Congressman Larry Bucshon, a physician from Southern Indiana who was recently selected to serve as a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for the 114th Congress, released the following statement after the House passed the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2015.
Dr. Bucshon stated:
“Effective government means taking advantage of what is possible and achieving significant conservative policy wins where the opportunity exists, especially in divided government. This bipartisan legislation avoids an irresponsible government shutdown and prevents us from losing ground on hard fought conservative policies debated and passed on the House floor and supported by the American people.”
“While this bill is not perfect, we negotiated a big win for sound, conservative policy. All government functions are funded for a year, with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security, which we temporarily fund until February when a Republican controlled House and Senate will be in the best position to directly challenge the President’s unilateral actions on immigration. Challenging the President now with a Harry Reid controlled Senate will not be successful and will jeopardize all of our conservative policy wins.
“This bill helps protect Hoosier farmers and our energy industry from reckless regulations, significantly cuts the EPA, gives schools who are struggling to implement the Administration’s school lunch standards more flexibility, prevents funding for more ObamaCare waste, and supports efforts to defeat and destroy ISIL. Overall, we protect taxpayers and ensure their hard-earned dollars are spent efficiently and effectively. I look forward to achieving more significant gains and returning to the regular appropriations process next year under a Republican-controlled Congress.”
HIGHLIGHTS:
Agriculture:
Prevents the Army Corps of Engineers from regulating farm ponds and irrigation ditches under the Clean Water Act, protecting many Hoosier farmers
Exempts livestock producers from burdensome EPA greenhouse gas regulations, and relieves livestock operations from EPA permitting requirements
Amends Dodd-Frank swaps push out requirements to protect farmers and other commodity producers from having to put down excessive collateral to get a loan, expand their business, and hedge production
Restricts the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) from implementing certain regulations that would allow harmful government interference in the private market for the livestock and poultry industry
Ebola:
Includes $5.4 billion to help fight and eradicate Ebola in the United States and abroad
Education:
Increases special education grants to states by $25 million
Increases the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,830
Energy:
Strategically targets funds to ensure a balanced investment in fossil, nuclear, and renewable energy to help secure American energy independence and lower energy prices for families and businesses
No funding for the Green Climate Fund
Requires the Administration to report to Congress on federal agency obligations and expenditures on climate change programs
EPA:
Slashes funding for the EPA for the fifth consecutive year, a 21 percent reduction since Republicans took control of the House
Reduces staffing at the agency to the lowest level since 1989, reduction of over 2,000 positions since Republicans took control of the House
Rejects a White House proposal for $66 million in new, expanded EPA regulatory programs
Fiscal Responsibility:
Freezes funding for the House of Representatives, Member offices and Committees
Marks $176 billion in spending reduction since Republicans took control of the House, targets funds to most effective and important programs and cuts lower-priority programs
Blocks pay raise for the Vice President and senior political appointees
Foreign Affairs:
Includes new reporting requirements to ensure the Secretary of State keeps Congress informed on Iranian nuclear regulations
No funds to Palestinian Authority unless they act to counter incitement of violence
Prohibits aid to Libya until the Secretary of State confirms Libyan cooperation in the Benghazi investigation
Guantanamo Detainees:
Prohibits funds from being used to transfer detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the United States, specifically the federal prison facility in Terre Haute. Also prohibits funds for the construction, acquisition, or modification of a facility in the United States to hold detainees
Immigration:
Temporarily funds the Department of Homeland Security, the department tasked with carrying out President Obama’s executive immigration action, until the end of February when Congress will be in the best position to directly challenge to the President’s unilateral actions on immigration
IRS:
Cuts almost $346 million from the IRS and prohibits funds for improperly disclosing confidential taxpayer information, unnecessary conferences, and targeting groups based on their political ideology
Local governments:
Includes $373 million in funding (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) to local governments to help offset losses in property taxes due to large areas of nontaxable federal lands benefiting multiple counties in Southern Indiana
Manufacturing:
Prioritizes U.S. manufacturing and emerging technologies by including H.R. 2996, the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act, which passed the House unanimously this year
Military/ Veterans:
Funds a 1% pay raise for our troops and fully funds the cost-of-living allowance shortfall for military retirees
Provides significant funding to help end the VA’s disability compensation claims backlog by the end of 2015
Rescinds $41million dollars from the Department of Veterans Affairs for performance bonuses
ObamaCare:
Prevents taxpayer bailout of ObamaCare’s risk corridor program, which subsidizes health insurer losses
Cuts the unelected, Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), which is tasked with making cuts to the Medicare program
Blocks the Prevention and Public Health Fund from being used as an ObamaCare “slush fund”
Includes no new or increased funding for ObamaCare
Ports/Waterways:
Provides significant funding for Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund activities
Pro-Life:
Maintains all existing pro-life policy and anti-funding provisions
Requires ObamaCare plans to tell customers if they provide abortion services
School lunch regulations:
Peels back the Administrations’ restrictive school lunch regulations that have created hardship and uncertainty for school districts in the 8th District
Allows $21.3 billion in required mandatory funding for child nutrition programs. Of this amount, $25 million is directed to help schools purchase needed equipment to operate the program. This funding will provide for an estimated 7.7 billion school breakfasts, lunches and snacks for 31 million children who qualify for the program
Second Amendment:
Maintains important protections of the Second Amendment
Prohibits the EPA from regulating the lead content in ammunition or fishing tackle
Prohibition on implementation of UN Arms Trade Treaty
More details about the bill can be found here - http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=393925.
