Ranking Member Espaillat Statement at Fiscal Year 2026 U.S. House Budget Hearing

Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13), Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's fiscal year 2026 budget hearing for the U.S. House of Representatives:

-As Prepared For Delivery-

Thank you, Chairman Valadao.

Good morning Ms. Szpindor, Mr. McFarland, and Mr. McCumber. 

Thank you for joining us to discuss your fiscal year 2026 budget requests. 

You all do an exceptional job serving this body and providing a host of services that are necessary for us to represent our constituents and address our country’s critical needs.

House offices such as, the Office of the Official Reporters, Legislative Counsel and our various technology divisions work behind the scenes to support our operations, and I want them to know we are thankful and benefit greatly from their hard work. 

The overall fiscal year 2026 budget request for the House of Representatives is $2.1 billion which is $207.8 million or 11 percent above the fiscal year 2025 enacted level. 

Many of the requested increases would have been addressed in a full year enacted bill. However, due to the failure to complete the 2025 appropriations process, accounts were frozen in the full year continuing resolution. 

The $8 million cut to the modernization account came as a surprise to this side of the aisle. Investments in the U.S. House of Representatives are critical to the growth and progress of our democracy.

I look forward to hearing each of your testimonies and discussing the IT modernization and security efforts included within your requests as well as the impacts to Congress and our ability to be transparent and responsive to our constituents if these efforts are not implemented. 

It is important for this committee to continue our investments in building a better institution that is more responsive to the needs of our constituents. 

The bipartisan work we do on this Committee helps to strengthen our government and its capacity to serve the American people. 

I yield back.

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