As the House considers H.R. 4502, the seven-bill minibus for fiscal year (FY) 2022 appropriations, NTU encourages Members to support amendments that reduce spending, reduce regulatory burdens, and make this package more fiscally responsible at a time of record debt and deficits. NTU also encourages Members to oppose amendments that increase taxpayers’ exposure to risk. See here for NTU’s vote alert on the underlying bill, H.R. 4502, which encourages lawmakers to oppose the minibus and its wasteful spending.
Division A - Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
NTU is urging Members to SUPPORT the following amendments in Division A:
Amendment #22 from Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI): This amendment would reduce higher education funding by $122 million to match the President's budget request. Although $122 million may be a relative drop in the federal budget’s bucket, NTU appreciates Rep. Grothman’s effort to reduce spending.
Amendment #23 from Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK): This amendment would reduce non-security spending in Division A by 20 percent. Though targeted spending reductions are generally preferable to across-the-board cuts, NTU believes Rep. Hern’s amendment is a step in the right direction given the historic proposed increases for non-defense discretionary spending in the budgets offered by President Biden and Congressional Democrats. Lawmakers should seek to cut both defense and non-defense discretionary spending for FY 2022.
Amendment #24 from Reps. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Steve Womack (R-AR), Young Kim (R-CA), and Michelle Steel (R-CA): This amendment would strike the language prohibiting the implementation of the Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP) final rule. As we have previously written, “NTU is supportive of the IRAP as the program is meant to expand accessibility to apprenticeships and diversify the types of industries that make use of flexible apprenticeships though the private sector.”
Division B - Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA
NTU is urging Members to SUPPORT the following amendment in Division B:
Amendment #67 from Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK): This amendment would reduce spending in Division B by 20 percent, with an exemption for security funding. See the explanation in Division A, Amendment #23 for our rationale in supporting Rep. Hern’s 20-percent cut amendments.
Division C - Energy and Water Development
NTU is urging Members to SUPPORT the following amendment in Division C:
Amendment #95 from Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK): This amendment would reduce spending in Division C by 20 percent, with an exemption for security funding. See the explanation in Division A, Amendment #23 for our rationale in supporting Rep. Hern’s 20-percent cut amendments.
Division D - Financial Services and General Government
NTU is urging Members to SUPPORT the following amendments in Division D:
Amendment #117 from Reps. Bob Good (R-VA), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Scott Perry (R-PA), Jody Hice (R-GA), Brian Babin (R-TX), Chip Roy (R-TX), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Randy Weber (R-TX), and Mary Miller (R-IL); and Amendment #118 from Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX): Each of these amendments would strike a provision of Division D that prohibits the ability to prevent union activity on official time and teleworking. Federal agency officials should have the flexibility to ensure that an excessive amount of taxpayer dollars are not being wasted on union activity that could be done outside of working hours.
Amendment #119 from Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX): This amendment would decrease the Treasury Department’s Salaries and Expenses budget by $37.7 million. This is a small portion of FSGG appropriations, but NTU appreciates Rep. Gooden’s efforts to reduce spending.
Amendment #123 from Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK): This amendment would reduce spending in Division D by 20 percent, with an exemption for security funding. See the explanation in Division A, Amendment #23 for our rationale in supporting Rep. Hern’s 20-percent cut amendments.
Amendment #126 from Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX): This amendment would prohibit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from targeting people or groups for regulatory scrutiny based on their political beliefs. Given the troubling recent ProPublica leaks from the IRS, these types of protections are essential for advocates and activists across the political and ideological spectra.
NTU is urging Members to OPPOSE the following amendment in Division D:
Amendment #140 from Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY): This amendment would increase the program level guarantees for the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 504/CDC loan program by $750 million. Although an increase in loan guarantees does not necessarily increase federal spending, it could expose taxpayers to additional risk if SBA-approved lenders make risky decisions. Absent more robust safeguards at SBA, an agency overburdened by COVID aid and relief responsibilities, lawmakers should oppose allowing the SBA to assume further risk.
Division E - Interior and Environment
NTU is urging Members to SUPPORT the following amendment in Division E:
Amendment #154 from Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK): This amendment would reduce spending in Division E by 20 percent, with an exemption for security funding. See the explanation in Division A, Amendment #23 for our rationale in supporting Rep. Hern’s 20-percent cut amendments.
Division G - Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development
NTU is urging Members to SUPPORT the following amendment in Division G:
Amendment #215 from Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK): This amendment would reduce spending in Division G by 20 percent, with an exemption for security funding. See the explanation in Division A, Amendment #23 for our rationale in supporting Rep. Hern’s 20-percent cut amendments.
Amendment #229 from Rep. Van Taylor (R-TX): This amendment would instruct the Department of Transportation to study the effectiveness of a potential vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fee. NTU has spoken favorably of proposals to potentially transition the current gas tax to a VMT model for funding road and highway spending. We appreciate Rep. Taylor’s attempt to study this matter further.
Stand-alone roll call votes on amendments to H.R. 4502 will be included in NTU’s annual Rating of Congress. Roll call votes on amendments that are a part of an en bloc package of amendments will be considered in NTU’s Rating of Congress based on the overall impact the en bloc package has on taxpayers.
If you have any questions, please contact NTU Director of Federal Policy Andrew Lautz at alautz@ntu.org.