Cole Remarks at FY27 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Full Committee Markup (As Prepared for Delivery)

Thank you, Chairman Aderholt, and thank you to Ranking Member DeLauro and all of our committee members for being here. Today, we take up our tenth Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations measure before the full committee.

I will start by saying that the significance of the Labor-HHS-Education bill is something I understand well. Having spent several years leading this subcommittee, I have a deep appreciation for both the scope of this measure and the responsibilities that come with it. 

As the largest non-defense funding bill considered by Congress, it touches nearly every American community and supports priorities that shape the health, education, and economic opportunity of our nation. Crafting this legislation requires balancing competing needs, making difficult choices, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are directed toward effective programs. 

Knowing this, Chairman Aderholt has ensured each provision of this legislation lays a foundation for a healthier, better skilled, and more competitive America.

Appropriations is, of course, an exercise in numbers and accounts – but the true measure of our work is not found in spreadsheets alone. It is found in the lives touched and opportunities created by the decisions we make.

Think about just a few of the priorities supported by this bill:

• The scientist pursuing the next breakthrough discovery;
• The student working toward a degree and a brighter future;
• The family seeking access to quality rural care; and
• The worker gaining new skills and new opportunities.

This legislation recognizes that the nation’s future will be shaped not only by the decisions made in this committee room, but by the people empowered by it. 

Those outcomes do not happen by accident. They require thoughtful investments, clear priorities, and a duty to ensuring federal resources are directed where they can make the greatest difference. This bill does just that. 

It supports America's continued leadership in biomedical research, strengthens our ability to prepare for and respond to public health threats, and supports those in needs of mental health and addiction counseling.

It expands access to care in rural communities, supports workforce training and skills development, and helps ensure Americans have the tools they need to succeed in a rapidly changing economy.

And it includes investments for district-focused projects that support the needs of communities nationwide. 

At the same time, this bill recognizes that stewardship of taxpayer dollars is every bit as important as the priorities we fund. 

It strengthens efforts to combat fraud, streamlines duplicative programs, and focuses resources on initiatives that demonstrate real value and results. 

The measure also reflects several longstanding principles that should always guide our work: expanding opportunity through school choice, respecting the role of parents, preserving longstanding protections for unborn babies, and confronting antisemitic and religious discrimination. 

In short, the bill before us advances a broad vision of American strength: one rooted in innovation, education, economic opportunity, and accountability to the taxpayers. 

I thank Chairman Aderholt, Ranking Member DeLauro, and the staff on both sides of the aisle for their hard work and expertise. Bills of this magnitude are never simple undertakings, and I appreciate the professionalism and dedication that brought us to this point. I look forward to consideration and advancement of today's measure. With that, I yield back.