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Providing For Consideration Of H.J. Res. 20, Further Continuing Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2007

Floor Speech

Date: Jan. 31, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Budget and Spending


PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.J. RES. 20, FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS, FISCAL YEAR 2007 -- (House of Representatives - January 31, 2007)

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Mr. SESSIONS. I thank the gentleman from the State of Washington.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this closed rule and to the underlying 137-page, as they call it, omnibus appropriations measure that is being rushed to the floor of the House of Representatives today without committee oversight, regular order, or input from the vast majority of Members of this body.

Last night in the Rules Committee, I offered an amendment that would have eliminated $44.5 million in unspent funds from an earmark that dates back to the 2004 omnibus appropriations measure that would have created an indoor rain forest in Coralville, Iowa. Because the project failed to meet its non-Federal matching funds matching requirement, this money remains unspent. It is sitting waiting for it to be spent.

Last night, I offered an amendment that could be used for better purposes. It could be used to make sure that we move the money to the veterans health care program, and that is exactly what my amendment said. Despite their claim of support for veterans health care and their stated opposition to earmarks, Democrats rejected my commonsense proposal on a party line vote of 9-4.

They also rejected along the same party line margin an amendment offered by my colleague from California (Mr. Campbell) which would have replaced the Democrats' omnibus spending bill with a clean continuing resolution that would have saved taxpayers around $7 billion.

Mr. Speaker, we are on the floor today because we believe that the process that should have included more time and more opportunity for feedback but at least the ability in the Rules Committee to do the right thing was rejected by the Democrats who stand up and say that they are for an open and fair process.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to vote against this bill.

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