Appropriations Facts and in Proper Context
You’ll recall that last fall Congress and the White House negotiated an agreement on spending caps for the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations bills known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA). Think of that agreement as the frame of a newly constructed home. The agreement itself didn’t provide any funding. It’s the appropriations bills that actually fund the departments and agencies. Or, to keep with the analogy, it is the appropriations bills that finalize the rooms and furnish the house.
The FRA dictated the size of the discretionary spending category, which included a spending increase for defense and spending cuts for non-defense appropriations. That was the first time such has ever happened. Every previous budget agreement has called for an equal, if not greater, increase in spending on non-defense items when defense spending is increased. Yet, some seeking media attention called the FRA a failure and derided every thoughtful Member of Congress who voted for it.
In reality, the FRA was a remarkable agreement given the Democrats control the Senate and the White House. The Republican House, represented by Speaker McCarthy at the negotiating table at that time, was outflanked two to one in those negotiations (Republican House vs. Democrat Senate and Democrat White House).
The appropriations package which passed the House on Friday marked the last of the departments and agencies, including Defense and Homeland Security, that needed to be funded to prevent a shutdown of those departments. The other option was a year-long Continuing Resolution (CR) which would have kept in place all the Democrat policy riders currently in law and would have literally crippled the Department of Defense.
For those who still say the Fiscal Responsibility Act wasn’t good enough, keep in mind discretionary spending doesn’t drive the debt, entitlement spending does. Appropriation bills (discretionary spending) account for roughly 25 percent of the total federal budget, of which more than half is for defense. And most would agree defense desperately needs an increase far above what’s required to adequately keep up with inflation given the threats we face at home and abroad.
While some believe shutdowns save money, the reality is shutdowns of any length cost taxpayers billions more than keeping the government open — not to mention the unintended consequences of such. Furthermore, a shutdown of our Department of Defense would be catastrophic and lead to an even more unstable world. (Personally, I think a shutdown of our Department of Defense would embolden our enemies given the very tenuous state of affairs.)
Sometimes you have no choice but to pass a CR when more time is needed to come to an agreement, but CR's also cost the government more money because you can’t enter new contracts. Not only that, with a CR you are operating under the policy riders of the previous year. In this case, it would have been the Democrat policy riders from their two years in complete control of both chambers during President Biden’s first two years in office.
This funding legislation will save taxpayers more than $200 billion over the next ten years by cutting wasteful government spending. So contrary to what you are being told by some, here’s a sample of the many good items in the appropriations package we voted on this past Friday:
The Defense Appropriations Act:
✅ Provides robust funding for our servicemembers to provide them with the tools they need to protect our nation.
❌ Cuts $50.5 million from diversity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the President’s Budget Request, rolling back funding to FY21 levels.
❌ Cuts $574 million from wasteful climate change programs and projects in the President’s Budget Request, retaining 79% of cuts included in the House bill.
❌ Rejects tens of billions of dollars in waste included in the President’s Budget Request and redirects those resources to activities that counter the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and other near-peer adversaries
The Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act:
❌ Cuts funding for financial regulators to slow their costly and burdensome regulatory agendas.
❌ Rescinds $10.2 billion from the Administration, partially defunding President Biden’s 85,000 IRS agents.
❌ Claws back $2.16 billion in unused COVID-19 funding.
The Homeland Security Appropriations Act:
✅ Funds 22,000 Border Patrol Agents, which is consistent with House Republicans' H.R. 2 and the highest level ever funded.
✅ Funds a detention bed level of 41,500 (also consistent with H.R. 2), 7,500 above the FY23 level, and 16,500 above the President’s Budget Request.
The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Related Agencies Appropriations Act:
✅ Maintains longstanding, bipartisan riders, including the Hyde Amendment, which ensures no federal funding can be used for abortion.
❌ Rescinds $10 billion from the Administration, partially defunding President Biden’s supercharged army of 85,000 IRS agents.
❌ Claws back $4.3 billion in unnecessary COVID-19 funding.
The Legislative Branch Appropriations Act:
✅ Facilitates a reorganization of the Chief Administrative Office, including a restructuring of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to save taxpayer dollars.
✅ Requires unspent amounts from Members’ Representational Allowances to be used for debt and deficit reduction.
✅ Sustains oversight funding for the U.S. House of Representatives to continue holding the Biden Administration accountable.
The State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act:
✅ Continues our commitment to Israel, fully funding our annual security commitment of $3.3 billion.
❌ Cuts overall spending by 6%, reducing resources the Biden Administration can spend on controversial programs unrelated to U.S. national security.
❌ Prohibits any taxpayer funding from going to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) following allegations that agency staff participated in the October 7 attacks.
❌ Eliminates funding for the United Nations Commission of Inquiry against Israel.
❌ Prohibits funds for programs that encourage, organize, facilitate, or promote migrant caravans to the United States-Mexico border
Did the Democrats get some wins? They hold the majority in the Senate and control the White House, so of course they did. Speaker Johnson is outflanked two to one at the negotiating table. The man did the best he could, and we should support him. Every time Republicans vote against him on the appropriations bills, he has even less leverage the next time around.
Now, as you’ve probably heard in the news, we have some House Republicans that want to oust him including one who has filed a Motion to Vacate (MTV). As the old saying goes, “We have met the enemy, and he is us!”
Securing Wins During Energy Week
The anti-American energy policies of the Biden Administration have increased the United States’ dependency on foreign adversaries like Russia and Iran for our energy supply. These failed policies are also among the key reasons why American families are seeing an increase in energy costs at home.
To help unleash American energy dominance and lower costs for families, House Republicans dedicated this past week to voting on legislation to prioritize American energy production. America has the natural resources to be the dominant energy power, and we must implement policies allowing us to take charge of our energy future instead of relying on our adversaries.
As a key component of Energy Week, the U.S. House passed H.R. 7023, the Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act. As Chairman of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, I introduced this legislation to improve the permitting process under the Clean Water Act so critical energy and infrastructure projects can be completed in a timely manner.
In the five decades since its enactment, the Clean Water Act has improved the quality of waterbodies throughout the country. However, as with many things after five decades, it also requires some modernizations so its regulations can better apply to current circumstances and continue to balance environmental protection with economic prosperity.
H.R. 7023 is much needed to keep projects on time and on budget — all while maintaining our nation's clean water infrastructure. By improving the permitting process under the Clean Water Act, we can provide greater clarity for energy producers, farmers, builders, water utilities, and many others. Just as significant, we can make America energy dominant on the world stage and lower costs for families.
Click here or on the image below to view my remarks in support of H.R. 7023.
