This week the House passed with bipartisan support an “omnibus” spending bill to appropriate funds for the federal government for fiscal year 2015. This bill abides by the 2013 bipartisan budget agreement, and overall discretionary spending has been reduced by $165 billion since FY 2010 as a result. 

While an omnibus spending bill is not ideal, it allows changes to policy that a continuing resolution simply cannot. For example, this legislation includes provisions to help meet the goal of ending the disability claims backlog at the Department of Veterans Affairs by the end of 2015. It also prevents the Army Corps of Engineers from regulating farm ponds and irrigation ditches under the Clean Water Act. 

Additionally this bill will allow Congress to focus immediately on addressing the pressing issues facing our nation, including stopping President Obama from implementing his executive amnesty, when we return in January with Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

The appropriations process is an important tool for holding the vast federal bureaucracy accountable to Congress, and it’s my sincere hope that next year the Senate will return to regular order, including hearings, oversight and the elimination of wasteful spending on ineffective programs, as the House has been doing for the past four years. The House passed seven appropriations bills this year. The Democratic-led Senate passed no appropriations bills. 

If you would like to learn more about what is included in the bill, please click here.

114^th Congress

Having heard from so many constituents in recent years, there has been an understandable note of frustration, despair, anger and even outrage at the government and the direction our country is headed. My colleagues in the House have done everything in our power to put our country on a better path forward but have been stymied by the Senate. Fortunately, we’ll have some help coming to Washington in January.

My priorities for next year include continuing to fight for transparency and accountability in government. That is why the first bill I intend to introduce in the 114th Congress is the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act, which would improve transparency and public disclosure of the true cost—in dollars and in jobs—that federal dictates pose to the economy. I have offered this legislation in the past four Congresses, and it has successfully passed the House with bipartisan support on three separate occasions, only to be ignored by the Senate. My hope is that next year will be different.

What’s Coming Up

The House will recess for the holidays and reconvene on January 6, 2015, to begin the 114th Congress. At this special time of year, I hope you will join me in praying for our nation's military personnel who serve America with enormous personal sacrifice and often must spend the holidays away from their loved ones. Best wishes for a blessed Christmas season and a happy new year.

Sincerely,