Rep. Yoho Votes To Keep Discretionary Spending at Lowest Level Since 2007

Dec 11, 2014

Press Release

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Ted S. Yoho (R-FL-03) voted in favor of H.R. 83 — Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015. The bipartisan/bicameral year-end funding agreement provides full appropriations for Fiscal Year 2015 for 11 of the 12 regular appropriations bills. The agreement keeps discretionary spending at the lowest level since 2007 and puts the country on a path to save taxpayers $2.1 trillion over the next 10 years. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security is limited until February 27, 2015, when the President’s executive order will go into effect. Congressman Yoho gave the following statement after the vote:

“When I was elected, I told my constituents that I would vote not on what was politically popular, but on principle. The bill today is far from perfect. But as with any large spending bill, there are things that you want to fund and there are things that you don’t. Funding our troops, veterans’ services, social security, and ensuring economic stability for our small businesses is the right thing to do.

“I do not agree with the President’s Executive Order, which is why I introduced – and the House passed – legislation to stop it. I also joined my colleagues in offering an amendment to this spending bill that would guarantee that no funds could be used for his illegal amnesty. I’m disappointed that the amendment was not accepted, but I’m happy that the bill only temporarily funds the Department of Homeland Security until February 27, 2015, when the President’s executive order will go into effect. This will enable us to add the proper limits when we have control of the Senate in January. Additionally, this legislation contains no new funding for Obamacare. For President Obama to have to sign that into law is a win in itself.

“The House passed 11 of the 12 appropriations bills out of their respective committees and sent 7 of them to the Senate for a vote. The situation today is entirely a product of Harry Reid’s do-nothing-Senate. Tonight’s vote made sure all the hard work done in the House wasn’t done in vain.

“I look forward to a Republican Senate that takes up and funds appropriations bills the way we are supposed to—not waiting until the last minute and rolling everything into one bill like the one we see before us today. That way we can vote for the provisions we like—and against those that we don’t—and not risk the well-being and welfare of our citizens, our economy, and our national security.

“The American people handed us the torch of leadership. Being a leader means looking at the big picture and making tough decisions. With a Republican Senate, I look forward to bringing our country back on fiscal track, stopping this President’s overreach, and restoring the greatness of America.”

What was in the bill:

Funding for Veterans:

$58.7 billion in advanced funding for VA medical programs

$2.534 billion for operating expenses for reducing claims backlog

$40 million above Administration’s request

$69 million above FY2014 levels

$126 million for VAOIG to continue audits of VAMCs

$209 million to address new costs associated with implementing the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act – i.e. hiring medical staff

$75 million for 10,000 new veterans’ housing vouchers (Section 8 & Public Housing)

$270 million for Veterans Employment and Training Service

$14 million for the Transition Assistance Program: veteran training for civilian employment/job search

Obamacare Risk Corridors and Insurance Bailout: The bill includes a provision to prevent appropriations to be used to bail out insurance companies using Obamacare’s risk corridors.
No funding for the President’s Green Climate Fund
No funding to Libya until it cooperates in the Benghazi investigation
No foreign assistance to Central American countries until they address migration of unaccompanied alien children – including increased border security and law enforcement.
Guantanamo Detainees: The bill prohibits funding for transfers of Guantanamo detainees to the U.S. or its territories and denies funding to modify any facility in the U.S. to house detainees.
A $345.6 million cut and extensive oversight requirements for the Internal Revenue Service
A $60 million cut and extensive oversight requirements for the Environmental Protection Agency
A pay freeze for the Vice President and senior political appointees
No funding for the Administration’s Race to the Top program
Pro-Life: The bill prohibits the use of funds to pay for an abortion, except in the case of rape or to preserve the life of the mother and a conscience protection clause that prohibits funds to require any person to perform or facilitate in any way the performance of any abortion.
Second Amendment Protection: The bill prohibits funds to conduct a Fast and Furious-type gun walking operation, prohibits funding for the UN Arms Trade Treaty
Surveillance of U.S. Citizens: The bill prohibits funding to “acquire, monitor, or store the contents of any electronic communication of a United States person from a provider of electronic communication services to the public pursuant to section 501 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.”
Clean Water Act: Similar to a request by Rep. Yoho, the bill requires the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw the “Interpretive Rule Regarding the Applicability of Clean Water Act Section 404(f)(1)(A) that would narrow the exemption for agricultural activities.
Targeting of Conservatives: The bill prohibits the IRS from targeting U.S. citizens for exercising their First Amendment Rights, targeting groups based on ideological beliefs, or from contravening provisions of law regarding the confidentiality of tax returns, as passed by the House.