NTU urges all Representatives to vote “YES” on the following amendments to H.R. 5822, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act:
- The Flake amendment to prohibit funding for all member requested earmarks for military construction contracts.
- The Gingrey amendment to prohibit funds from the bill from being used to exercise the power of eminent domain to seize private property for public use “without the payment of just compensation.”
H.R. 5822 contains a total of $75.9 billion in non-emergency discretionary spending, which is 3 percent below the FY 2010 level. From NTU’s standpoint, this $2 billion decrease is obviously preferable to the typical, massive spending hikes in most appropriations bills, but it remains insignificant. Furthermore, the baseline for appropriations bills has been grossly overinflated in recent years, producing a false perception of major cost savings. Since the funding in H.R. 5822 still amounts to a 26.8 percent increase from FY 2008, taxpayers would be unimpressed by any claims that this legislation marks a dramatic turn toward fiscal responsibility. Congress must enact more sizeable reductions to regain any credibility on the vital issue of spending restraint.
If you have any questions, please contact:
NTU Federal Government Affairs Manager Jordan Forbes at (703) 683-5700