Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. COLE. Madam Speaker, Pursuant to House Resolution 977, I call up the bill (H.R. 6938) making consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.
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Mr. COLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6938, a three-bill package covering the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment appropriations measures for fiscal year 2026.

These bills are the product of bipartisan, bicameral consensus and are grounded in a Member-driven process.

As I stand here today, I think of the genius of our Founding Fathers. They designed Congress to be an engine of thoughtful and deliberative policymaking. It wasn't meant to be easy. In fact, difficulty is what separates serious legislating from political performance.

In her 250 years, America has never shied away from hard work, nor does the Appropriations Committee in carrying out our constitutional responsibilities for fiscal year 2026. Even after the longest government shutdown in history, political obstruction, and tough deadlines, we remained resolute and took responsible steps forward to restore regular order.

I am proud to say we have ended the cycle of pork-filled omnibuses decided at the last minute. Just as importantly, we have been turning America First priorities into action. President Trump set a critical foundation by signing three appropriations bills into law in November, and we are carrying that momentum forward today. The measure before us keeps us on track to complete all 12 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026.

With passage of these three bills, we will provide full-year funding for many of our most critical programs.

We prioritize public safety by supporting law enforcement and stopping the flow of fentanyl into our communities. We advance American strength by unleashing energy dominance, securing critical minerals, and investing in nuclear power. We uphold stewardship by protecting public lands, supporting wildland firefighters, ensuring responsible resource management, and fulfilling our obligations to our Tribal nations.

All of this is achieved while cutting waste and keeping total fiscal year `26 spending below the current continuing resolution.

These results are not accidental. They are by design, and they are the result of the hard work of our subcommittee chairmen, Hal Rogers, Mike Simpson, and Chuck Fleischmann. Thanks to their leadership, good will, attention to detail, and strong relationships with their negotiating partners, the power of the purse is, once again, being exercised by lawmakers through the committee process, as Article I intended.

To their accompanying ranking members, Grace Meng, Chellie Pingree, and Marcy Kaptur, I thank them for their partnership and collaboration, which was instrumental to this effort.

As I look ahead to today's action, Republicans are strongest when they are focused; Democrats are more effective when they negotiate in good faith; and the country is better off when Republicans and Democrats work together.

In its Statement of Administrative Policy on this package, the White House said, in part: ``The administration urges every Member of Congress to support this fiscally responsible bill, which is a win for the American taxpayer.'' Not surprisingly, I completely agree. I look forward to enacting these full-year appropriations and taking every action to complete our work.

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Mr. COLE.

Mr. SCOTT FRANKLIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6938, which includes the FY26 Energy and Water Appropriations bill.

This bill makes critical investments in our national defense by increasing Department of Energy defense program funding by $912 million. This includes $25.4 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration, an increase of $1.3 billion. These funds ensure we can maintain today's nuclear stockpile, prepare for future needs, and modernize aging infrastructure that underpins our nuclear deterrent.

Our bill also delivers a nearly 10 percent increase for naval reactors, advancing Columbia-class submarine reactor development, and supporting the safe handling of naval spent fuel.

This package is not just about national defense. It reins in the Biden administration's climate agenda that dismantled our energy independence and hurt American consumers. Instead, it refocuses the Federal Government on affordable and reliable energy that will drive down costs.

For Florida, this bill continues funding for critical infrastructure projects that protect our waterways, help our rural communities, and grow our economy.

Mr. SCOTT FRANKLIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, this is a huge win for our national security and for all Americans, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I will begin by recognizing the hard work of my distinguished ranking member and my very good friend, Ms. DeLauro from Connecticut. We have had the opportunity to work together for a long time in a variety of capacities, and I particularly appreciate the cooperation, the bipartisanship, and the professionalism that she and her whole staff always show when we sit down. To paraphrase my friend, if they would just leave us alone, we will get this job done. I could not have a better working partner than my good friend from Connecticut.

I am very proud that this bill is, as my friend said, bipartisan. This has been in negotiation at every level, and the ranking member and I have worked hard to push the decisionmaking down to the subcommittee levels as much as we possibly can. I know we have both told our respective chairmen and ranking members: ``Hey, if you don't send us anything up, you are making us happy. We want you to make the decisions.'' The members of the subcommittees know the subject matter better than anybody else. They have done the hearings. They have done the work. They work well. The higher up the food chain it goes, frankly, the more political the decisions become and the less informed. Let the people who have actually done the work write the bills. In this case, in these three and the three preceding bills, that is exactly what happened, and I couldn't be more pleased with that result.

I would be remiss not to build on a remark my friend, Ms. McCollum, made in her speech. I am very proud of this bill on Native-American issues, which have been a bipartisan priority over the years. I am proud of all of my cardinals and all of my ranking members, but particularly the relationship between Mr. Simpson and Ms. Pingree, which we have seen on this committee before, and my friend, Ms. McCollum, who also has chaired this subcommittee earlier in her career. As a matter of fact, we worked together on the matter that she mentioned in terms of forward-funding for Indian healthcare. It has just been a pleasure in these areas where we have so much in common and a common commitment to fulfill our trust obligations.

I, for one, am very proud of the community projects in this bill. It allows the Members, not just on our committee, but across the entire Congress, to do things that they think are important for their constituents. They are the best people to make that judgment because they represent them in the House.

My friend, again, Ms. DeLauro, has worked over the years to build a system that will make sure that these things are used appropriately, honestly, and openly. We continue to work together on that matter. Again, I am very proud of her.

Mr. Speaker, I want to join every other speaker today, which is unusual in a very partisan-polarized era, to urge the passage of this bill. We have worked together. We have worked in good faith. We have worked effectively. We have actually cut spending in these bills collectively. I think we have a common commitment to get the most out of our tax dollars.

I think this is a three-bill package, as the previous three-bill package was, that Members of this body can be proud of, should point to, and should celebrate. When we have bipartisan, bicameral cooperation and work together, we can get the job done and do a great job for the American people. I share my good friend Ms. DeLauro's opinion in this case, that is exactly what we did.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the bill and urge its passage. I urge my colleagues to support this, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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