During a House Appropriations Committee markup meeting held before the Congressional recess, Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) spoke about the allocations for the State Department funding bill.
00:00I recognize Chairman Diaz-Billard to present the bill.
00:04Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. I'm pleased to present the Fiscal Year 2026
00:09National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill
00:13to the full committee for consideration and for approval. Let me start by thanking Chairman Cole
00:21for his essential, essential leadership at the helms of this Appropriations Committee
00:27and for his, what I believe is, deep wisdom, Mr. Chairman, in refocusing this subcommittee,
00:34starting by changing the name to really better reflect the investments made on behalf of the
00:39American people that they are to advance U.S. national security. I also want to thank
00:47Ranking Member Frankel and Ranking Member DeLauro and all of the members of the subcommittee for
00:53your partnership in developing this important bill. The bill before us delivers on President
01:00Trump's America First agenda. First, we drastically reduce spending by cutting 22 percent from the
01:07enacted level. The greatest threat to our country's stability and security is our debt. And this bill
01:17decisively but responsibly reigns in spending. Now, these cuts are in addition to the six percent cut
01:25achieved in the final enacted version of the Fiscal Year 24 State and Foreign Operations Act,
01:32which was carried, as you all know, in the CR, in the continuing resolution. Within the remaining funds,
01:40this bill prioritizes our national security, especially, I may add, in the Western Hemisphere,
01:46the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific. It provides unwavering support for Israel and fully funds the
01:54United States-Israel Memorandum of Understanding by providing $3.3 billion in security assistance
02:00to allow Israel to defend herself from existential threats. Other key partners, other key allies in the
02:11Middle East, such as Egypt and Jordan, are strongly supported as well. The bill includes funding and
02:19conditions to confront the national security threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party, including through
02:26a new provision, a new provision that prohibits support for academic institutions partnering in STEM
02:33programs with PRC, or CCP-controlled colleges in Communist China, and it continues to prohibit foreign assistance from being used to repay loans to the PRC,
02:46and many other key limitations on funding regarding the PRC.
02:52We have $500 million in foreign military finance, and up to $2 billion in loans and loan guarantees are provided
03:00for Taiwan to strengthen deterrence across the Taiwan Straits. Strong support is also provided
03:10for other key partners in the Indo-Pacific, such as the Philippines and Pacific Island countries.
03:18This bill continues important investments, Mr. Chairman, to combat the trafficking of fentanyl and the transnational criminal organizations behind that scourge of drug addiction confronting every single community in the United States of America.
03:38The bill creates the America First Opportunity Fund, which will enhance our country's leverage abroad and enable a rapid response to any crisis.
03:48It also creates the national security investment programs account, a new account that facilitates efficient strategic deployment of programs that support the United States national security interest.
04:02Yes, that is the theme. That is the theme of this bill. Together, this realignment of resources ensures that our foreign policy is focused on making Americans safer, stronger,
04:17stronger, and more prosperous. Critically important, Mr. Chairman and members of this committee, the bill maintains all longstanding pro-life provisions alongside enhanced oversight and transparency measures to ensure that American taxpayer dollars do not fund abortions, a policy that Americans overwhelmingly support.
04:40This bill, this bill, my friends, makes very clear that the days of a weak American foreign policy, those days are over.
04:47funding is cut, conditioned, or withheld to countries that are no longer advancing shared interests, such as Columbia, due to the federal administration's object failures in preventing political violence, creating economic deterioration, and emboldening, emboldening, emboldening the
04:57shared interests such as colombia due to the petro administrations object failures in preventing
05:04political violence creating economic deterioration and emboldening emboldening transnational
05:12criminals south africa unless it ceases cooperations with our adversaries and upholds the
05:19rule of law and mexico until it meets the requirements on water deliveries to the united
05:27states in accordance with the terms of the 1944 water treaty the bill also blocks assistance to
05:36anyone that supports finances facilitates the operations of the cuban ministry of the revolutionary
05:43armed forces or ministry of interior by the way i'm also really grateful to president trump and
05:50secretary rubio because they use language that i included in the fiscal year 2024 bill to sanction
05:56anti-american thugs in the cuban regime who work closely with america's adversaries this bill
06:04demands unprecedented accountability of the united nations and other international organizations
06:11it brings greater scrutiny to the actions of member states including their voting record at the united
06:22nations in determining the allocation of funds that frankly doesn't sound like it should be controversial
06:30but it's about time that we that we do that no funds are included for the united nations regular budget
06:38and funds are prohibited to the world health organization the united nations commission of inquiry against
06:45israel the united nations relief and work agency known as unra the united nations human rights council
06:52the international criminal court and the international court of justice furthermore the bill includes
06:59a new provisions a new provision to demand justice for the victims murdered in the october 7 terrorist attack
07:08including american citizens including american citizens including american citizens by requiring full
07:13accountability for the unra staff involved in this vicious cowardly attack so these are just
07:22my friends a few examples of how this bill strengthens strengthens our national security and supports an
07:31american american first foreign foreign foreign policy but there's more the bill prohibits funds for
07:38controversial or ineffective programs that americans do not support and our allies and partners don't need
07:44the bill supports full implementation full implementation of of of key trump administration executive orders
07:52that reflect a clear commitment to national sovereignty secure borders limited government
08:00and american values including those related to restoring free speech
08:07and ending censorship ending dei programs and many many others i would note that many of these limitations
08:17by the way were carried in the last two house passed then called this the state foreign operations bills
08:24and for really good reasons i was pleased to see that president trump embraced a lot of those policies
08:32through executive orders in the early days of his administration and let's face it it was no secret
08:39that the biden administration was funding controversial wasteful programs and even programs that were actually
08:46harmful to our national security interests and i sounded the alarm publicly
08:54publicly and privately and privately and privately and you all heard me do that i raise it in every hearing
08:59we debated extensively frankly during our markups as i'm sure we will do so again today
09:06but here's a sad reality is that these funds were being used to fund drag shows
09:13the dei hiring and even labs of the communist chinese party i hope we can finally all agree now
09:24that these prohibitions are needed or we were or we frankly risk losing the american people's support
09:30for these important investments you see the american people must be reassured that funds in this bill
09:39will promote our national security and our interests throughout this process the goal is to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars
09:50to represent our constituents priorities and foreign assistance and above all to protect
09:56the united states national security this bill would not would not be what it is today
10:04without the valuable input from each member of this panel your thoughtful recommendations have shaped
10:11the measures before us and i am so so grateful for your contributions but now before i close
10:18i also want to thank the staff the amazing staff on both sides of the aisle for their hard work
10:26let me just start by men by naming naming them by name subcommittee clerk susan adams and her entire team
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