WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN-08) voted to pass the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024. This appropriations package will dramatically reduce the use of off-book resources and budgetary gimmicks to save the taxpayers billions over the next decade. House Republicans maintained longstanding legacy riders that Democrats sought to repeal, rejected harmful policies proposed in the President’s Budget and Senate bills, and fought for and secured conservative wins. Dr. Bucshon released the statement below following his vote:
“Since day one, the Biden administration’s reckless spending and failed economic policies have caused financial hardship for Hoosiers and all Americans. Even in a divided government where Republicans only control one-half of one-third of the federal government, we were able to secure multiple conservative and bipartisan wins. This appropriations package helps rein in out-of-control Washington spending, putting an end to budgetary waste while ensuring America has the most effective military in the world and a more secure southern border.”
“President Biden’s radical open-border policies have plunged our southern border into disarray, resulting in the worst border crisis in American history. This administration has made every state a border state. House Republicans are committed to restoring the rule of law and securing our southern border. This critical funding package supports Border Patrol Agents and invests in new cutting-edge technology to ensure agents have the necessary resources to help stop the flow of illegal drugs and immigrants into American communities.”
“As Navy Reservist for almost a decade, I was proud to fight for robust funding to our armed forces which will provide troops with their largest pay increase in over 20 years. The funding package will also ensure our servicemembers have the tools they need to protect our nation. In a world full of emerging threats, including Putin plotting a new Russian empire, Hamas continuing to attack to Israel, and China eyeing Taiwan, it is more important than ever to bolster our military and support allies of democracy and freedom.”
BACKGROUND
In November 2023, Dr. Bucshon voted to pass H.R. 6363, which avoided a government shutdown and allowed House Republicans to continue working to finalize the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process through regular order.
This March, Dr. Bucshon voted to pass the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024. This appropriations package helped rein in out-of-control Washington spending and put an end to budgetary waste, without compromising on the commitment to support physicians, veterans, or shortchanging investments in national security.
The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act continues to deliver on the promise House Republicans made to putting Congress back on a path to fiscal responsibility for the American people. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act:
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
- Provides a $27 billion increase over the FY23 enacted level, and directs that funding to critical national defense efforts, including countering the PRC, increasing counternarcotics efforts, and investing in quality-of-life initiatives for servicemembers and their families.
- Maxes out production of critical munitions.
- Doubles security cooperation funding for Taiwan.
- Invests in next-generation fighter aircraft, helicopters, tactical combat vehicles, and submarines.
- Funds the largest increase (5.2%) in basic military pay in over 20 years.
- Cuts $50.5 million from diversity and inclusion programs in the President’s Budget Request, rolling back funding to FY21 levels.
- Cuts $574 million from wasteful climate change programs and projects in the President’s Budget Request, retaining 79% of cuts included in the House bill.
- Prohibits the President from being able to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility or transfer detainees to the United States.
- Prohibits funds from being used in contravention of the FY23 Congressional repeal of the COVID Vaccine Mandate.
- Prohibits funding for the Wuhan Institute of Virology and EcoHealth Alliance in China.
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
- Cuts funding for financial regulators to slow their costly and burdensome regulatory agendas.
- Takes back $10.2 billion from the Administration, partially defunding President Biden’s supercharged army of 85,000 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents.
- Claws back $2.16 billion in unused COVID-19 funding.
- Provides adequate resources to ensure an impartial, strong, and secure judiciary.
- Prevents the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) recent efforts to ban gas stoves, which would reduce consumer choice.
- Maintains longstanding, bipartisan riders, including:
- Prohibiting federal funding for abortion coverage through the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).
- Prohibiting the use of federal and local D.C. funds from being used for an abortion.
- Prohibiting the IRS from targeting individuals for exercising their First Amendment rights.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
- Funds 22,000 Border Patrol Agents, which is consistent with H.R. 2 and the highest level ever funded, and provides $125 million for increases to Border Patrol overtime pay authorized by the NDAA.
- Funds a detention bed level of 41,500, which is consistent with H.R. 2, 7,500 above the FY23 level, and 16,500 above the President’s Budget Request.
- Increases funding for new border security technology, and invests in cutting-edge technology like Autonomous Security Towers, cross-border tunnel detection, and Non-Intrusive Inspection equipment to detect fentanyl.
- Maintains longstanding, bipartisan riders, including:
- A prohibition on the hiring of illegal aliens.
- A prohibition on a Federal Law Enforcement transfer of firearms to individuals if they are suspected of being an agent of a drug cartel.
- Rejects efforts to establish a Chief Diversity and Inclusion Office within the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer.
LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
- Provides funding to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for implementation of Dr. Bucshon’s legislation 2544, the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act.
- Fully supports basic biomedical research investigating cures for cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic and rare diseases.
- Targets resources to rural communities, including vital telehealth and opioid response resources.
- Takes back $10 billion from the Administration, partially defunding President Biden’s supercharged army of 85,000 IRS agents.
- Claws back $4.3 billion in unnecessary COVID-19 funding.
- Maintains longstanding, bipartisan riders, including:
- The Hyde Amendment, which ensures no federal funding can be used for abortion.
- Pro-life protections that prevent individuals, like nurses and doctors, from being forced to perform or participate in abortion services.
- The Dickey Amendment, which ensures that federal funds cannot be used to advocate for or promote gun control.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
- Facilitates a reorganization of the Chief Administrative Office, including a restructuring of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion that saves taxpayer dollars.
- Reins in bureaucratic growth at Legislative Branch agencies, reversing the trend of nearly 10% growth over the last five fiscal years, instead shrinking that bureaucracy by 2.2% this fiscal year.
- Sustains critical oversight funding for the House of Representatives so it can hold the Biden Administration accountable.
- Requires unspent amounts from Members’ Representational Allowances to be used for debt and deficit reduction.
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
- Cuts overall spending by 6%, slashing resources the Biden Administration can spend on controversial programs that have nothing to do with U.S. national security.
- Maintains all long-standing pro-life protections: Helms, Kemp-Kasten, Tiahrt, and Siljander, and adds new reporting requirements to further unprecedented transparency on funding and partners.
- Prioritizes funding to counter the PRC, including $300 million in Foreign Military Financing for Taiwan.
- Prohibits funds to the PRC government or to repay debt owed to China by other nations.
- Reaffirms our commitment to Israel, fully funding our annual security commitment of $3.3 billion, prohibiting any taxpayer funding from going to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and eliminating funding for the United Nations Commission of Inquiry against Israel.
- Implements new conditions on any assistance to Gaza, including mechanisms for coordination with Israel, prevention of diversion to Hamas or other terrorist entities, and a requirement for third-party monitoring.
- Requires unprecedented conditionality on funds to the United Nations, including new requirements on anti-Israel bias, transparency, and terrorism vetting for every UN entity and international organization funded in the bill.
- Prohibits funds for programs that encourage, organize, facilitate, or promote migrant caravans to the United States-Mexico border.
- Allows only the American flag and other official flags to be flown over U.S diplomatic facilities.
