Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28), the only Democrat appointed to the powerful House Committee on Appropriations from Region 6 which consists of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, was appointed to the Defense Subcommittee and will continue his role on the Homeland Security Subcommittee for the 115th Congress, rising to the second ranking member position.

As a member of the Defense Subcommittee, Congressman Cuellar will review funding for Department of Defense, as well as the Central Intelligence Agency.  The Defense Subcommittee has oversight of the largest component of federal discretionary spending.  The Committee provides funding for our troops, weapons programs, and military conflicts abroad.

As a member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, Congressman Cuellar will review funding for the Department of Homeland Security which includes Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Office of Domestic Preparedness Funding, among others.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving on House Appropriations with a new role on Defense and added seniority on Homeland Security,” Congressman Cuellar said. “In today's world our national defense, national security, and intelligence services play a more crucial role than ever before. Our challenge is to make certain we continue to lead in innovation and technology while be good stewards of tax dollars. I look forward to working with my colleagues to perform this job in a way that will make our country safer and more secure.”

Congressman Cuellar first joined the U.S. House of Representatives in 2005 and is currently the most senior Congressman on the Texas border, Chairman of the Texas Democratic Delegation, a Senior Whip and Chairman of Communications for the Blue Dog Coalition.

This will be Congressman Cuellar’s fifth year on the House Appropriations Committee, tasked with oversight of the Federal budget, review of proposed expenditures, and crafting the legislation that outlines annual spending for government agencies.