NTU Letter on OmnibusDecember 15th, 2022
The Honorable Chuck Schumer
Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate
S-221, The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
H-232, The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Republican Leader of the U.S. Senate
S-230, The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
Republican Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives
H-204, The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader McConnell, and Minority Leader McCarthy:
On behalf of National Taxpayers Union (NTU), the nation’s oldest taxpayer advocacy organization, we write to you with significant concerns over an omnibus fiscal year (FY) 2023 appropriations bill that could significantly increase discretionary spending levels, federal deficits, and debt levels.
Another year in D.C. is coming to a close and yet again, Congress has not passed a budget or individual appropriations bills in regular order. Many in Congress have never seen a proper appropriations process and instead are subjected to the yearly rush to craft an enormous and expensive spending bill that will be brought to the floor with little time for lawmakers to review. The current Congress should not pass an omnibus spending bill just weeks away from the beginning of a new Congress. National Taxpayers Union (NTU) opposes omnibus spending increases that will increase federal deficits and debt in the long run, and could even contribute to inflation in the short run.
As negotiations appear to be finishing up regarding an FY 2023 omnibus spending package, NTU also cautions against the introduction of controversial policy provisions into the legislation. While it would be appropriate to address some expired or expiring tax policies to ensure there are no significant disruptions to a recovering economy, this bill should not become a “Christmas tree” full of an assortment of unrelated policies that have not gone through the regular legislative process. Such provisions, also known as poison pill riders, would typically face considerable scrutiny on the House or Senate floor. These last minute additions limit public and Congressional opportunities to scrutinize impactful and complex policy proposals.
NTU opposes the inclusion of controversial legislation including: the Open App Markets Act, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, the Credit Card Competition Act, and other such bills. Subverting the legislative process to pass unvetted and often partisan policies, with holiday travel and funding deadlines as pressure points on lawmakers, results in poor outcomes for rank and file lawmakers and taxpayers alike.
NTU believes that if an omnibus deal is unavoidable that it should be free of controversial poison pill riders. The lack of transparency, lack of public input, and concentration of decision-making authority within the omnibus negotiation process makes for a policy environment fraught with risks for taxpayers. If controversial bills cannot withstand the scrutiny of a proper floor vote, then they should not be tacked on to the omnibus where lawmakers and the public cannot review them with sufficient time before they are voted on.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Johns
Policy and Government Affairs Manager