Hal Rogers Continuing Resolution Protects our Troops and Their Families, Prevents Government Shutdown H.R. 1363 FULL TEXT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers today offered legislation on the floor of the House to prevent a government shutdown by extending federal funding for one additional week. The bill will provide time for House and Senate negotiators to come to a final budget agreement, while funding the Department of Defense – including pay for troops and their families – for the rest of the fiscal year. H.R.1363 -- Department of Defense and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 FULL TEXT in PDF FORMAT The floor statement by Chairman Rogers follows: “Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 1363 - the Department of Defense and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011.

I ask my colleagues support for this bill so we can avoid a government shutdown and provide the necessary time to finally complete negotiations on a final funding agreement for the rest of the 2011 fiscal year.

“This bill funds government operations for one more week, while reducing spending by $12 billion. These cuts include funding rescissions, reductions and program terminations from nearly all areas of the government. Virtually all of these cuts were also included in HR 1, and many were included in the President’s budget requests, the Senate’s alternative to H.R. 1, or the recent OMB CR proposal.

“Most importantly, the bill supports our troops and our national security by providing funding for our national Defense for the remainder of the fiscal year. Our troops and their families deserve to have the financial security we promised them while we continue to work towards a final budget agreement.

“After months of uncertainty, it is high time we provide for our national security in a responsible way. This means common-sense funding that ensures the safety of our war fighters and the success of our missions abroad.

“However, while this legislation points us in the right direction on security and spending cuts, what we all want right now is to wrap up these negotiations, complete the process for 2011 and move our many other important legislative items.

“As I have said many times before, short-term measures are not the preferable way to fund the government. So while no one wants to fund the government in one- or two-week bursts, this short-term CR is what we must do to prevent a government shutdown and allow time to pass a smart and thoughtful bill for the rest of the year.

“Mr. Speaker, coming into this Congress, the Democrats left us with a financial mess – soaring deficits, unchecked spending and no budget or Appropriations bill for 2011. And now that we are more than three months in – and six months into the fiscal year – the Senate Democrats have yet to produce any plan to help clean up this mess.

“Despite all the roadblocks we’ve faced throughout the process, we must continue down the path to fiscal solvency, and this CR both affords us the time required to complete negotiations as well as makes the spending cuts needed to continue to help balance our budgets.

“We are committed to making real spending cuts like these to reduce our deficits both now and in the future. We are determined to complete this work where Democrats failed to do so.

“While answering our constituents’ calls to reduce excessive government spending, this bill provides time to negotiate in an honest way to do what is not only right for our constituents, our nation, and our financial future. Let’s pass this bill, and finally get this leftover work from last year behind us.”

Contact: Jennifer Hing, 202-226-7007

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TEXT CREDIT: Committee on Appropriations H-307, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Main Number: (202) 225-2771

IMAGE CREDIT: Congressman Hal Rogers

List of the successful amendments to the Continuing Resolution CR (H.R. 1)

List of the successful amendments to the Continuing Resolution CR (H.R. 1). Bill Summary & Status 112th Congress (2011 - 2012) H.R.1 Hal Rogers CR is a “Monumental Accomplishment” for American Taxpayers. H.R.1 Latest Title: Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 Sponsor: Rep Harold Rogers [KY-5] (introduced 2/11/2011) Cosponsors (None) Related Bills: H.RES.92 Latest Major Action: 2/19/2011 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 235 - 189 (Roll no. 147). Latest Action: 2/19/2011 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers today praised the passage of H.R.1, the Continuing Resolution (CR). The legislation includes funding to continue federal government operations for the rest of the 2011 fiscal year, while making the largest single discretionary spending cut in the history of the nation.

“This bill is a monumental accomplishment for each and every American who believes that their government is spending too much. It dramatically scales back the size and scope of domestic government programs, eliminates $100 billion in spending compared to what the President asked for last year, and will mark the beginning of a new trend of reductions that will take place throughout the next year.

“We held no program harmless from our spending cuts, and virtually no area of government escaped this process unscathed. While these choices were difficult to make, we strived to spread the sacrifice fairly, weeding out waste and excess, with a razor-sharp focus on making the most out of every taxdollar.

