Ranking Member Meng’s Remarks at the Full Committee Markup of the Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Funding Bill
WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY-06), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Appropriations Committee’s markup of the fiscal year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies funding bill:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would first like to thank the Appropriations Committee staff for all of their work on this bill, Bob Bonner, Jamie Wise, Nora Faye, and Faye Cobb. And my individual office staff, Tom Dinegar and Rebecca Lee.
I would also like to thank my Democratic colleagues on the Subcommittee, Congressmembers Ivey, Morelle, Dean, and Mrvan.
Mr. Chairman, although I know that you and I share many of the same priorities, I ultimately must strongly oppose this appropriations bill.
This bill would abandon small businesses and hard-working Americans, weaken law enforcement, and surrender our nation’s competitive edge. My hope is that we can work together to address my very significant concerns with the bill. As it stands, the $2.1 billion in cuts proposed today would be a betrayal of our fundamental responsibility to keep Americans safe and our economy strong.
This bill does not fix the many problems caused by this administration’s failures and Elon Musk’s DOGE team this year. In fact, it exacerbates many of these problems.
Most importantly, we must address the high cost of living and stop the weakening of our economy.
As last week’s jobs data shows, the economy is weakening. We have lost 42,000 manufacturing jobs since April when the Trump Administration’s tariffs first took effect.
Layoffs are on the rise in almost every part of the economy, including a 40 percent increase last month. And for the first time since the pandemic, more Americans are looking for work than there are jobs available.
Even for those who still have a job, wages are not keeping up with inflation, which is still too high. In New York City, average hourly wages are up only 50 cents since February.
We are on the wrong track, and American families are struggling.
But this bill sharply cuts funding for the agencies and programs that create jobs, boost American small businesses, and advance our economy. Economic Development Administration grants are cut by 36 percent, abandoning rural and distressed communities that are desperately in need of economic investment and well-paying jobs.
Making it harder to start a new business and create jobs is the worst thing we can do for our economy right now, yet the bill slashes funding for the Minority Business Development Agency, taking away opportunities from American entrepreneurs.
It cuts funding for the International Trade Administration by more than 30 percent, weakening the federal government’s ability to help American businesses expand exports and fight unfair trade practices.
Americans are not only worried about the economy. Folks are also worried about gun violence, hate crimes, and the opioid epidemic. But this bill delivers a devastating blow to the Federal law enforcement agencies that protect them.
For example, this bill slashes FBI funding by more than half a billion dollars, forcing the elimination of thousands of FBI special agents and analysts—public servants who work with local police to solve murders, stop drug trafficking, prevent terrorism, and combat cybercrimes targeting ordinary Americans.
The FBI’s ability to catch criminals would be damaged—and public safety would be compromised—as a result of this bill.
This bill also decimates funding for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which would lose more than one thousand personnel who work with our state and local law enforcement to keep illegal guns off our streets, catch dangerous criminals, and prevent gun crimes.
The bill further reduces funding for Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, undermining our fight against the cartels and drug dealers that bring opioids into our communities, as well as 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.
The bill also leaves women and children more vulnerable to violence by sharply decreasing funding for juvenile justice and Violence Against Women Act grants. It zeroes out Community Violence Intervention and Prevention grants, as well as hate crime prevention and prosecution grants. And the Justice Department’s Community Relations Service, which for more than 60 years has worked honorably to help mediate and end community conflicts across our country, is eliminated.
The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General—whose work to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse at the Department should have strong bipartisan support—is also cut by 30 percent in this bill. This cut opens the door to even more fraud and corruption.
I believe that all of this is the wrong approach for the CJS appropriations bill. We should be investing more, not less, in the safety and security of the American people.
Moreover, the Legal Services Corporation, which provides basic civil legal assistance to the poorest American families, seniors, and veterans, is cut by nearly half. Under this funding level, nearly 3 million fewer people will receive help with legal problems, including over 8,500 in my district alone. This bill abandons our most vulnerable constituents who can’t afford a lawyer when they’re facing eviction, seeking safety from domestic violence, or are denied benefits they’ve earned.
Perhaps most shortsighted of all, this bill disinvests in the scientific research that drives American innovation, technological leadership, and economic competitiveness. This bill cuts the National Science Foundation by more than two billion dollars, including a nearly total decimation of STEM education programs—abandoning the next generation of scientists and engineers who will shape whether America continues to be a leader or becomes a follower in the global economy. As other countries are racing forward in space exploration and climate science, this bill would cause the United States to fall behind by cutting NASA’s science account by over $1.3 billion.
The bill also makes massive cuts to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which has helped American industry overcome technical challenges, innovate manufacturing, and work on the cutting edge of technologies like quantum and artificial intelligence.
I disagree with this bill’s approach. As I have said repeatedly, I believe we should be doubling down on the investments in science that grow our economy and incentivize advancements that improve life for all Americans.
Last but not least, this bill contains dozens of harmful policy riders that must be removed from the bill before it is enacted into law.
I thank the Chairman. However, because of all these shortcomings and more, I must urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. I ask my colleagues to work together in a bipartisan manner to produce a bill that invests in safety, economic opportunity, and scientific greatness. I do not believe these are partisan values. They should be our shared goals as Americans.
Thank you very much.
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