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While we have continued to hold annual public witness hearings for American Indian’s and Alaska Natives, this is the first public witness hearing dedicated to non-tribal programs held by this subcommittee since March of 2015. Today, we will hear from more than 40 witnesses composed of a diverse range of partners, including the public, nonprofit organizations, and state and local agencies. Testimony will cover a diverse range of topics related to the jurisdiction of this subcommittee, including Arts and Humanities, the environment, public lands, and wildlife.

Both NOAA and NASA have critical missions. What they are observing both above and below us is affecting us in many ways. This hearing will help us learn from two leading experts about how our climate is changing, how that will impact our country and economy in the short and long-term, what research these agencies are conducting to help prepare us for the future, and how strategic investments from our subcommittee will help meet those challenges.

There is much work to be done on behalf of the American people and I for one look forward to a productive Congress where we conduct oversight of the agencies under our jurisdiction and work to find common ground as we set funding priorities for the Federal government.

We welcome Ms. Christine Merdon, the acting Architect of the Capitol, along with her team. Ms. Merdon, this is your first time testifying before the Subcommittee – you’re pinch-hitting after the resignation of Stephen Ayers last November. But we know that you have had a distinguished tenure at the AOC, and before that, were involved in several projects near and dear to our hearts in Washington, like the Martin Luther King Memorial and the Nats baseball stadium. With all the scaffolding and cranes around the Capitol complex, I’m sure we’ll find lots to talk about today.

Mr. Secretary, you are currently leading an Agency that is facing some fairly significant changes that will fundamentally affect how veterans will receive care on a daily basis for years to come. First, we have to address the cost of care. With the passage of the Mission Act, VA will need a sustainable funding stream that continues to support core VA programs. I absolutely do not want to see Community Care funded at the expense of traditional VA Medical Services.

CBO has become so much a part of this institution that we may take it for granted. But we should remember what a key role CBO plays in helping Congress effectively exercise the “power of the purse” assigned to us by the Constitution.