recorded vote that has been requested. All those in favor of recorded vote, please raise your hand, sufficient number having done so. A recorded vote is ordered. Clerk? Will you call the roll?

Mister Aguilar?

No.

Mister Aguilar, no. Mrs. Bice?

Yes.

Mrs. Bice, aye. Mister Siskamani?

Aye.

Mister Siskamani, aye. Mister Clyburn?

No. Mm.

Mister Clyburn, no. Mister Cole?

Aye.

Mister Cole, aye. Mister Loro?

No.

Mister Loro, no. Mister Espayot?

No.

Mister Espayot, no. Mister Joyce?

Aye.

Mister Joyce, aye. Mister Quigley?

No.

Mister Quigley, no. Mister Rogers? Mister Rutherford? Mister Rutherford, aye. Mister Shreve.

Aye.

Mister Shreve, aye. Mister Strong.

Aye.

Mister Strong, aye. Mrs. Torres.

No.

Mrs. Torres, no. Mrs. Watson-Coleman.

Bonnie.

No.

Watson-Coleman, no. Mister Womack?

Aye.

Mister Womack, aye. Mister Zenke.

Aye.

Mister Zenke, aye.

Does any member wish to ch- change their vote? Jim? Just kidding. Clerk will tally.

I have to get a book, I'll go make some notes after this is all gone. Yes.

On this vote the yeas are nine, the nays are seven, the bill is favorably reported to the full committee. I ask unanimous consent that staff be permitted to make technical and conforming changes to the bill in a report

Thank you, Dave.

Without objection, so ordered. Copies of the bill and report, with the technical and conforming changes, will be delivered to the full committee members' offices no later than three business days before the c full committee mark-up. I wanna thank everybody for being here. Not lost on me is the fact that we were all together last night till about midnight,

Very nice.

uh eleven thirty-ish or so. So thank you for uh being here and alert this morning. And that concludes uh this morning's mark-up. The committee stands adjourned.

Thank you, buddy.