As the House considers H.R. 3055, the Department of Commerce, Interior, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2020, NTU urges all Representatives to support initiatives that reduce expenditures, eliminate waste, increase efficiency, reduce regulatory burdens, and otherwise uphold free market principles.
To that end, NTU urges a “YES” vote on the following amendments in Division A:
Amd. 13, (#97) Walberg (R-MI), Rush (D-IL), Raskin (D-MD), Cardenas (D-CA), McClintock (R-CA), Amash (R-MI), and Gabbard (D-HI): This bipartisan amendment would restrict the ability of federal enforcement officers to seize private property in the absence of criminal charges or conviction using civil asset forfeiture powers. This widespread abuse is a clear violation of constitutionally-granted due process protections. Too often, individuals face a costly, uphill battle to retrieve their assets, during which time they may fall behind on payroll, rent, mortgage, and other basic expenses. Civil forfeiture has clearly changed from a crime fighting program to one which unfairly ensnares innocent individuals. **This amendment vote will be significantly weighted in NTU’s yearly Congressional ratings.**
Amd. 22, (#72) Walorski (R-IN), Sewell (D-AL), Ferguson (R-GA), and Kind (D-WI): This bipartisan amendment would bring a greater degree of transparency to the Department of Commerce’s tariff investigation process as it relates to tariffs on automobiles and automobile parts. The administration’s process for implementing tariffs has been a behind-closed-door process. The in-place tariffs and continued tariff threats create uncertainty for manufacturers and consumers, and damage the strong health of the U.S. economy.
Amd. 34, (#50) Grothman (R-WI): This amendment would reduce spending in the Commerce, Justice, and Science sections (Division A) of the underlying bill by 13.3 percent. A 13.3 percent reduction in spending would result in a nearly $10 billion savings and would bring Division A to the virtually the same spending levels as FY19.
Amd. 36, (#9) Banks (R-IN): This amendment would reduce non-defense spending in the Commerce, Justice, and Science sections (Division A) of the underlying bill by 14 percent. With trillion dollar deficits once again on the horizon, and record debt, it is important that legislators take every opportunity now to demonstrate both the willingness and ability to rein in spending.
In addition, NTU urges all Representatives to vote “NO” on the following amendments in Division A:
Amd. 89, (#100) Underwood (D-IL) and Jeffries (D-NY): This amendment would prohibit the Department of Justice from using funds to litigate any court case that challenges the constitutionality of any provision of the Affordable Care Act. If enacted, it would force DOJ to end its role in current proceedings in Texas v. United States.
Amd. 90, (#130) Collins (R-GA): This amendment would increase funding to the Project Safe Neighborhoods program by $20 million without providing any spending offset.
NTU also recommends a “YES” vote on the following amendments in Division B:
Amd. 97, (#15) Grothman (R-WI): This amendment would reduce spending in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration sections (Division B) of the underlying “Minibus” by a modest 3.7 percent.
Amd. 99, (#3) Banks (R-IN): This amendment would reduce spending in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration sections (Division B) of the underlying “Minibus” by a significant 14 percent. Cutting the funding in Division B by 14 percent would translate into billions of dollars in taxpayer savings.
NTU also recommends a “YES” vote on the following amendments in Division C:
Amd. 135, (#12) Duncan (R-SC), Gosar (R-AZ), Joyce (R-PA), Gaetz (R-FL), Cloud (R-TX), Lesko (R-AZ): This amendment would prohibit the use of funds within this legislation to be used to enforce the Obama-era Clean Power Plan rules. Studies have shown this rule could kill hundreds of thousands of jobs and reduce GDP by trillions of dollars.
Amd. 161, (#117) Hice (R-GA): This amendment would reduce spending in the Interior and Environment sections (Division C) by 23.6 percent to match president Trump’s FY20 budget request. Approval of this amendment will save taxpayers more than $8 billion in FY20.
Amd. 163, (#6) Banks (R-IN): This amendment would reduce spending in the Interior and Environment sections (Division C) by 14 percent.
NTU also recommends a “NO” vote on the following amendments in Division D:
Amd. 206, (#32) Bost (R-IL) and Lipinski (D-IL): This amendment would prohibit funds from this division be used in conflict to the president’s 2017 “Strengthening Buy-American Preferences for Infrastructure Projects” executive order. This protectionist executive order prioritizes American-made products in federal procurements and federal financial assistance awards on critical infrastructure projects. While “Buy American” may make for a good slogan, in reality it is flawed policy that raises costs on taxpayer-purchased products while undermining free trade.
Amd. 219, (#1) Cunningham (D-SC) and Ratcliffe (R-TX): This amendment would prohibit funds from being used for a new round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). The closure and consolidation of military facilities is a commonsense practice that is popular within the Pentagon due to the high cost of operating hundreds of bases around the United States. BRAC could also yield billions of dollars in taxpayer savings far into the future.
NTU also recommends a “YES” vote on the following amendments in Division E:
Amd. 231, (#47) Burgess (R-TX): This amendment would reduce spending for the Essential Air Service (EAS), saving taxpayers $50 million, matching the president's FY20 budget request. Created in 1978 as a temporary transition to a free-market aviation system, the EAS persists to this day, and provides subsidies for air services in rural areas. Eliminating funding for the EAS was a recommendation for deficit reduction in the 2017 “Common Ground” report, a joint NTU Foundation and U.S. Public Interest Research Group project.
Amd. 244, (#37) Grothman (R-WI): This amendment would reduce spending in the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development sections (Division E) by a modest 4.6 percent.
Amd. 251, (#6) Banks (R-IN): This amendment would reduce non-defense spending in the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development sections (Division E) by 14 percent.
Amd. 253, (#26) Mitchell (R-MI): This amendment would enact an across the board spending cuts for programs in the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development sections (Division E) by a modest 3 percent.
NTU also recommends a “NO” vote on the following amendments in Division E:
Amd. 249, (#113) Bost (R-IL) and Lipinski (D-IL): This amendment would prohibit funds from this division be used in conflict to the president’s 2017 “Strengthening Buy-American Preferences for Infrastructure Projects” executive order. “Buy American” is a flawed policy that raises costs on taxpayer-purchased products while undermining free trade.
If you have any questions, please contact NTU Policy and Government Affairs Associate Thomas Aiello at Thomas.Aiello@ntu.org