Inside the Financial Services Funding Bill: A Conversation with Subcommittee Chairman Joyce
Interior and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson (R-ID) sat down with Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Subcommittee Chairman Dave Joyce (R-OH) to discuss the complexities and scope of the FSGG Subcommittee. During their discussion, Chairman Joyce shared insights on the bill's funding priorities, highlighting its focus on reining in wasteful spending. He also detailed his collaborative approach with government agencies to optimize discretionary spending.
Watch Subcommittee Chairman Simpson and Subcommittee Chairman Joyce’s conversation here.
Joyce: “The way I've approached it is that when we come up with a topline number, I meet with the directors and the agency administrators. I say to them that we're going to cut your spending or your allocation, but I leave it up to you to figure out how to cut that spending, because we're not in there every day. They need to know if there was a project that they said three years ago that they were going to do and it costs X, and then it's only produced Y, explain the delta. Why is it working? Or why isn't it working? And you make that cut on your own. If we come in and make cuts, you may not like them. So that's why I think it's important to engage and be straightforward with the people that are coming before you, so they can understand and appreciate where you're coming from.”
Simpson: “Well, you know, you mentioned that your allocation this year is below last year's, and last year was below the year before, and that's one of the things we're trying to do, is try to get our budget back in order, even though, as you said, the discretionary spending is less than a little over a quarter of the overall spending. That still means we have to try to control discretionary spending… It's important for people to understand what we do here, what we do on Appropriations, and, actually, how careful we are with the taxpayers’ dollars.”
Joyce: “I agree with you, and it's one thing that I'm really proud about my time here on Appropriations. We view ourselves as a ‘unit’ versus ‘us against them’ and try to get the end results that work."
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