Bill Johnson

I have no doubts that our great nation will do what we have done every time we have faced seemingly insurmountable odds, and that is to emerge stronger and more united in our commitment to our values than ever before.

Your work on that--the bicameral budget reform group, I wish we had actually produced some things.

There is just a--there is a philosophy on that side of the aisle that says budgeting is not important.

But I wish instead it was titled, 'Exercising Congress' Power of the Purse and Complying with the Law' because we are doing neither.

We do not run families that way, and we do not run businesses that way. We should not run our nation that way.

Congress must provide adequate funding for the border wall so that the Administration is not forced to pull these and other valuable DoD funds.

I do have serious concerns with pulling funding from DoD weapons programs for its construction.

There is no question that my colleagues and I are concerned about the diversion of military funds from these various weapons programs to fund the border wall.

I applaud DoD's efforts to identify $5.7 billion in savings for Fiscal Year 2021 and to reinvest these savings in critical national defense strategy priorities.

It is easy to sit up here and criticize the work that has already been done, but it is the job of this Committee to produce a budget, address our nation's fiscal challenges, and ensure that our government's finite resources are helping to…

I believe telehealth could be a critical tool to help fight off the coronavirus and respond to that virus.

I am frustrated that this Committee has once again convened a hearing to discuss the President's budget when my Democrat colleagues refuse to produce a budget proposal of their own.

It has been unfortunate to see many of my colleagues in the last several months pushing a one-size-fits-all forced legislative mandate process to address this.

I am happy to see that the President's budget is investing in rural communities, communities that are facing serious challenges.

There is no question that federal spending is out of control, Medicare and Social Security are on a path to insolvency, and our congressional budget process is broken.

If my colleagues truly believe that a budget is a reflection of our values, then they should produce a budget proposal of their own.

Even the Speaker of the House has said the budget is a statement of our values.

I applaud what the President is doing.

America's ability and our position as the world's dominant oil and gas producer in the world, right now, today, has changed the conversation on the international stage.

It has been my contention that these are just the tips of the iceberg that in addition to the low energy prices that natural gas brings, those that aren't employed in the energy sector will also benefit from the economic opportunities.

I have been saying for quite a while to people in my district that, you know, they have seen promises of economic booms around energy for a long, long time.

When I entered the industry, there were concerns about shortages and where the gas was going to actually come from.

We have seen the incredible economic and geopolitical advantages that oil and gas activity is bringing to the United States.

Now is the time for Congress to address our out of control mandatory spending.

Mandatory spending is the primary driver of our deficit.