A note from Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) on the current budget process.
Quick update this Tuesday morning from Washington. As many of you know, Congress is once again up against a deadline to pass legislation funding the federal government’s discretionary spending.
If you read no further, read this:
I know I sound like a broken record, but it is NOT MY JOB to keep the federal government open and running at all costs, no matter what, regardless of how much debt we must take on. I vehemently disagree with that. We’re approaching $34 trillion in national debt, yet most of the media is oblivious to this crisis, and liberals act like we’re insane and trying to starve children by proposing so much as one dollar be cut from the federal budget.
I’m done with it! We’ve got another proposal this week for what’s known as a continuing resolution. I’m not getting into details here, but the bottom line is that this proposal would continue spending at pre-existing levels into January and February, with the idea it’ll buy more time for Congress to properly iron out these annual appropriations bills we should have completed months ago.
So let me be clear: I’m a HARD NO on this effort as it currently stands. This continuing resolution may end up passing today, but it will not be with my support unless changes are made. As I’ve said time and time again, I am NOT voting for any spending measure – whether it’s a continuing resolution or through the regular appropriations bills – that doesn’t at least take some steps to get our country back on solid footing. Show me a bill that even modestly reduces spending. Show me a bill that secures the border. Show me a bill that reigns in the weaponization of government. Heck, just show me a bill that does ANYTHING other than continue down the same broken path we’ve been on!
Some of you may be asking if this changes my position on the new House Speaker, Mike Johnson, who I like both personally and professionally. Friends, this is not the same situation as his predecessor, who had almost nine months to get these appropriations bills through the House. Mike Johnson hasn’t slow walked anything. Mike Johnson didn’t send us home for a six-week vacation in August, then try to jam through unacceptable legislation in September, right before the last spending deadline of Sept. 30th. I realize Speaker Johnson has an incredibly difficult job and deserves some runway and grace, but that does not mean I’ll be voting in lockstep with others to continue the status quo.
One final reminder: these bills are NOT for mandatory spending like Social Security or Medicare, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of all federal spending. Mandatory spending is automatic, and does not need to be renewed by Congress every year. Instead, what we’re talking about is what’s known as discretionary spending, which is spending that’s supposed to be debated and reauthorized each year.
Kudos to Ralph Norman for standing up for Americans.