← Videos · Economy, Tariffs & Trade

Lutnick Testifies on the Commerce Department's FY2027 Budget Before a House Appropriations Subcommittee, Apr. 23, 2026

April 23, 2026 · C-SPAN · 1:31:40

Embedded from the source channel — never re-uploaded. Watch on YouTube

What happened

Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick testified on the President’s fiscal year 2027 budget request for the Department of Commerce before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies on April 23, 2026, in C-SPAN’s carry of the hearing — the House half of his two-day FY2027 budget defense, following the Senate hearing the day before. Chairman Rogers opened with the request as the subcommittee received it: $9.2 billion for the department, a $1.8 billion or 16.5 percent decrease from the current level, building on the prior year’s submission, reinforcing efforts to counter China’s strong-arm trade tactics and refocusing the department on investments that create jobs in America and protect national security, as he stated it. The subcommittee also noted it had only that week received the department’s complete fiscal year 2026 spend plans and detailed budget materials.

Questioning ranged across the department’s portfolio — trade enforcement, weather research and response, economic statistics and broadband — with members including Ranking Member DeLauro and Representatives Meng, Morelle, Dean, Mrvan, Clyde, Shreve and Ivey, per C-SPAN’s hearing record. Representative Meng pressed the Secretary on his Epstein ties, in an exchange carried in the hearing coverage under his answer that he had nothing to hide; the voluntary House Oversight transcribed interview he had promised the Senate the day before followed from the same line of questioning. The discretionary request before the subcommittee — about $9.2 billion, as the White House request was reported — is the figure the House CJS bill would be written against.

Why it matters

Paired with the Senate hearing, this completes the Lutnick FY2027 budget record on both sides of the Capitol: the same $9.2 billion request, defended in the House on its China and jobs framing and challenged on late spend plans, agency cuts and the Secretary’s own contested record. The House subcommittee writes the first draft of the Commerce appropriation, which makes this hearing the one the enacted numbers will be compared to.

Sources: C-SPAN, “Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Testifies on Budget” (Apr. 23, 2026, embedded above; testimony as delivered by Secretary Lutnick and members of the subcommittee, per C-SPAN’s hearing record). Alternate carries of the same hearing (Forbes Breaking News; MS NOW) are recorded in the site index, not separately paged.