“My Republican Committee members and I promised to slash spending and to help reduce our nation’s dangerous levels of deficits and debt so that our economy can grow and businesses can create jobs. This bill does just that,” Rogers said.

In addition to spending cuts, the legislation also contains multiple provisions to stop harmful regulations or programs that would hurt the nation’s economy and inhibit the ability of American businesses to create jobs, such as onerous EPA “greenhouse gas” regulations, the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage facility application process, and the Obama Administration’s health care reform act.

“The hand of government has reached too far into Americans’ everyday lives, hindering our freedoms and impairing our economic recovery. This legislation will help stop harmful regulations, misguided laws, and over-reaching bureaucracies to allow our businesses to create jobs and our economy to thrive,” Rogers said.

This legislation will now go to the Senate for a vote. If the CR is not enacted before the current funding measure’s deadline of March 4th, Congress must pass another short-term funding resolution or else risk a government-wide shutdown.

“So that we can promptly continue our regular budgetary work for this year, the House, Senate, and White House must come together to complete this process before March 4th – when our current funding measure expires. It is critically important that we move this CR, avoid a government shutdown, and get spending cuts passed by the Congress and signed by the President. The American people expect no less,” Rogers said.

The CR was considered in an historic and unprecedented open process on the House floor that included more than 580 amendments offered by both parties and a grueling 60-plus hours of public debate. Of these amendments, 67 were accepted or passed, changing the underlying legislation and reflecting the fair representation of the American people. In all, the successful amendments included more than $620 million in additional spending cuts.

“For first time after years of closed-door Democrat control, the House was able to work its will in an open and transparent fashion in full view of the American people. Hundreds of amendments were considered, the debate offered everyone a chance to be heard, and the legislation now contains changes that reflect the many varied interests of families, communities, and businesses across the country. I am proud that the House has returned to a regular and fair democratic process, and look forward to continuing this effort throughout the Appropriations process this year,” Rogers said.

A list of the successful amendments to the CR (H.R. 1) follows:

· An amendment by Rep. Rooney (R-FL) to eliminate $450 million in funding for the Alternate Engine, produced by GE-Rolls Royce, for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

· An amendment by Rep. Michaud (D-ME) to transfer $80 million from the Census Bureau to the Economic Development Administration, an agency within the Department of Commerce.

· An amendment by Rep. Flake (R-AZ) to eliminate $34 million in funding for the National Drug Intelligence Center, a component of the Department of Justice that provides drug-related intelligence, training and support.

· An amendment by Rep. Holt (D-NJ) to ensure that the Department of Justice continues funding the National Instant Criminal Background Check at the current level of $20 million.

· An amendment by Rep. Weiner (D-NY) to transfer $298 million from NASA Cross Agency Support to the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program.

· An amendment by Rep. McClintock (R-CA) to eliminate $1.9 million in funding from the Bureau of Reclamation.

· An amendment by Rep. Pascrell (D-NJ) to transfer $510 million from the research and development programs of the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology program to increase funding for Firefighter SAFER grants, which use federal resources for hiring local firefighters.

· An amendment by Rep. Burton (R-IN) to eliminate $2 million in funding from the Bureau of Land Management for holding pens created for wild horses and burros.

· An amendment by Rep. Pompeo (R-KS) to eliminate $8.4 million from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Registry, a program that collects data on industrial greenhouse gas emissions, returning its funding to 2008 levels.

· An amendment by Rep. Reed (R-NY) to reduce EPA STAG grants by $10 million to defund sewer improvements in Tijuana, Mexico.

· An amendment by Rep. Walberg (R-MI) to decrease funding for the Grants and Administration portion of the National Endowment for the Arts by $20.5 million.

· An amendment from Rep. Canseco (R-TX) to eliminate $4.5 million from the National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs program, which has the primary purpose of providing grants to not-for-profit institutions for performing arts and exhibitions in Washington, DC.

· An amendment from Rep. Reed (R-NY) that eliminates all funding ($15 million) from the Presidio Trust Fund, removing all funding for the Presidio National Park, a former military compound in San Francisco.

· An amendment from Rep. McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) that increases funding for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), which funds state grants, by $557.7 million, restoring IDEA funding to the current level of $11.5 billion. The increase is offset by a $500 million cut to Teacher Quality State Grants and a $336.6 million cut to School Improvement Grants, a program that received $3 billion in “stimulus” funds and has $554 million in leftover funds from fiscal year 2010.

