Vote Notes on Legislation

I opposed this nearly trillion dollar farm subsidy bill when it left the House and it comes back from conference committee even worse. The House version at least took a stab at providing work requirements for about 20 percent of single able-bodied SNAP recipients...

This is a combination of appropriations bills that funds the legislative branch, the Veteran’s Administration, energy, water and military construction. Like any large, omnibus bill it has good features, among them: it proceeds with the long overdue Yucca Mountain nuclear storage facility, repeals the Obama Administration’s WOTUS order (which was already struck down by the courts), shifts $1 billion of mandatory spending to discretionary and upgrades our nuclear arsenal. But it is a fiscal train wreck. It continues the Congress’ profligate spending that threatens...

This is an extensive omnibus bill costing a total of $900 billion over the next ten years (about $720 a year for an average household). It includes some good provisions on forest management and at least makes a half-hearted effort to introduce work requirements for about 20 percent of the ten million able-bodied adults receiving SNAP (commonly referred to as food stamps).

This is the $1.3 trillion “Omnibus” bill that increases discretionary spending a staggering 18 percent in a single year, puts us on course for a trillion dollar deficit next year and sets the stage for a sovereign debt crisis within the next few years.

This measure abandons any pretense of fiscal responsibility and increases federal spending caps by nearly $300 billion ($2,400 per household) over the next two years. It sets up a structure that will allow Congress to bypass its own budget rules...

I am disgusted that once natural disasters are being used as an excuse to load up an emergency relief bill with spending that could not stand scrutiny in the light of day. The long-standing test for emergency spending is that it must be for needs that are urgent, unforeseen, necessary and one-time. Using these criteria, the administration made a request for $44 billion for the damage from the recent hurricanes and wildfires...

This Vote Note refers to the earlier House version of the tax reform legislation. The Congressman supported the final version of the bill, and he discussed his support in House floor remarks titled Morning Again in America.

H.R. 601 – Three-month Debt Limit Suspension, $230 billion of general spending and $8 billion for Emergency Hurricane Relief.