Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, delivered a sharp rebuke of the FY26 Commerce, Justice, and Science spending bill during a House markup session, accusing the Republican-led legislation of slashing critical public safety programs, undermining American science, and enabling corruption under President Trump’s administration.
DeLauro said the bill not only fails to address America’s rising cost of living, but actively worsens it by gutting programs that support middle- and working-class families. She condemned the GOP for what she described as a coordinated campaign to dismantle federal law enforcement, strip rural investment, and defund agencies like the National Weather Service, the FBI, and the Office of Violence Against Women.
She warned that under Trump, essential grant programs—including DOJ initiatives to combat domestic violence, assist crime victims, and support local policing—have already been frozen or siphoned off. Instead of addressing this, the bill doubles down on cuts. Over $4.5 billion in DOJ grants, she said, have effectively been stolen from the communities that depend on them for safety and services.
DeLauro also pointed to widespread staff dismissals across scientific agencies like NOAA, accusing the administration of firing weather forecasters and space researchers while framing federal science spending as “waste.” She described these actions as part of a larger GOP agenda to roll back U.S. scientific supremacy, endangering families and undermining America’s global leadership.
Turning to trade, DeLauro criticized Trump’s escalating tariff policies and the bill’s 30% cut to the International Trade Administration, which she said would cripple the country’s ability to counter unfair trade practices and help small businesses reach international markets.
The ranking member framed the GOP budget as not just fiscally irresponsible, but constitutionally dangerous. She accused the Trump administration of routinely ignoring congressionally appropriated funding and replacing legislative priorities with its own partisan agenda—an affront to Congress’s Article I authority.
DeLauro closed by slamming the 30% cut to the DOJ Inspector General’s office, questioning what the administration might be trying to hide—particularly under Attorney General Pam Bondi. Rather than eliminating fraud and abuse, she said, this bill protects it.
In a final warning, DeLauro reminded her colleagues that the stakes of these cuts are not abstract. From violent crime to climate disasters, these budget decisions reverberate across every American community. She urged the committee to reject what she called a reckless, corrupt, and harmful proposal.