· An amendment from Rep. Young (R-AK) that strikes the language that prohibits the Department of Education from using the Alaska Native Education Equity Act and the Native Hawaiian Education Program, providing supplemental education services to the Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native populations.

· An amendment from Rep. Whitfield (R-KY) to eliminate $1.5 million for the “Greening of the Capitol” initiative from the Legislative Branch section of the CR.

· An amendment from Rep. Weiner (D-NY) that eliminates $42.6 million in funding from the United States Institute of Peace.

· An amendment from Rep. Canseco (R-TX) that eliminates $10.7 million in funding for the East-West Center, an independent, public nonprofit that has historically not received funding in the Subcommittee bill.

· An amendment from Rep. McClintock (R-CA) that eliminates $20 million for tropical forest debt reduction, affecting the Department of the Treasury, Debt Restructuring portion of the CR.

· An amendment from Rep. Scalise (R-LA) that prohibits the use of federal funds to pay the salaries and expenses of the following “czars,” or special presidential advisers who are not required to go through the Senate confirmation process: Obama Care Czar, Climate Change Czar, Global Warming Czar, Green Jobs Czar, Car Czar, Guantanamo Bay Closure Czar, Pay Czar and Fairness Doctrine Czar.

· An amendment from Rep. Cole (R-OK) that restricts public funds from being used for the Presidential Election Campaign Fund or political party conventions. This amendment correlates with the “YouCut” bill that passed the House in January, saving $38 million in fiscal year 2012.

· An amendment from Rep. Price (D-NC) that creates a subsidy for the operating expenses of state and local communities by waiving the cost share and eligibility requirements for SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Responders) Grants.

· An amendment from Rep. Walden (R-OR) that blocks funding for the Federal Communications Commission to institute Net Neutrality rules.

· An amendment from Rep. Carter (R-TX) that prohibits the use of funds to implement, administer or enforce the rule entitled “National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants From the Portland Cement Manufacturing Industry and Standards of Performance for Portland Cement Plants,” published by the Environmental Protection Agency on September 9, 2010, which limits the levels of mercury in cement.

· An amendment from Rep. Lummis (R-WY) to put a moratorium, for the duration of the CR, on the payment of legal fees to citizens and groups who sue the government, in order to study abuses in the system.

· An amendment from Rep. Fortenberry (R-NE) that prohibits U.S. military assistance to Chad, due to its continued use of child conscription, consistent with the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2007.

· An amendment from Rep. Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) that provides $30 million to carry out the provisions of title I of the PROTECT our Children Act.

· An amendment from Rep. Lowey (D-NY) that prohibits the use of funds for the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, State and Local Programs to provide grants under the Urban Area Security Initiative to more than 25 high-risk urban areas.

· An amendment from Rep. Hastings (D-FL) that increases funding for the HIV-AIDS within the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services account by $42 million.

· An amendment from Rep. Kline (R-MN) that bans funding for the Department of Education regulations on Gainful Employment, as-yet-unpublished rules that would restrict federal student aid to for-profit colleges whose students have high debt-to-income ratios and require the schools to report more information about student outcomes.

· An amendment from Rep. Pence (R-IN) to prohibit federal funds from being made available to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., or any of its affiliates.

· An amendment from Rep. Young (R-AK) to prohibit funds from being used by the EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board to consider, review, reject remand or other invalidate any permit issued for Outer Continental Shelf sources located offshore of the States along the Arctic Coast.

· An amendment from Reps. Poe (R-TX), Barton (R-TX) and Carter (R-TX) that defines specifically what greenhouse gases are and prohibits the EPA from imposing regulations on those gasses emitted by a stationary source for seven months.

