Senator Hutchinson's Opening Statement at Senate Appropriations' CJS Subcommittee Fiscal Year 2013 Mark-Up

Statement

At today's Senate Appropriations' Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science's Fiscal Year 2013 Mark-up, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) introduced the following statement into the record:

Thank you, Chairman Mikulski.

Today, the subcommittee will mark up the fiscal year 2013 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The bill funds a number of our nation's most important programs and initiatives.

First, I would like to thank Chairman Mikulski for her leadership on this bill. I was pleased to work with her on projects she has championed, from protecting our nation and securing the Southwest Border by adequately funding federal law enforcement, to continuing our joint efforts to fund a robust and balanced NASA, and also to support basic research.

We crafted this bill with an allocation of $51.8 billion, which is $881 million below last year's level. Prioritizing funding for this measure was not easy; difficult choices had to be made. The subcommittee struck a balance between the competing priorities of law enforcement, fighting terrorism, research, and US competitiveness through investing in science. That balance was also reached by eliminating duplication and waste. I am proud to say we eliminated 17 duplicative programs, consolidated 15, and significantly cut 10 more.

Most notably, we made the tough choice of transferring funding and responsibility for procuring NOAA's next generation weather satellites to NASA. NOAA and the Department of Commerce have failed to rein in the life-cycle costs which are now exceeding $1 billion above last year's revised budget projections. NOAA is traveling in the wrong direction, and NASA is the right agency to oversee the procurement of satellites.

Speaking of travel, we are concerned about the frivolous airfare costs placed on government agencies by travel contractors. These contractors charge agencies hundreds of dollars more than the normal cost per ticket, along with a service fee, and they do not permit personnel to buy the cheapest ticket. I would like to commend the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for taking the initiative in recognizing this problem as they have saved more than $2.1 million in just the first six months of fiscal year 2012. We direct the Inspectors General of every agency funded in this bill to examine this problem and to expose these excessive costs. I also encourage my colleagues to consider adding this same language in other subcommittee marks.

The Chairman has gone over the major funding levels for each agency in the bill, and I need not repeat them. However, I would like to highlight several programs of national interest.

As I stated to the Attorney General and FBI Director during their budget hearings, securing the Southwest Border and national security are one and the same. The federal law enforcement agencies funded in this bill play a critical role in keeping America safe and secure. We made sure that the FBI has the resources needed ($8.23 billion or $114 million more than last year) to continue its major role in its global mission of counterterrorism and counterintelligence. Director Robert Mueller has seen the largest transition of the agency in modern times. It has been a true transformation from a traditional crime fighting organization into an intelligence-driven, threat-focused, law enforcement organization.

And while our federal partners do play a major role in securing the border, state and local law enforcement is the backbone to keep our communities safe. We funded the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) at $255 million, Byrne-JAG at $392 million and the Border Prosecutor Initiative at $10 million.

The bill funds the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) at $402 million, which is $54 million above last year's level. The LSC has had strong bi-partisan support.

Lastly, Senator Mikulski and I have crafted a bill that provides support to NASA. Even if you take away the NOAA transfer, this bill reduces NASA's top line compared to last year by $41.5 million while still allowing us to balance the needs of science, to encourage emerging commercial space companies, to support our investment and opportunities for discovery on the space station, and to provide for human exploration beyond lower Earth orbit. The bill funds the Orion capsule at $1.2 billion in order to maintain a 2014 test launch, and the Space Launch System heavy lift rocket development at $1.48 billion to move toward a 2017 test launch. We also provide commercial crew with a $119 million increase over last year to allow NASA to select at least two competitors that could provide access to the International Space Station by 2017. Senator Mikulski and I were even able to deal with a NASA test stand requirement that came to light late in the process, and if not addressed, could have led to a delay in reaching our goals with the heavy lift rocket.

Chairman Mikulski and I have strived to produce a bill that reflects not only the Senate's priorities, but the needs of our nation. I commend her and her staff for their hard work. I urge you all to join us in supporting this measure.

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