Dear Senators and Representatives,

On behalf of more than 1.8 million Americans for Prosperity activists in all 50 states, I urge you to reject the “minibus” appropriations bill reported out of conference this week. With $15 trillion in federal debt and continued stagnation in the economy, the time is long past for Congress to deliver real, substantial cuts in federal spending. This bill comes up way short.

I urge you to vote NO on H.R. 2112, the conference report on the “minibus” appropriations bill. Americans for Prosperity will rate this vote in our congressional ratings.

Here are just a few of many reasons to oppose Washington’s latest spending spree:

Too Much Spending – Washington has a spending problem. Even after accounting for inflation, federal spending has nearly doubled since 1998. Yet the conference report entirely ignores the problem, offering miniscule discretionary spending cuts of just $700 million, one half of one percent off of last year’s levels. Once the smoke, mirrors, and accounting gimmicks are removed and we look at actual outlays, the bill actually increases spending from a year ago.

Back-Peddling on Cuts – In April, the House passed the only budget that cleared either chamber this year, cutting overall discretionary spending levels by $31 billion. Now even that small step in the right direction is proving to be too much, with leaders in both parties back-peddling. One specific example: months ago the House voted to end funding for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, which pays farmers to grow crops for heat and power instead of food and raw materials. Funding for this wasteful program has been reinstated in the conference report, to the dismay of free-market conservatives.

Bad Policy Hidden In a Bad Funding Bill – Buried in the 400-page bill is a provision to expand the number of home loans eligible for taxpayer-funded guarantees through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The FHA is already on shaky financial footing and heading for a multi-billion dollar taxpayer bailout. Raising the conforming loan limit so that FHA can subsidize $729,750 homes merely exposes taxpayers to even more risk. We need to reduce government intervention in the housing market so that private capital can return and the market can stabilize, something that will never happen with elevated FHA loan guarantees.

I urge you to vote NO on H.R. 2112, the conference report on the “minibus” appropriations bill. Americans for Prosperity will rate this vote in our congressional ratings.

Sincerely,

James Valvo
Director of Government Affairs
Americans for Prosperity

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.