Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

This bill is a bill that we all can support. It provides $21.7 billion for financial services and Treasury programs, the Federal judiciary, and small businesses. This total is $1.5 billion below current levels and $2.7 billion below what was requested by the President.

Within this allocation, the bill prioritizes funding where it will be best used and makes policy reforms that improve efficiency and accountability.

To start with, the bill takes steps to address issues at the IRS, both cutting overall funding and including funding limitations to prevent the IRS from continuing their recent history of bad behavior. In total, the IRS is provided with $10.9 billion. That is $236 million below current levels. This holds the agency's budget below fiscal 2008 levels, forcing the agency to streamline and focus on its core duties.

Taxpayer services, however, are maintained at $2.1 billion and an additional $290 million is directed to improve customer service, fraud prevention, and cybersecurity.

The bill also includes policy items to correct recent transgressions, including prohibiting funding for a regulation related to the tax- exempt status of 501(c)(4) organizations, which could limit the First Amendment rights of citizens, and prohibiting funds for bonuses unless conduct and tax compliance is considered.

The bill also includes provisions throughout designed to make the government work better for the taxpayer. This includes increasing oversight by bringing the CFPB and the Office of Financial Research under the annual congressional appropriations process and changing the leadership of CFPB from one director to a five-member panel.

The bill also peels back red tape across the government. This includes prohibiting the FCC from implementing the net neutrality order until court cases are resolved; requiring the FCC to refrain from continued activity on the set-top box rule until a study is completed; and prohibiting the FCC from requiring the disclosure of political contributions on SEC filings.

The bill invests its funding in programs that will protect Main Street Americans, helping them grow small businesses and making their communities safer.

The bill increases funding for Federal courts, as well as for important and effective anti-drug programs like the Drug-Free Communities and High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas programs.

The bill also includes $883 billion for the Small Business Administration, including full funding for veterans programs, and increasing funding above the President's request for Women's Business Centers. The bill also includes the SEC Small Business Advocate Act, to help small businesses address the unique issues they face due to their size.

Madam Chair, I want to thank the Financial Services Subcommittee and the hardworking staff, the ranking member, Mr. Serrano, and particularly the chairman, Mr. Crenshaw. This will be his last bill at the helm of this subcommittee and one of his last appropriations bills in Congress.

Over his tenure on the committee, he has been a faithful shepherd of taxpayer dollars and a dedicated servant to his district and to the Nation. His presence will be deeply missed by the Appropriations Committee and the entire House, but this final bill of Chairman Crenshaw is certainly a high note to go out on.

But we want to thank this Florida gentleman and great leader in this body for the great tenure he has had here and the great record he has built, especially this bill, which will be the last he will shepherd through.

This bill improves the way the government runs, makes responsible use of Federal funding, and invests in the right priorities. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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