Cleveland Daily Banner - Congressmen Agree Budget Process Needs Fixing

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By Brian Graves

Both U.S. congressmen who represent Bradley County say the federal government will not face a shutdown when Congress returns to its lame duck session after the November election.

U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (3rd District) and U.S. Rep.  Chuck Fleischmann (4th District) took some time during their visit to Bradley County on Saturday to talk with the Cleveland Daily Banner about issues at the forefront in the nation's capital.

Legislators recently passed a continuing resolution that will keep the government open until Dec. 9.

Fleischmann, who is the only Tennesseean on the House Appropriations committee, voted in favor of the measure.

"On Dec. 9, the House and the Senate appropriators will sit down, look at the appropriations bills we have passed in the respective bodies, and then basically address the government's discretionary spending needs -- especially the military," he said.

Fleischmann said there are always "bitter pills" that have to be tolerated in continuing resolutions.

"The preferable approach would be to do a budget," he said. "But, since the United States in 1974 and 1975 changed the way we actually do the budget process, only four times have we been successful as a nation in getting a budget."

Fleischmann said there needs to be a "hard look" at the process.

"We need to go back to the basics in allowing the legislature to do its proper job Constitutionally," he said. "Far, far too much power in the hands of the executive branch."

DesJarlais said he voted against the resolution because of frustration with federal spending.

"I feel that at some point, and it should have been six years ago, the Congress needs to stay there until we get a budget done," he said. "With the election year coming, it seems that often we want to just get past the election."

"We can't continue to go into debt. We can't continue to operate without a budget," DesJarlais said. "I just didn't feel comfortable voting for it."

Despite their concerns, both answered with a definitive "no" when directly asked if there would be a government shutdown.

The two congressmen also cast different votes recently when Congress voted overwhelmingly to override President Barack Obama's veto of a measure that would allow the families of 9/11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia.

Several prominent Republican leaders, including Sen. Bob Corker, have expressed concerns about the bill even after casting their votes in favor of the bill.

"It's clearly an important issue for the victims of 9/11 to seek justice and get justice," DesJarlais said. "I think the bill was put fourth with that intent in mind."

He said his vote against the override was because of his concerns for America's international sovereignty and the potential risks to troops and diplomats serving abroad.

"It's an issue where the door can swing both ways and what we are wanting to do to Saudi Arabia, those countries could do to our government," DesJarlais said. "I think this "buyers remorse' is just a concern about a possible breakdown in relationships with some of our allies."

He called it "a tough vote" despite the overwhelming passage.

"Almost everyone is concerned about the bill's language and it may be there will be some changes made," DesJarlais said.

Fleischmann voted in favor of the override.

"The way the bill got there is obviously there was a tremendous amount of concern for the potential involvement of Saudi Arabia in the 9/11 attacks and the horrific effects it took on America and American citizens," Fleischmann said.

He noted it was the first successful override of a presidential veto during Obama's term in office.

"It was a historic vote and was just one of those things where I felt it was the right vote to cast," he said.

DesJarlais sets on the House Oversight Committee which recently made headlines with its questioning of FBI Director James Comey and the agency's handling of the Hillary Clinton e-mail controversy.

The director criticized Clinton's handling of her official e-mails, but declined any prosecution.

He was called to answer questions in Congress last week.

"I think it's almost a national shame," DesJarlais said. "They basically have given Hillary Clinton a pass on, in my opinion, breaking the law and not protecting top secret documents."

He said all of "the stories" Clinton has told since the email revelations became public "were not true."

"She didn't do it for the convenience on one Blackberry, she had 13," DesJarlais said.

He added his disappointment with Director Comey was his statements Clinton was "unsophisticated" when she handled classified documents as well as "careless," but still chose to not prosecute.

"The people we could have investigated further with were all given immunity and when we tried to talk to them, they plead the fifth," DesJarlais said. "Why were the people closest to this process of protecting her information needing immunity and pleading the fifth when we're asking questions?"

He said the "full impact" of the matter has yet to be felt and does not believe it will be before the election.

"You cannot have a commander-in-chief that does not respect the process of protecting top secret and classified information," DesJarlais said. "Nobody should be above the law, but it seems again and again the Clinton family holds themselves to a different standard."

Fleischmann called the presidency "a very special official."

"When the president of the United States, regardless of who it is, speaks to the American people and looks them in the eye on whatever the topic, there has got to be credibility and faith that what they are saying is true to the best of their ability," he said. "That will be lacking from the inception if America makes a mistake and elects Hillary Clinton as president."

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