Peter Visclosky: “I thank the ranking member for yielding time. I want to begin my remarks by expressing my great appreciation to Chairman…”

“I thank the ranking member for yielding time. I want to begin my remarks by expressing my great appreciation to Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey. The fact that we are standing here today, on the verge of passing a 12-bill omnibus measure, is a testament to their acumen as legislators. Further, I would be remiss if I did not thank every staff member of the Appropriations Committee for their dedication, hard work, and sound judgment in helping develop this package. With regard to the defense portion of the bill, it was a pleasure to work with Chairman Frelinghuysen in crafting a bipartisan and collaborative piece of legislation. He and his staff have assured that the Defense Subcommittee continues its longstanding tradition of collegiality. The agreement that we are here for today implements the Bipartisan Budget Act. As a result, substantial reductions were made to the Department of Defense programs. In total, overall spending in the defense portion of this bill, including base funding and the Overseas Contingency Operation account, is $572.6 billion, which is $61.11 billion below fiscal year 2012 level. While the agreement makes substantial reductions, it does protect the readiness of U.S. forces, provides for personnel and their families, and supports national programs that reflect bipartisan congressional priorities. Overseas Contingency Operations, a funding total of $85.2 billion, an increase of $4.5 billion.…”