· Nine amendments to defund various aspects of President Obama’s health care law, effectively blocking the administration from carrying out the planned health system overhaul, including:

o An amendment from Rep. Rehberg (R-MT) that prohibits federal funding from being used to pay any employee, officer or contractor to implement the provisions of President Obama’s health care law, stopping the Department of Health and Human Services from implementing the law.
o An amendment from Rep. King (R-IA) that strips funding for any provision of the President’s health care law.
o An amendment from Rep. King (R-IA) that prohibits the payment of salaries for any officer or employee of any federal department or agency with respect to carrying out the President’s health care law. (This amendment has virtually the same effect as Rep. Rehberg’s amendment.)
o An amendment from Rep. Emerson (R-MO) that bars the use of funds in the bill from being used to implement the individual mandate and penalties and reporting requirements of the President’s health care law.
o An amendment from Rep. Price (R-GA) that prohibits the use of federal funds from being used to carry out the medical loss ratio restrictions in the President’s health care law. These provisions require insurers to spend at least a certain percent of their premium revenues on medical care.
o An amendment from Rep. Gardner (R-CO) that blocks funds for Health Insurance Exchanges, a set of state-regulated health care plans offered under the President’s health care law.
o An amendment from Rep. Burgess (R-TX) prohibiting the use of funds for employee and officer salaries at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight at the Department of Health and Human Services, created by the President’s health care reform bill.
o An amendment from Rep. Pitts (R-PA) that prohibits the funding of salaries for any officer or employee of the government to issue regulations on essential benefits under section 1302 of the President’s health care law.
o An amendment from Rep. Hayworth (R-NY) that prohibits funds for the independent payment advisory board.

· An amendment from Rep. McClintock (R-CA) that prohibits funds from being used to implement the Klamath (California) Dam Removal and Sedimentation Study, conducted by the US Bureau of Reclamation and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

· An amendment by Rep. Herger (R-CA) that prohibits the use of funds to implement or enforce the Travel Management Rule, which would close roads and trails on National Forest System land.

· An amendment from Rep. Boren (D-OK) that prohibits the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from collecting information on multiple sales of rifles or shotguns to the same person.

· An amendment by Rep. Forbes (R-VA) that prohibits the use of funds to take any action to effect or implement the disestablishment, closure or realignment of the US Joint Forces Command.

· An amendment by Rep. Forbes (R-VA) that prohibits the use of funds made available to the Department of Defense for official representation purposes.

· An amendment from Rep. Johnson (R-OH) to prohibit the use of funds for the Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) from moving forward with a proposed rule that would effectively eliminate the Stream Buffer Zone Rule, a rule that presently allows surface mining operations with qualified permits to work within 100 feet of a stream.

· An amendment from Rep. Reed (R-NY) that prohibits the use of funds for the Overseas Comparability Pay Adjustment, an increase in pay for overseas Foreign Service Officers approved by President Obama under the supplemental appropriations bill in 2009.

· An amendment from Rep. Matheson (D-UT) that prohibits the use of funds for the Community Connect broadband grant program administered by the Rural Utilities Service of the Department of Agriculture.

· An amendment from Rep. Goodlatte (R-VA) that would prohibit EPA funding for enforcement of total maximum daily loads in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

· An amendment by Rep. Weiner (D-NY) that bans foreign aid to Saudi Arabia.

· An amendment by Rep. Weiner (D-NY) that prohibits the use of funds to provide nonrecourse marketing assistance loans to mohair farmers.

· An amendment from Rep. Rooney (R-FL) that prohibits funding for the EPA to impose and enforce federally mandated numeric Florida water quality standards.

· An amendment from Rep. Stearns (R-FL) that prohibits funds for UN construction within the US.

· An amendment from Rep. Flake (R-AZ) that prohibits funds from being used to construct ethanol blender pumps or ethanol storage facilities.

· An amendment from Rep. Hall (R-TX) prohibiting funds to implement a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Service, part of the President’s fiscal year 2012 budget request.

· An amendment from Rep. Griffith (R-VA) prohibiting the EPA, Corps of Engineers and the Office of Surface Mining from implementing coordination procedures that have served to extend and delay the review of coal mining permits.

· An amendment from Rep. Jones (R-NC) that prohibits the use of funds from being used to develop or approve a new limited access privilege program – “catch-shares” – for any fishery under the jurisdiction of the South Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, New England or Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.

· An amendment from Rep. Luetkemeyer (R-MO) that prohibits funds for the study of the Missouri river projects.

