By Congressman Tom Cole
Each year, millions of Americans rely on numerous federal agencies and the government for assistance on a wide range of priorities. Farmers need support for food safety programs. Veterans rely on VA hospitals for medical attention. Researchers need funds to continue programs that range from finding cures for cancer to preventing the next disease epidemic. Through the Constitution, Congress has held the role to authorize and appropriate funds for the variety of programs that the government runs. Although the power of the purse is in the hands of Congress, it has been a battle to pass spending bills through regular order for the past few years.
Our government has been functioning on continuing resolutions for the past few years, meaning that we are appropriating funds each fiscal year on the levels from the previous fiscal year to avoid a government shutdown. That is detrimental to our government programs, our military and to the American taxpayer. By passing each fiscal year’s appropriations bills, we are up to speed on broad demands that our citizens need. After years of kicking the can down the road, it is time that we get back to regular order.
This past week, the House accomplished something that hasn’t been done since 2006. All twelve appropriations bills were passed through both their respective subcommittees, full committee and on the House Floor before the Fiscal Year 2018 deadline of September 30th. These twelve bills encompass a range of federal agencies: Agriculture and Rural Development; Commerce, Justice and Science; Defense; Energy and Water Development; Financial Services; Homeland Security; Interior; Labor, Health and Human Services and Education; Legislative Branch; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; State and Foreign Operations; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. Overall, these funding measures help keep our nation safe and prosperous, and responsibly distribute taxpayer dollars.
Earlier this year, the House passed the first four appropriations bills to support our military construction projects, veterans, energy and water sectors and our active duty service members. Included in this package of bills was full funding at the President’s request for veterans at $73.8 billion, the prohibited closure of Guantanamo Bay, a 2.4% pay increase for military service members and the withdrawal of the Waters of the United States Rule. This first round of consolidated spending measures under the Trump Administration made it clear that our national security was a commonplace priority for Congress, the President and the American people.
In the recent funding package passed in the House, I was proud to bring forth the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education portion as the Chairman of the subcommittee. In this area are funding measures that Americans value – funding for cancer research, special education, job training programs, among other priorities. And for the third consecutive fiscal year, we were able increase funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $1.1 billion. This money will be allocated to support cancer research, Alzheimer’s disease research, public health preparedness and pandemic disease prevention. Each time that we have the opportunity to increase funding at the NIH and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we are that much closer to finding cures and preventing the spread of diseases. Even though NIH funding was increased, the House actually cut total spending in the bill by over $5 billion.
The House would not have been able to achieve the passage of all twelve appropriations bills without the leadership of Speaker Ryan and Appropriations Committee Chairman Frelinghuysen. Their understanding of the need for regular order helped propel the passage of this legislation. We should echo that standard of getting appropriations done before deadline in the fiscal years to come. That is a fundamental step in the return to regular order.
By all means, keep funding all the nonsense that the federal government isn’t supposed to be doing.