Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. WOMACK. Madam Chair, I rise in support of the consolidated appropriations package before the House today.

With this legislation, we are a step closer to completing full-year appropriations that rightsize our priorities with updated funding levels.

As chair the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee, I would like to highlight that division of this package.

Before I do, Madam Chair, I want to say something about my friend, Jim Clyburn. He is my friend. Though we sometimes differ in our political beliefs, friendship transcends politics. Jim's words this morning on the floor inspire me. I am grateful.

Madam Chair, the Transportation division is a deliberate shift away from bloated bureaucracy and unfocused spending and back toward the core responsibilities of the Federal Government.

This agreement supports the President's America First agenda by cutting waste, eliminating unnecessary and underperforming programs, and codifying reforms that significantly reduce the size and scope of the Federal bureaucracy across all agencies.

The bill refocuses taxpayer dollars on priorities that matter to the American people: safety, mobility, economic growth, and housing affordability.

We make aviation safety a top priority by providing $22.2 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration, fully funding air traffic control, hiring 2,500 new controllers, and modernizing outdated facilities and equipment to ensure the safety and reliability of our national airspace system.

We invest more than $64 billion in highways, with the overwhelming majority sent directly to the States by formula because we know that it is the States, not Washington, that are best positioned to deliver roads and bridges that improve safety, strengthen freight movement, and support local economies.

The bill also addresses longstanding safety challenges including truck parking and motor carrier enforcement.

At the same time, we preserve housing assistance for the most vulnerable, while promoting affordability through flexible, locally driven programs that allow communities to expand housing supply without the micromanagement of the Federal Government.

We protect seniors, people with disabilities, and families facing homelessness, while ensuring that these programs are managed responsibly. We don't just throw money at programs. We make sure that they are responsibly managed.

Just as importantly, this bill exercises strong oversight by eliminating funding for failed and mismanaged projects like California High-Speed Rail, reducing transit programs, and rightsizing staffing levels at HUD and the Department of Transportation, all without compromising safety or mission effectiveness.

While I am extremely proud of the Transportation division, I would be remiss if I didn't express my strong support for other divisions of the package, notably providing for the common defense, a constitutional imperative. This legislation strategically increases funding to ensure our military continues to be the most lethal in the world.

It supports programs like the F-35 FMS mission at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and the E-7 Wedgetail, both of which ensure our military and allies have the capabilities they need to deter threats across the globe. Of course, we have a well-deserved pay raise for our servicemembers.

This bill does what Congress should have been doing all along. It prioritizes national security and the men and women who voluntarily take the oath to defend it.

This legislation also makes investments in biomedical research. We don't create cures or develop medical breakthroughs. No, that is not our job, but we can implement policies here in Washington that provide the resources needed to support our experts.

Moreover, this agreement provides the fiscal discipline and commonsense investments that are not mutually exclusive. It cuts what doesn't work, funds what does, and delivers real results for the taxpayers.

Madam Chair, finally, I will say this about Tom Cole. He has re- engineered the appropriations process. I am eternally grateful. We have strayed away from our fundamental duty of funding the government. In his desire to make sure that the appropriations process is honored and effective, Tom Cole made sure that we arrived at this moment. I am grateful.

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Mr. WOMACK. Madam Chair, before I close, let me say, as most of my colleagues know and as Mr. Clyburn pointed out, my presence here today in the face of a terrible, personal hardship--the loss of my wife of over 41 years--I hope is indicative of the importance of completing the work on behalf of the American people.

Madam Chair, that is our job. I am grateful for the outpouring of support from Members from both sides of this aisle, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on the legislation.

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