· An amendment from Rep. Luetkemeyer (R-MO) that prohibits the use of funds for the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

· An amendment from Rep. Sullivan (R-OK) that blocks funds for the EPA to implement a waiver to increase the ethanol content in gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent.

· An amendment from Rep. McKinley (R-WV) that prohibits funding for the EPA to deny proposed and active mining permits under Section 404 (c) of the Clean Water Act, specifically to revoke retroactively a permit for the Spruce Mine in West Virginia.

· An amendment from Rep. McKinley (R-WV) that prohibits funding for the EPA to implement regulations to designate coal ash reside as hazardous waste.

· An amendment from Rep. Pompeo (R-KS) that prohibits funds for a government sponsored “consumer products complaints database.”

· An amendment from Rep. Noem (R-SD) to prohibit funding for EPA to modify the national primary ambient air quality standards applicable to coarse particulate matter (dust).

· An amendment from Rep. Burgess (R-TX) that prohibits funds to implement a provision specific to the State of Texas in the “Education Job Fund.” ##### ###

TEXT CREDIT: Committee on Appropriations H-307, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Main Number: (202) 225-2771

IMAGE CREDIT: Congressman Hal Rogers Washington, DC Office 2406 Rayburn House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515 T (202) 225-4601 F (202) 225-0940

Chairman Rogers: President’s Budget Long on Rhetoric, Lean on Spending Cuts

House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers commented on the President’s fiscal year 2012 Budget request, which was released today – one week after the annual deadline: “I appreciate the President’s attempt to address the need for cuts in this fiscal year 2012 budget request, finally reflecting a realization that our country must reduce spending and drastically scale back our deficits and debt in order to get our economy moving again.

“However, the President’s budget appears to be long on rhetoric and lean on spending cuts. We must go much further than this anemic effort of symbolic reductions and additional spending proposed under the guise of funding “freezes” if we are truly to get our nation’s finances on a sustainable course.

“The Continuing Resolution (CR) that will be on the floor of the House this week contains the largest set of spending reductions in the history of the nation – more than $100 billion in cuts from last year’s Presidential budget request. This legislation represents a real, substantive effort that will help steer a better path for our nation’s budget and economy, starting a trend of spending reductions that will carry forward in Appropriations bills in the coming year. I would welcome the President’s engagement in and support of this historic and critical legislation, and encourage him to join us in our goal of immediately and dramatically reducing government spending.”

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TEXT CREDIT: Committee on Appropriations H-307, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Main Number: (202) 225-2771

IMAGE CREDIT: Congressman Hal Rogers Washington, DC Office 2406 Rayburn House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515 T (202) 225-4601 F (202) 225-0940

The House Appropriations Committee Continuing Resolution (H.R. 1) FULL TEXT

House Appropriations Committee Introduces CR Containing Largest Spending Cuts in History.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Appropriations Committee has introduced a Continuing Resolution (H.R. 1) to fund the federal government for the last seven months of the fiscal year while cutting spending by over $100 billion from the President’s fiscal year 2011 request. This CR legislation represents the largest single discretionary spending reduction in the history of Congress.

Chairman Hal Rogers gave the following statement on the introduction of the CR:

“This year, our nation is spending 1.5 trillion dollars more than we have, running our debt to $14 trillion. The taxpayers have told us loud and clear that this is simply unacceptable, and have demanded that we get our nation’s fiscal house in order.

“This CR responds to this call. The legislation includes the largest reduction in discretionary spending in the history of our nation – over five times larger than any other discretionary cut package ever considered by the House.

“The CR contains over $100 billion in cuts compared to the President’s request - fully meeting the spending reduction goal outlined in the Republican ‘Pledge to America’ while providing common sense exceptions for our troops and veterans. These cuts go far and wide, and will affect every community in the nation. These were hard decisions, and I know many people will not be happy with everything we’ve proposed in this package. That’s understandable and not unexpected, but I believe these reductions are necessary to show that we are serious about returning our nation to a sustainable financial path.

“The cuts in this CR are the result of difficult work by our subcommittees who have weeded out excessive, unnecessary, and wasteful spending, making tough choices to prioritize programs based on their effectiveness and benefit to the American people. My committee has taken a thoughtful look at each and every one of the programs we intend to cut, and have made determinations based on this careful analysis.

