Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015

Floor Speech

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, to keep the government open, the House is considering a continuing resolution (H.J. Res. 124) that permits government agencies to continue spending at the 2014 level through December 11, 2014. As a result, it allows a rate of overseas contingency operations spending at the Department of Defense, Department of State, and other agencies that if sustained over the entire fiscal year would total $92 billion. This sum exceeds what the Administration requested for overseas contingency operations for 2015 by $26 billion. Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and I agree that this bill should not be interpreted as endorsing the expansion of overseas contingency operations spending above what our military commanders say is needed to support our troops engaged in war operations. Congress will revisit the full-year funding needs for overseas contingency operations at a future date, including whatever resources may be necessary to counter emerging threats, including those ISIL poses. Over the course of the CR period, the Administration should spend OCO funding at a rate that will still allow for full-year funding at no higher than the level military commanders say is needed for 2015.

The OCO budget has been misused to get around discretionary funding caps over the years. Billions of dollars of non-war related activities have been funded in the OCO budget. For 2014, Congress shifted $9 billion of non-war activities into the OCO budget so it could free up funds within the budget caps. Over 2001 through 2014, Pentagon OCO cost reports indicate that $71 billion of non-war funding was provided through war appropriations.

This is a problem that both Chairman Ryan and I have been looking at in the Budget Committee. We both agree that the OCO budget should only be used to fund those requirements that are related to the transitory, non-recurring costs of war activities. In fact, the Budget Committee adopted report language as part of the budget resolution affirming that goal. It says, ``Abuse of the OCO/GWOT cap adjustment is a backdoor loophole that undermines the integrity of the budget process. The Budget Committee will exercise its oversight responsibilities with respect to the use of the OCO/GWOT designation in the FY 2015 budget process, and it will oppose increases above the levels the Administration and our military commanders say are needed to carry out operations unless it can be clearly demonstrated that such amounts are war-related.''

We should provide our military and diplomatic corps all the resources they need to carry out the important missions the country gives them. However, we should not use the OCO budget as a back-door mechanism to get around discretionary funding caps. The continuing resolution gives the Administration the spending authority needed to keep the government open and to give the necessary resources to support those engaged in operations overseas. It does not give the Administration a blank check to finance non-war activities.

In the coming months when the House considers the final full-year appropriation for overseas contingency operations, I am committed to working with Chairman Ryan to ensure that funds appropriated in the OCO budget will only be used for war-related costs.

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