Dear Chairman Cole and Members of the Committee:
On behalf of National Taxpayers Union, the nation’s oldest taxpayer advocacy organization, I write to express our views regarding today’s FY26 appropriations markup for Financial Services and General Government. NTU thanks the committee for its commitment to fiscal responsibility by proposing to spend less in the upcoming fiscal year than in the current one. Enactment at the proposed levels would represent a meaningful step toward restoring fiscal sanity in Washington.
A defining feature of modern U.S. fiscal policy is the federal government’s addiction to spending more than it collects, raising concerns about solvency and the country’s long-term economic stability. While our fiscal situation cannot be fixed overnight, NTU is pleased that the proposed legislation cuts spending by nearly 2% from the FY25 allocation, a move that will save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
In addition to the spending reductions, the proposed legislation also includes numerous policies that protect the interests of American taxpayers. Codifying the Regulations in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act prevents unelected bureaucrats from wielding unfettered regulatory power. Furthermore, this legislation also takes steps to identify underutilized federal office spaces to lower costs. Along with provisions prohibiting the IRS from using funds to develop a free electronic return-filing service option without prior Congressional approval, this legislation will not only help control spending but also help restore the public’s confidence in the policymaking process.
This legislation would also promote government efficiency by investing in technological innovations across the federal government. In addition to strengthening government-wide cybersecurity and information technology upgrades, initiatives such as modernizing infrastructure at the Treasury Department and the Executive Office of the President will ensure taxpayer dollars are allocated with maximum efficiency and accountability.
While the legislation you are considering is strong, it can be improved by removing language preserving “Buy America” provisions, which ultimately raise taxpayer costs and restrict procurement options.
Thank you for your consideration of our views. In short, we appreciate this legislation’s attention to reducing spending as well as its emphasis on safeguarding the rights and interests of taxpayers amid growing public debt. Measures included in this bill and throughout the broader appropriations process can turn around our nation’s disturbing fiscal outlook.