On the House Floor
This week, the House passed two spending bills for Fiscal Year 2008: the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, H.R. 2638, and the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, H.R. 2642. H.R. 2638 provides $36.3 billion for the Department of Homeland Security to address our nation’s most pressing security needs. H.R. 2642 provides $64.7 billion to fulfill America’s obligation to our service men and women, their families and our veterans.
A Victory for Taxpayers
House Republicans stood their ground this week, refusing to allow Democrats to set aside billions of taxpayer dollars to be used for congressional earmarks that would be doled out at the discretion of less than a handful of representatives. As a part of that effort, I was not leading the crusade against earmarks; the Constitution clearly specifies that the legislative branch is in control of spending for the government, and I believe members of Congress are better suited to determine how taxpayer dollars should be spent in their districts than some anonymous bureaucrat in Washington. However, any earmark should be subject to full review by the entire Congress. That is a reform I voted for and how the Republican majority ran things in the last Congress. Under the Democrats’ plan, the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee would unilaterally determine which projects should be funded after it was too late for them to be challenged.
For two days, I joined my Republican colleagues on the House floor to voice our opposition to these tactics. We reminded Democrats of the promises they made last November that if they gained the majority, as they did, they would preside over the most “open” and “ethical” Congress in history. We questioned how secret slush funds created to shut out all but a select few members of Congress from the earmarking process was consistent with those campaign promises. And in the end, Democrats realized they could not defend their actions. They abandoned their plan and sent most of the spending bills back to the committee to have earmarks placed in the bill for all to see. This is a major victory for us all, as House Republicans refused to allow Democrats to make taxpayers the victims of their broken promises.
No Amnesty, For Now
Last week, the Senate immigration bill died and, while there are reports of misguided attempts to revive it, this massive amnesty plan should remain where it belongs – alongside all the other ideas the American people have soundly rejected. While not enacting a bill may be better than the Senate proposal, we still have millions of people living in this country illegally, using our resources, and breaking our laws. Until Congress passes comprehensive legislation to address this problem in an effective, responsible, and just fashion, I will continue to do my part to reduce the incentives for illegal immigrants to remain in our country. As the House considers its spending bills for the next fiscal year, I will be offering amendments to limit taxpayer funds from being used to benefit illegal aliens, ranging from issues such as government contracting to voter identification. These efforts will remind my colleagues that until we have a viable immigration policy, our resources will continue to be consumed by those who willingly violate our laws.
In May 2006, Congress passed a one-year relief to keep this cancerous tax from spreading. However, a permanent solution is required. That is why I am cosponsoring H.R. 1366, the Individual AMT Repeal Act of 2007, and H.R. 1365, which repeals the Corporate AMT. While political conditions do not favor passage of these bills, I am hopeful that modest relief can be achieved this year.
Quote of the Week
“We will bring transparency and openness to the budget process and to the use of earmarks.” – Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a 2006 press release. Six months later, Democrats are adding this statement to a list of broken promises by attempting to hide billions of dollars in earmarks from the public.
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