Appropriations Republicans Prepare for Spending Battles - Lewis and Rogers Promise Opposition to Democrats’ Trillion-Dollar “Omnibus” Bill

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Appropriations Ranking Member Jerry Lewis, incoming Chairman Hal Rogers, and their Republican colleagues on the Appropriations Committee met today in preparation for battle over their plan to drastically reduce discretionary federal spending. Both Ranking Member Lewis and incoming Chairman Rogers have pledged to reduce discretionary spending by over $100 billion from the President’s fiscal year 2011 budget request. In addition, Lewis and Rogers promised staunch opposition to any massive, last minute Omnibus measure – which would contain all twelve individual Appropriations bills and cost the taxpayers over a trillion dollars – that the Senate may send to the House as early as this week.

 

“This is a historic time for the Appropriations Committee, as we will carry out the most expansive reduction of discretionary spending in the history of our nation. My Republican colleagues and I are ready to stand and fight for the American people and show with definitive action that we are serious about our commitment to rein in government spending and control our exploding deficits,” Rogers said.

 

“The Republicans on the Appropriations Committee have and will continue to fight for spending cuts to bring our nation onto a sustainable fiscal path – starting immediately with any Omnibus legislation the Senate may pass. We are united in our opposition to such a package, and will oppose this attempt by the Democrat Congress to rush to spend over a trillion tax dollars before the end of the year,” Lewis said.

 

“My Republican colleagues in the House and I have promised to end the use of Omnibus Appropriations bills in the next Congress. Omnibus bills are often fodder for waste and abuse, they shut the public out of the process, and they spur massive spending that the nation simply cannot afford. It’s past time to terminate the use of these costly, back-door, “Christmas Tree” bills,” Rogers continued.