Fleming Votes Against "Atrocious' Appropriations Bill

Statement

Congressman John Fleming, M.D. released the following statement after voting against H.R. 5055, the Energy and Water Appropriations Act because of bloated spending and the attack on religious liberties.

"America's debt is crippling our future. Instead of cutting up our credit cards, today's atrocious Energy and Water bill raises spending by 23% compared to FY2014 and affirms the past Boehner budget. You know Congress isn't serious about addressing our over-spending problem when we can't even pass a modest amendment to trim 1% from the $37.4 billion mega bill. It is astounding that 80 Republicans joined nearly all the Democrats in voting against this common-sense amendment. As a result, the amendment failed.

"Today's bill also incorporated an amendment codifying the Obama Administration's transgenderism agenda. The Maloney (D-NY) amendment demands that faith-based organizations, if they want to continue partnering with the federal government, abandon their missions and their cherished beliefs and adopt the government's viewpoint on social issues. This is antithetical to religious freedom. Americans--not the feds in Washington--possess the intrinsic right decide on matters of faith and deeply-held beliefs. The First Amendment enshrined this right in the highest law of the land, and decades of civil rights statutes reinforce non-discrimination protections for faith-based organizations.

"Religious ministries providing services to vulnerable women, children, veterans, the homeless, refugees and prisoners, should remain free to hire employees who identify with the core mission and deeply-held beliefs of their ministry.

"The bill's bloated spending combined with its attack on faith-based organizations made this one of the worst bills this Congress has put forward."

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