In the debate on H.R. 2112, the Agriculture, CJS, and Transportation Appropriations bill, numerous amendments will be offered, many of which involve fiscal matters. NTU has issued and will continue to issue Vote Alerts on these proposals as we are made aware of them. At this point in the process we commend your attention to the following three items:
- Vote “YES” on Amendment 791. Introduced by Sen. Coburn (R-OK), this amendmentwould prevent direct payments under the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of2008 from going to those with incomes above $1,000,000. While the economic casefor direct payments to farmers and landowners is tenuous regardless of incomelevel, there is no justification for using taxpayer dollars to subsidize largeagri-businesses.
- Vote “YES” on Amendment 792. Sponsored by Sen. Coburn (R-OK), this amendment wouldprohibit the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from makingpayments to owners of properties that have a history of being designated as“troubled” for “life threatening deficiencies” or “poor” physical condition.Pending wider-scale reforms to HUD programs, the government should at the veryleast avoid subsidizing property owners who continue to offer substandardliving conditions to their tenants.
- Vote “NO” on Amendment 769. Although not as comprehensive as other proposals to allow prescriptiondrug importation, this amendment, sponsored by Sen. Vitter (R-LA), would send asignal that Congress may once again be taking health policy in acounterproductive direction at an especially critical time. As NTU has long held,drug importation is laden with fiscally and economically detrimentalconsequences for taxpayers and consumers alike. The most sweeping planseffectively encourage drugs to be shipped at prices set by foreign countries,thereby negatively impacting future incentives and resources for researchers inthis country to develop cures for some of the world’s most debilitatingillnesses.
Roll call votes on the aforementioned amendments will be significantly weighted in our annual Rating of Congress.
If you have any questions, please contact NTU Federal Government Affairs Manager Brandon Greife at(703) 683-5700