“It is my intent – and that of my Committee – that this CR legislation will be the first of many Appropriations bills this year that will significantly reduce federal spending. It is important that we complete the legislative process on this bill before March 4th -- when the current funding measure expires – to avoid a government-wide shut down and so that we can begin our regular budgetary work for this year.”

NOTE: The CR will be considered on the House floor next week.

A copy of the legislation: www.rules.house.gov/Media/file/PDF_112_1/legislativetext/2011crapprops/AppropCRFinal_xml.pdf

A summary of the bill: republicans.appropriations.house.gov/_files/SummaryFiscalYear2011ContinutingResolutionCR.doc

A list of program cuts: republicans.appropriations.house.gov/_files/ProgramCutsFY2011ContinuingResolution.pdf

Subcommittee savings tables: republicans.appropriations.house.gov/_files/FY2011CRSpendingTablesbySubcommittee.doc>

Contact: Jennifer Hing, 202-226-7007 ###

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Committee on Appropriations H-307, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Main Number: (202) 225-2771

Hal Rogers Announces Subcommittee Chairs and Members for the 112th Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. –House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers today announced the Appropriations subcommittee Chairs and members for the 112th Congress. In addition, Rogers also announced that Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), and Rep. Bill Young (R-FL) will be given the title of “Chairman Emeritus” of the Appropriations Committee. “Each and every one of our Republican committee members are committed to the historic challenge of dramatically reducing government spending and getting our economy on a sustainable and responsible path.

It is with their expertise, hard work, and leadership that this Congress will begin to undo the damage caused by record deficits and debt, put Americans back to work, and provide for a secure financial future. We have a tough road ahead of us, and this Committee will begin our work immediately to accomplish our goals for the 112th Congress,” Rogers said.

The subcommittee Chairs and members are as follows:

Agriculture Subcommittee:

Jack Kingston (R-GA), Chairman
Tom Latham (R-IA)
Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO)
Robert Aderholt (R-AL)
Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
Alan Nunnelee (R-MS)
Tom Graves (R-GA)

Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee:

Frank Wolf (R-VA), Chairman
John Culberson (R-TX)
Robert Aderholt (R-AL)
Jo Bonner (R-AL)
Steve Austria (R-OH)
Tom Graves (R-GA)
Kevin Yoder (R-KS)

Defense Subcommittee:

Bill Young (R-FL), Chairman
Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)
Jack Kingston (R-GA)
Kay Granger (R-TX)
Ander Crenshaw (R-FL)
Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Jo Bonner (R-AL)
Tom Cole (R-OK)

Energy and Water Subcommittee:

Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Chairman
Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Mike Simpson (R-ID)
Dennis Rehberg (R-MT)
Rodney Alexander (R-LA)
Steve Womack (R-AR)
Alan Nunnelee (R-MS)

Financial Services Subcommittee:

Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), Chairwoman
Rodney Alexander (R-LA)
Jo Bonner (R-AL)
Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
Tom Graves (R-GA)
Kevin Yoder (R-KS)
Steve Womack (R-AR)

Homeland Security Subcommittee:

Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Chairman
John Carter (R-TX)
John Culberson (R-TX)
Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)
Tom Latham (R-IA)
Ander Crenshaw (R-FL)
Charles Dent (R-PA)

Interior Subcommittee:

Mike Simpson (R-ID), Chairman
Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Steve LaTourette (R-OH)
Tom Cole (R-OK)
Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)

Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee:

Dennis Rehberg (R-MT), Chairman
Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Rodney Alexander (R-LA)
Jack Kingston (R-GA)
Kay Granger (R-TX)
Mike Simpson (R-ID)
Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)

Legislative Branch Subcommittee:

Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), Chairman
Steve LaTourette (R-OH)
Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO)
Dennis Rehberg (R-MT)
Ken Calvert (R-CA)

Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee:

John Culberson (R-TX), Chairman
Bill Young, (R-FL)
John Carter (R-TX)
Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Steve Austria (R-OH)
Kevin Yoder (R-KS)
Alan Nunnelee (R-MS)

State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee:

Kay Granger (R-TX), Chairwoman
Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Frank Wolf (R-VA)
Tom Cole (R-OK)
Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
Charles Dent (R-PA)
Steve Austria (R-OH)

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee:

