June 24, 2026
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National Taxpayers Union urges all representatives to vote “YES” on H.R. 8595 and “NO” on H.R. 9022, the two appropriations bills to fund National Security and the State Department, and the Department of Energy for Fiscal Year 2027.
For too long Washington has fallen into a troubling pattern where federal spending rises year after year with little regard for the long-term consequences. That trajectory has helped drive annual deficits to nearly $2 trillion and the national debt to roughly $39 trillion, with both expected to grow further in the coming years if left unchecked. While restoring fiscal sustainability will not happen overnight, meaningful progress is achieved through steady, incremental reforms such as those contained in these appropriations bills. Over time, actions like these can help reduce deficits, slow the accumulation of debt, and begin correcting our country’s fiscal course.
Specifically, H.R. 8595, this year’s National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs appropriations bill, cuts topline discretionary spending by 6% below the enacted level in fiscal year 2026, to a total of $47.32 billion. It appropriately reduces and redirects funding from underused government bureaucrats in Washington, DC, as well as spending on wasteful international aid programs and the United Nations, to overseas operations that defend American interests abroad. It also focuses remaining funding for foreign programs to countries that are more supportive of our nation’s priorities.
On the other hand, H.R. 9022 ends up spending at a higher level than the previous fiscal year. It represents an increase in spending compared to Fiscal Year 2026 but is thankfully billions of dollars below what President Biden had requested in his last year in office. While it does have higher spending levels, there are notable provisions that safeguard taxpayer resources, such as the elimination of Biden-era offices and grants, and updating federal building standards by repealing outdated and anti-fossil fuel mandates that ultimately raise costs for taxpayers.
H.R. 9022 is not a perfect bill and can still be improved. In addition to spending more than last year, it contains over $1.1 billion in earmarks and pet projects that would be better funded by state or local government or at the agency level rather than by politicians picking which projects get funded specifically for their district. These earmarks should be removed to further reduce the size of the legislation and its impact on taxpayers.
Roll call votes on H.R. 8595 and H.R. 9022 will be included in NTU’s annual rating of Congress and “YES” on the former and “NO” on the latter will be considered the pro-taxpayer position.
If you have any questions, please contact NTU’s Vice President of Federal Affairs Thomas Aiello at Taiello@ntu.org
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