WASHINGTON – As an appropriations cardinal, Congressman Robert Aderholt looks forward to overseeing federal government funding cuts in the fiscal year 2026 appropriations process.
Aderholt, R-Haleyville, is the chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, which oversees the largest non-defense spending sector of the subcommittees. Aderholt is the dean of Alabama’s Congressional delegation and received the subcommittee gavel in 2023.
“When we do the funding, a lot of places we’re looking at that I know (the Department of Government Efficiency) and places are looking at cuts, we welcome that, and we want to make sure that we can codify that into law with some things where there’s been some wasteful spending,” Aderholt told Alabama Daily News ahead of the recess.
The subcommittee oversees discretionary spending for the Health and Human Services, Labor, and Education departments. Its funding makes up about 12% of the appropriations subcommittee allocations. Appropriations committees oversee discretionary funding, which makes up about one-third of federal spending.
Congress narrowly passed a continuing resolution Friday providing funding for the federal government through the end of September. The passage of the funding bill brings to a close the fiscal year 2025 appropriations process with the focus now shifting to fiscal year 2026. Congress must pass its 12 appropriations bills by Oct. 1 to avoid a continuing resolution, but that hasn’t happened since 1996, according to Pew Research Center.
Aderholt said he hopes to play a part in enacting the Trump administration’s efforts to cut federal spending through the appropriations process.
Before Congress starts crafting appropriations bills, the president submits his budget request for the year. Presidents are supposed to submit the request by the first Monday in February, but presidents entering office usually release them later in the year. Appropriations committees will hold hearings to determine funding needs and members of Congress can submit their specific funding requests for their district or state. Earmarks were taken out of the most recent continuing resolution.
As President Donald Trump pushes to eliminate the Department of Education and cuts about 50% of its workforce, Aderholt said he supports the federal government having a reduced role in the education system.
“Right now, the federal government is playing too big of a role in telling the states what to do in education, and I think that’s where the Education Department has got a bad name,” Aderholt said.
Aderholt said he doesn’t have a problem restructuring or getting rid of the Department of Education so long as there is still sufficient support for education. He said he would rather have federal dollars going to the states to make the decisions.
Aderholt also serves on the defense and agriculture subcommittees. Alabama has two other appropriators. Rep. Dale Strong, R-Huntsville, joined the powerful committee in the 119th Congress and sits on three subcommittees. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, chairing the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, and sits on several other appropriations subcommittees.