Tom Latham (R-IA), Chairman
Frank Wolf (R-VA)
John Carter (R-TX)
Steve LaTourette (R-OH)
Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
Charles Dent (R-PA)
Steve Womack (R-AR)

Contact: Jennifer Hing, 202-226-7007

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TEXT CREDIT: Committee on Appropriations

IMAGE CREDIT: Congressman Hal Rogers

Hal Rogers floor statement on the House Offices Budget Cuts VIDEO TEXT

Chairman Rogers' Statement on the House Offices Budget Cuts

Washington, Jan 6 -

House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers today gave the following floor statement on a resolution that would cut the office budgets of Members of Congress, committees, and leadership in the House by 5%. Chairman Rogers directed the cuts to his committee to go even further, cutting his own committee budget by 9%.

Floor Statement by Chairman Rogers (as prepared for delivery):

“Mr. Speaker, “This is a historic time for the Congress, this House, and my committee. I can say without a moment’s hesitation that this day represents a crucial turning point for our nation as this new Congress begins a path to fiscal sanity. “With this resolution today, Congress will begin immediately to reduce spending – starting here and now – with our own office budgets.

“To demonstrate my strong commitment to slashing spending, reducing our national deficit, and getting our economy on track, I have directed my own Committee budget to be cut by 9% - nearly double the amount of reductions proposed for other House offices.

“This year, the Appropriations Committee will be ground zero for a wide range of reductions across the federal government, and by cutting our own budget first, we are showing we’re willing to lead by example.

“This is a critical time for the Appropriations Committee, as we will carry out the most expansive reduction of discretionary spending in the history of our nation. Under my watch, the Appropriations Committee will be an instrument of change to enforce the will of the American people.

“My Republican colleagues on the Committee and I are ready to stand and fight for the American people and show that we are serious about our commitment to rein in government spending and control our exploding deficits.

“Yet, it is important to remember that slashing spending to save taxpayer dollars and reducing the size of government is a means to an end. We must always keep our eyes on the ultimate goal: improving our economy, getting our people back to work, and safeguarding the nation’s financial security for the future.

“The one and only mandate we received from the American people in November was to put our economy and jobs first. This is why people came to the polls and voted for a change in this body, and this is the duty that we must fulfill.

“To this end, it is clear that this Congress cannot let favored, yet troublesome programs slip by or allow turf battles to cloud our shared interest in protecting the taxpayer. Our budget axe will swing wide and true, and no area of the federal government will be immune from our scrutiny and cuts. Sacred cows are, for all intents and purposes, extinct.

“Mr. Speaker, we have a big job ahead of us. While this resolution is a small step forward, it is a giant leap to show – in a very personal and practical way – the commitment we have to reducing spending and getting our economy back on track.”

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TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Congressman Hal Rogers

VIDEO CREDIT: RepHalRogers

House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers Cuts Own Budget by 9% PODCAST

DOWNLOAD MP3 FOR PODCAST Appropriations Committee Cuts Its Own Budget by 9% Rogers: Budget Cuts Start Here and Now. Incoming House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers today announced that the annual operating budget for the House Appropriations Committee will take a 9% cut from last year’s levels. The cut is part of a proposal by Republican leadership in the House to trim the overall budgets of all Members of Congress, committees, and leadership offices.

While the average cut will be 5% across these offices, Rogers directed his Committee to take the much larger 9% cut, emphasizing his commitment to significantly reducing government spending.

“Congress must begin immediately to reduce spending, and these budget cuts should start here and now – in our own offices. To demonstrate my strong commitment to slashing spending, reducing our national deficit, and getting our economy on track, I have directed my own Committee budget to be cut by nearly double the amount of reductions proposed for other House offices. This year, the Appropriations Committee will be ground zero for a wide range of reductions across the federal government, and by cutting our own budget first, we are showing we’re willing to lead by example,” Rogers said.

The proposed legislation for the House budget cuts will save taxpayers an estimated $35 million in the first year alone. The bill is expected to be voted on by the full House on Thursday, January 6th. #####

TEXT, IMAGE amd AUDIO CREDIT: Congressman Hal Rogers Washington, DC Office 2406 Rayburn House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515 T (202) 225-4601 F (202) 225-0940