Press Releases
Rep. Loudermilk joins with Americans for Prosperity to Support Johnson’s Stopgap Funding Bill
Washington,
November 14, 2023
Washington, D.C. (November, 14, 2023) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement regarding his vote to support Speaker Johnson's stopgap funding bill: “Every year I’ve been in the House of Representatives, the federal government has received a huge Christmas gift from Congress --- an enormous Omnibus spending package that the American people unwillingly pays for with their tax dollars. Regardless of whether it’s Republican or Democrat control, the same scenario has played out with one huge spending bill passing Congress at the last minute in late December. "With our national debt now exceeding $33.6 trillion, we can no longer afford to continue the status quo of enormous, inflated, last-minute spending packages. As I have fought to cut spending over the years, I have also stated that we must first reform the process before we can make effective cuts. "This year, the Senate, along with the Washington establishment, was moving forward with another Christmas-time over-inflated omnibus spending package. Everything seemed to be on track to jam it through, until this week. The Washington elites didn’t count on Speaker Mike Johnson leading the House, or him standing by his commitment to change the status quo and cut federal spending. "Almost immediately after taking the gavel, Speaker Johnson laid out an aggressive but achievable plan to responsibly cut the federal coffers as well as force the President to secure our borders and aggressively defend our national security. Unfortunately, because of a government funding deadline of November 17, we ran out of runway before our fiscal reform could get off the ground. "I have persistently opposed Continuing Resolutions (CRs), because I believe we should do our job and pass appropriation bills by the established deadline; however, in this circumstance, I believe that giving the new Speaker some additional time to implement a plan to significantly change federal spending is important to long term fiscal responsibility. This bill will also give us time to address other critical issues, such as reforming FISA, securing our borders, and strengthening our national security. "This temporary funding measure will give us the time needed to push forward with our spending cuts, as well as finally ending the decades-long practice of the huge Christmas Omnibus. While this plan may seem a bit unorthodox, it significantly changes the status quo, which is why conservatives like me, and organizations such as Americans for Prosperity, are supporting this bill." At this point, the House has individually passed seven of the twelve appropriations bills that fund over 75% of the federal government. The Senate has passed only one appropriations package, containing three bills that fund 17% of the government. House Republicans are leading the government spending fight by putting forth this legislation that denies the Senate and the White House the opportunity to jam the American people with a bloated, unscrutinized omnibus before the holidays. Key highlights include:
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