Ranking Member Cartwright Statement at the Subcommittee Markup of the 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science Funding Bill

Congressman Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's markup of the 2025 funding bill:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I want to begin by thanking Chairman Rogers for his continued friendship, and for all his hard work this year as Chair of the Subcommittee.

We have again held some very productive Subcommittee hearings this year, and I appreciate the Chairman’s leadership in our oversight work.

I also greatly enjoyed the “Moon-tree”-planting event that the Chairman hosted on the Capitol grounds a few weeks ago with the four astronauts who will soon journey around the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis 2 mission.

I also want to recognize that this will be the last CJS Subcommittee markup for two of our Members, Dutch Ruppersberger and David Trone.

I have tremendously enjoyed working with each of you, and you have greatly enhanced the work of this Subcommittee. Thank you for your many contributions to making good policy and to making careful, thoughtful funding decisions.

Regrettably, I must oppose the appropriations bill that is before us today. 

This bill significantly reduces support for law enforcement and other efforts to ensure the safety and prosperity of the American people. 

It would greatly reduce the number of FBI special agents and analysts, and these are outstanding public servants who keep us safe by preventing and investigating everything from human and narcotics trafficking to public corruption to kidnappings, mass attacks, cybercrimes, and much more.

The FBI’s ability to catch criminals would definitely be damaged – and public safety compromised – as a result of this bill.

The bill also cuts funding for the Justice Department’s National Security Division, which works to protect the U.S. against terrorism, espionage, and other threats to our national security.

It weakens the Bureau of Industry and Security’s power to prevent advanced American technologies from bolstering the military capabilities of Russia and the People’s Republic of China.

The bill would reduce the number of ATF agents working with state and local law enforcement to fight gun violence and firearms trafficking, while adding several policy riders that will make it easier for firearms to end up in the wrong hands.

This bill would reduce the number of Federal prosecutors, curbing our nation’s ability to prosecute dangerous criminals.

In addition, the bill sharply reduces grants that prevent juvenile delinquency, hate crimes, and violence against women.

It completely eliminates funding for Community Violence Intervention and Prevention grants.

And the Justice Department’s Community Relations Service, which for nearly 60 years has worked to mediate and end community conflicts across the country, is essentially cancelled by the bill before us today.

I believe that all of this is the wrong approach for a CJS bill. A better approach would be funding levels that make lawbreaking harder.

Some other steps in the wrong direction are the large cuts to programs aimed at empowering distressed communities and individuals.

Economic Development Administration grants, which help create jobs and revitalize local economies, largely in rural areas, are gutted by more than 35 percent. The bill also cuts funding for Federal agencies that help promote American exports and fight the unfair trade practices of other countries.

The Legal Services Corporation, which provides critical basic civil legal aid to the poorest American families, seniors, and veterans is cut by $71 million.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which helps protect Americans against job discrimination and sexual harassment, is cut by $35 million.

And, last but not least, the budget of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is cut by more than $600 million dollars below the current level.

That’s particularly troubling as NOAA protects the American people in numerous ways.

It provides timely and accurate forecasts of the weather, including extreme weather, which our agricultural sector depends on. These days, some kind of extreme weather seems to be affecting our country on nearly a weekly basis.

It helps ensure the safe navigation of ships to our ports.

And NOAA advances our scientific understanding of changes to the Earth’s climate, and how they affect our economy, as well as our safety.

These are all critical efforts, and most of these will be harmed under this funding level. We can talk all day long about debt and deficits. Make no mistake, these harmful cuts laid out in this bill are made to pay for the huge tax cuts for the well-off and well-connected in this country.

For all of these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

As we all know, this process does not end with the Subcommittee’s action today. As the process moves forward, we need to do much more in these important areas.

Thank you.

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