Washington, DC—July 9, 2020....During today’s House Appropriations Committee markup, Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) rose in opposition to the House Democrats’ proposal to breach previously adopted discretionary spending caps and further blow up the deficit. By disregarding established caps, also known as 302(b) allocations, the majority party is advancing fiscally irresponsible spending levels and overturning the good faith efforts and terms previously negotiated by both parties. Womack also urged the need for budget process reform after highlighting the dysfunction of current proceedings, including the fact that the House has still not produced a budget.

302(b) allocations establish spending limits for each of the 12 subcommittee appropriations bills. Typically, these funding levels are set after a budget resolution is in place. Because the majority party has failed to produce or pass a budget, both parties came together to negotiate the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 to set discretionary spending levels. Now, House Democrats are seeking to neglect these agreed to figures and institute unworkable and unprecedented spending levels.

Watch the video of his speech here.

Transcript of remarks:

“I thank the Chairwoman for recognizing me.

“Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the 302(b)s proposed here today.

“Last year, both Republicans and Democrats negotiated the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019. We had to do that because we didn’t pass a budget – and that is a serious breach of our duty as a Congress.

“But, we established discretionary spending caps for fiscal years 2020 and 2021.

“We adhered to those caps in the FY2020 appropriations bills, and I can tell you that it’s troubling to me – and it should be troubling to all Americans – that we are busting through those caps in 2021.

“It’s fiscally irresponsible. It blows up all the good faith efforts and terms agreed to by both parties. If there is not a better example as to why budget process reform should not be at the very highest of our agenda, then I think where we are today makes that case.

“We are maxing out our credit cards, and we are going to ask future generations to pay for this.

“At some point in time, Congress has to wake up from its drunken stupor and begin to recognize what we are doing to future generations.

“We have no budget – and the chance of passing appropriations bills and having them signed into law on time is incredibly unlikely. To me, it is just not going to happen, and we are wasting these opportunities.

“So, Madam Chair, I hope my colleagues on the other side will recommit to the terms of spending caps. I hope they will set aside the political posturing. And, I hope we can come together to both fund our nation’s needs and prioritize fiscal discipline.

“I urge us to stay within the spending limits, work together to advance these bills, fund our government, and serve the American people.

“With that, I yield back my time.”

Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He serves as the Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Budget and is a member of the House Appropriations defense and transportation, housing and urban development subcommittees.

womack.house.gov

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