MORE INFO ABOUT REPUBLICAN’S SCREW YOU $1.1 TRILLION SPENDING BILL

May 5, 2017

WASHINGTON DC — The American Conservative Union is opposed to HR 244, the Omnibus Appropriations bill. 

First, voting on a 1,600 page bill released at 2am Monday and voted on two days later is disrespectful of American taxpayers and the Members of Congress they elected to represent them.  Conservatives—even those who are members of the House Appropriations Committee—were frozen out of the process and were not given the privilege of knowing what was in the bill, a privilege extended to Democrats.

As for the content of the bill, we do appreciate the gains in defense, border security, and charter schools.  We are nevertheless disappointed that Republicans continue to use budget gimmicks to fund increases in spending for many of the Left’s favorite programs over Fiscal Year 2016 levels, programs that in many cases were increased substantially under the Obama Administration.

A few examples:

•           Amtrak, which has wasted billions on little-used long distance routes, is up $105 million.

•           The National Endowment of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities each get $2 million more.

•           The $150 million increase in IRS funding added last year remains in place.

•           The renewable energy program, home of the Solyndra scandal, gets an extra $18 million.

•           The Appalachian Regional Commission, scheduled for elimination in the president’s budget, instead gets an increase of $6 million.

Many other wasteful programs did not get one dollar cut from last year.  They include the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Legal Services Corporation.

Conservatives have earned the right to be part of the process.  This has not been the case and this bill deserves to be rejected.

Nevada Congressman Mark Amodei (R) District 2, voted for Paul Ryan’s Budget bill spending $1.1 Trillion dollars on everything from sanctuary cities, Obamacare, refugee resettlement programs to planned parenthood. But no cash for the border wall and no cuts in any departments.