As the House considers H.R. 2157, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, National Taxpayers Union urges Representatives to support only amendments that protect taxpayer interests and oppose amendments that are not offset with spending cuts elsewhere in the budget.
To that end, NTU urges a “NO” vote on the following amendments:
Amendment #1, Rep. Perlmutter (D-CO): This amendment would spend an additional $5 million to improve weather forecasting at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Amendment #2, Rep. Radewagen (D-AS): This amendment would increase nutritional assistance spending for American Samoa by an additional $13 million annually with no budgetary offset.
Amendment #3, Rep. Sablan (D-MP): This amendment would increase funding by nearly $9 million to repair waste water treatment plants impacted by Typhoon Yutu.
Amendment #4, Rep. Dunn (R-FL): This amendment would increase military construction funding for the Air Force by $300 million and the Navy by $385 million. New funding for military construction is unnecessary as the military construction budget tops $10 billion annually.
Amendment #5, Rep. Cunningham (D-SC), Young (R-AK), Turner (R-OH), Fortenberry (R-NE), Dunn (R-FL), Murphy (D-FL), Lawson (D-FL), Clyburn (D-SC), Bishop (R-UT): This amendment would increase Air Force Operations and Maintenance funding by $270 million. New funding for operations and maintenance is unnecessary as the budget tops $40 billion.
Amendment #9, Rep. Axne (D-IA) and Fortenberry (R-NE): This amendment would increase the emergency watershed program by $310 million. This increased spending is not offset by commensurate spending reductions elsewhere.
Amendment #10, Rep. Axne (D-IA): This amendment would increase the Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief Program by $500 million. This increased spending is not offset by commensurate spending reductions elsewhere.