Kansas Common Sense: Participating in First Senate Appropriations Markup

Statement

The full Senate Appropriations Committee met on Thursday to vote on two subcommittee bills for the coming fiscal year of 2013: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations (THUD) and Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations (CJS). CJS includes funding for the Commerce and Justice departments, science programs and NASA. The THUD bill includes funds for highway infrastructure, FAA, housing and community projects. Both bills were passed by the full committee. At the beginning of the markup, it was also determined how the overall spending level would be divided among the 12 fiscal year 2013 appropriations bills. The overall level of spending was established last August by the Budget Control Act ($1.047 trillion). Since I continue to value and advocate for getting our fiscal house in order, I opposed the proposed spending caps for the appropriation bills this year because I believe it will result in some agencies getting more funding that they need. I will continue to work so that the bottom line gets reduced and out-of-control spending is ended.

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