The massive $1.1 trillion spending measure, H.R. 2029 the Consolidated Appropriations Act (omnibus), scheduled for a vote in the House on today, December 18, prompting Arizona Congressmen Paul Gosar and Matt Salmon to announce their opposition.
All other Arizona representatives have remained silent on the matter.
Rep. Matt Salmon stated:
“The concern on everyone’s mind today – the security of our homeland against infiltration by radical Islamic terrorists – was not so much as even contemplated in this bill. In fact, the amendments proposed by members of the House Freedom Caucus to this bill were casually shut down by the Rules Committee last night. This unwise choice clearly announces that House leadership doesn’t think the integrity of our nation is worth addressing before we adjourn for the year.
“To make matters worse, along with the other gains conservatives hoped for in the funding bill, the modest spending caps put in place just two years ago were gutted. Finally, reduced funding for Planned Parenthood was not included even after they were caught on tape brutally selling parts from aborted children.
“As the one bright spot in this week’s votes, the House today voted to make permanent a ‘Tax Extenders Package’ which includes many provisions of our tax code that favor jobs and grow our economy—I was proud to add my vote in favor. The package also stopped the ‘Risk Corridor’ provision which would have used taxpayer dollars to subsidize health care insurance companies’ losses under the failed economics used to justify Obamacare.
“America needs better, and I sincerely hope this is the last time we see the convoluted, backroom dealings that created the menace of this omnibus spending bill.”
Congressman Paul Gosar stated:
“Once again I find myself infuriated about out-of-control, wasteful spending and a lack of leadership in Washington D.C. No member can actually read 2,242 pages of text and over 1,000 pages of explanatory material in 54 hours. I am not Nancy Pelosi and I will not vote to pass a bill just to find out later what it contains. Such actions are irresponsible and silly. I wish that I could put all the blame for this flawed bill on big spending Democrats who are ignorant of the fiscal crisis within which we live, but I can’t. Congress is controlled by Republicans. Yet, somehow this is the worst omnibus ‘deal’ for Republicans since I’ve been here.
“The American people gave Congress a clear mandate to reduce spending and shrink the size of the federal government as well as to rein in a lawless and dangerously incompetent Obama Administration. Except for passage of the sequester in August 2011, no other law has been enacted that has made meaningful cuts to federal spending. This irresponsible bill blows through those budget caps established just a few short years ago. This terrible deal includes no new riders to hold this rogue administration accountable and gives Democrats everything they wanted and more. Westerners and conservatives are rightfully outraged that our negotiators gave away the farm in this bill.
“It doesn’t have to be this way. We must have the courage to fix our broken budget process and return to regular order. I refuse to go along with the status quo of more wasteful federal spending and I refuse to let the Obama Administration continue to force their misguided ideology through regulatory overreach. As long as I represent hard-working Arizonans, I will never stop fighting to end this madness. This is my line in the sand and I refuse to back down. If we have to stay here through Christmas to get the people’s work done, then so be it. But I can’t in good conscious support a bill that abandons the priorities of my constituents and that will be extremely harmful to future generations.”