JOHNSON, BANKS SLAM DEMOCRAT PLAN TO RAISE SPENDING CAPS

by: Mike Johnson (R-LA, 4th)

Washington, D.C. - April 9, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman Mike Johnson (R-La.) and RSC Budget and Spending Task Force Chairman Jim Banks (R-Ind.) released the following statement after House Democrats’ decision to forgo producing a budget proposal and instead raise the discretionary spending caps to the tune of $2 trillion over 10 years:

“Rather than focusing on our ballooning federal debt, currently $22 trillion and counting, and releasing a budget resolution, Democrats have decided to ignore their responsibilities and drive us further into the hole. Their proposal to raise the discretionary spending caps not only fails to address America’s increasingly dangerous fiscal situation but highlights just how out-of-touch the Left has become. Moreover, their contention that providing for national security in some way obligates unnecessary spending on non-defense programs is patently absurd.

“President Trump is right – Congress cannot maintain the status quo by continuing to push irresponsible caps deals. We stand with the president and look forward to releasing our own balanced budget that will promote many of our shared priorities and restore fiscal sanity to the legislative process.”

On Tuesday, House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) introduced the Investing for the People Act of 2019 in lieu of producing a budget resolution for FY 2020. This bill irresponsibly applies the principle of parity, meaning regardless of the program or need, non-defense spending would be increased in an equal amount to any necessary national security funding increase. This bill contains not a single dollar in spending offsets and exempts two new categories of spending from the proposed non-defense caps.

The bill passed out of committee on April 3, 2019 without a single Republican vote.

House Votes on Continuing Resolution

Washington, D.C. - December 7, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- The House voted on preventing a government shutdown on Thursday. Some House Representatives had something to say about it, though:

Bill Foster (D-IL, 11th)

This resolution is yet another last minute stopgap measure that fails to provide solutions that hardworking Americans need from the people who represent them. We still have a long list of priorities to resolve. Congress has not voted on the DREAM Act to allow individuals who were brought to the United States through no fault of their own to stay in the country. We need to provide funding to combat the opioid and heroin crisis, and we need to stabilize health care marketplaces so that premiums do not skyrocket. We also need an immediate reauthorization of Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding for the millions of children who rely on the program for health insurance, including nearly 326,000 children in Illinois. I am disappointed we did not use the last two months of the previous continuing resolution to find solutions to these issues and represent the interests of hardworking Americans. Rather than engaging in serious bipartisan discussions, Republicans worked behind closed doors on their tax plan that would harm the middle class and pass on debt to the next generation, and they tried yet again to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a move that would take away health care from millions of Americans. The public deserves better.


Gene Green (D-TX, 29th)

"Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues to act and pass much needed supplemental appropriations to help victims of the recent hurricanes in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Hurricane Harvey brought unprecedented destruction to the Texas Gulf Coast, dropping a record 52 inches of rain and causing catastrophic flooding in Houston and all along the Gulf Coast.

Earlier this week, a report released by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Episcopal Health Foundation found that one in nine Texas Gulf Coast residents remain displaced, three months after Harvey’s landfall. Four in ten Texas Gulf Coast residents report sustained damage to their homes and nearly half of affected Texas Gulf Coast residents said they are not receiving the help they need to recover from the hurricane.

To date the federal government has provided $10 billion in aid to Harvey victims in Texas, mostly advance payments through the National Flood Insurance Program. However, far more federal aid is needed to rebuild Houston, Harris County, and the Texas Gulf Coast.

After Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi, and Hurricane Sandy impacted New York and New Jersey, Congress responded by passing substantial disaster supplemental bills. In 2013, Congress provided over $50 billion for recovery and rebuilding efforts as a result of Sandy, and $120 billion to rebuild New Orleans and surrounding areas.

I cannot and will not vote for a continuing resolution until House leadership puts disaster relief front and center and passes a substantial supplemental disaster bill that will help Texans fully recover from Harvey’s destruction and prepare the Texas Gulf Coast before the next major storm strikes.

We cannot continue to kick-the-can down the road while thousands of families in Texas and other parts of our country continue to suffer, months after these terrible storms made landfall.

I urge my colleagues, regardless of state and party, to join me in standing up for disaster victims and calling on House leadership to pass a substantial emergency supplemental.

Vicky Hartzler (R-MO, 4th)

“The measure we passed today is only a temporary solution. My hope is that we can use this two-week extension to focus on finishing tax reform for the American people, then reach a long-term deal to increase funding for our men and women in uniform. A continuing resolution that extends through next year would be devastating for our Armed Forces and is unacceptable. This year alone, 77 U.S. service members have been killed in readiness related accidents — we must invest in our forces now so that we’re equipped to effectively respond to and deter our enemies in the future.”

