Congress is in the midst of a grueling funding fight.
As you know, government funding is set to expire at midnight on September 30th. If Congress fails to pass either all 12 appropriations bills or a short-term spending package before this time, the government will enter a shutdown.
Based on the media’s coverage of the funding battle, you’d think Congress is enthralled by chaos. Yet the truth is, legislating with a slim majority in a divided government isn’t an easy task. The lengthy process of funding the government is a messy one, but one that must be met with tenacity in order to reach an outcome that prioritizes both the American people and our nation’s financial future.
With that in mind, here’s where Congress stands with just four days remaining to avert a government shutdown.
This week, House Republicans will advance single-subject spending bills in our effort to deliver on our promise to pass each of the 12 appropriations bills. As you may recall, we passed one of these bills, Military Construction/Veterans Affairs, back in July. Now, we’re expected to consider four more: Defense; Homeland Security; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration.Â
Before voting on the final passage of each appropriations bill, House members will have the opportunity to offer, debate, and vote on a range of amendments. For example, I have offered an amendment to the Homeland Security appropriations bill to defund the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) by 25%, back to the agency’s funding level for 2019. As you may know, the Biden Administration has weaponized CISA to censor Americans’ speech — a nefarious and unconstitutional action that warrants accountability through the power of the purse.
In addition to considering four appropriations bills, the House is also expected to vote on a short-term spending bill. This stop-gap measure would extend government funding, allowing more time for the House and Senate to pass their remaining appropriations bills. However, House Republicans’ proposed spending bill would not continue funding at its current level. In our effort to bring fiscal sanity back to Washington as well as hold weaponized agencies accountable, our short-term funding bill includes a 27% cut to non-defense and non-veteran spending.
Additionally, our temporary spending measure offers meaningful reforms to end the catastrophe that President Biden has created at the southern border. Specifically, we attached policies from H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, which House Republicans passed earlier this year to strengthen our border security.
Meanwhile, the Senate is attempting to pass a “clean” continuing resolution to preserve current bloated spending levels and advance the Left’s Big Government Socialist agenda. Senators Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell have both signaled that they intend to attach billions of dollars in Ukraine aid to their already disastrous and fiscally irresponsible spending package. Rest assured, I would never support such a proposal.
As the ongoing funding fight continues, please don’t hesitate to contact my office if you have any comments, questions, or concerns. While this legislative process is certainly messy, it is undoubtedly better than maintaining the Swamp’s status quo. And through it all, I’m honored to represent you and your values during this process.
 
 