French Hill (R-AR, 2nd)

“We’ve already done our job in the House by passing all twelve government funding bills this year, but the Senate hasn’t done their job by passing any of them. In addition to these twelve funding bills, the House has also successfully passed reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and reauthorized the critically important funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

“I have said it many times and I will say it again, Continuing Resolutions are no way to govern. They particularly punish our men and women in uniform who are actively engaged around the world protecting America’s interests. We must ensure our military, federal agencies, and other key government entities have the resources they need to fulfill their duties and serve hardworking Arkansans and Americans.”

Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD, 5th)

“Congress should be able to get its work done on time. While I am glad that Republicans in Congress did not shut down the government, it is inexcusable that Republicans have spent the past three months working on a bill to cut taxes for the wealthiest individuals instead of working with Democrats to responsibly fund the government.

“It is disappointing that we need another continuing resolution to fund the government – a result of Republicans wasting time on a bill that would raise taxes on thousands of families in Maryland and add $1.7 trillion to the national debt. Enough is enough – I urge my Republican colleagues to work in a bipartisan manner to fund the government and address the most pressing issues facing our nation, including passing the DREAM Act and reauthorizing the Children’s Health Insurance Program.”

Lynn Jenkins (R-KS, 2nd)

“I have often said that we need to stop kicking the fiscal can down the road, and enact broader spending reforms to the budget while Republicans control the House, Senate and the White House. It is my hope, that in these next two weeks, we can come together and get our budget on the right fiscal track while funding necessary programs. This Continuing Resolution also includes funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through the end of the year. While it is absolutely crucial this program be reauthorized on a more long-term basis in the near future, I want to be clear that no Kansas children who rely on CHIP are currently without health insurance coverage or are in imminent threat of losing it. The Kansas program has funds that will last well into 2018 and while it is absolutely crucial this program be reauthorized on a more long-term basis in the near future, I am confident Congress will do their job. As we near the end of 2017, I urge my colleagues to consider the importance of both fiscal stability and fiscal responsibility which, combined together, will have a positive impact on future generations.”

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House Passes Fleischmann’s Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2017

Source: Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN, 3rd)

Washington, D.C. - October 15, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03) introduced the bipartisan Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act (H.R. 378). The bill, co-sponsored by fellow Tennessee Congressman Jim Cooper (TN-05), will enhance the existing program for federal employees who identify frivolous spending of taxpayer dollars by doubling the previous maximum bonus.

“Good deeds deserve to be rewarded, and that is the purpose of my bill. Federal agencies exhibit a common trend of wasteful spending as the end of a fiscal year approaches. This bill is designed to stop this trend and benefit deserving employees. This legislation is structured after the private sector model where employees receive a reward for identifying unnecessary spending, therefore saving the organization, and in this case the federal government, money.”

“Most importantly, my bill gives people the power to act as administrative agents of their own taxpayer dollars,” said Fleischmann. “This ensures taxpayer dollars are spent wisely while simultaneously motivating employee attention toward spending abuse and fraud.”

“I hate government waste, and all it takes is commonsense ideas like this to help root it out,” Rep. Cooper said. “I have always believed in pay for performance. If federal employees step up and help us save money, why not reward them for their good work?”

H.R. 378 passed the House with a voice vote.

REPS. O’HALLERAN, SCHRADER INTRODUCE BILL TO END GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ABUSE

Washington, D.C. - October 3, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- Reps. Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01) and Kurt Schrader (OR-05) introduced the Taxpayers Don’t Incur Meaningless Expenses (Taxpayers DIME) Act, which ensures no taxpayer money is spent on government air travel that violates rules applied to senior federal officials, increases transparency and oversight of government travel, and calls for the independent Office of Government Ethics (OGE) to report on ways to strengthen existing rules.

“Taxpayers are rightfully outraged by the disturbing practice of government officials wasting their hard-earned dollars on government and private jets to travel the country. It is time to put an end to this,” said Rep. O’Halleran. “The Taxpayers DIME Act strengthens rules against wasteful government spending and brings greater transparency to how agency resources for government travel are used or abused. Those who serve the American people, regardless of political affiliation, must be held to the highest ethical standard, and I will continue pushing for greater transparency and accountability in Washington.”

"There's often a running, mostly false narrative that Washington doesn't play by its own rules. When we see federal officials jet around the country on taxpayer dollars, the skepticism only deepens," said Rep. Kurt Schrader. "Our Taxpayers DIME Act ensures that public servants are transparent and fiscally responsible in their air travel spending, and it will hold those who aren't accountable. We're here to serve our neighbors back at home, not lavish their hard-earned dollars on personal luxury. If that's too much to ask, then go home -- and fly commercial."

The Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) outline the rules applicable to senior federal officials and agencies for requesting, approving, and using government aircraft for official and non-official travel. However, reports of Cabinet officials inappropriately requesting or utilizing government aircraft demonstrate a violation of the spirit of the FTR, which state clearly that “Taxpayers should pay no more than necessary for [officials’] travel”.

O’Halleran and Schrader co-chair the Blue Dog Coalition’s Task Force on Government Reform and Accountability. The group is responsible for monitoring regulations issued by the federal government and analyzing rules to ensure Congressional intent is appropriately applied.