Budget
More on Budget
Washington, DC – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives opposing Democrats' $1.7 trillion partisan social spending package, the Build Back Better Act. The bill passed the House 220-213 on a party line vote.
This week the House of Representatives passed a bill which raised the debt limit and provided short-term funding for the government until December 3. The party-line vote now heads to the Senate without a bipartisan agreement in place to ensure passage. Meanwhile, Democrats in Washington are using arbitrary deadlines to ram through President Biden's spending agenda.
Not long ago, I wrote about the unacceptable spending levels set by Democrats in appropriations bills, which annually fund the federal government. Now, just a few weeks later, the Democrats are moving forward with additional spending plans for fiscal year 2022 and beyond.
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) released the below statement today opposing the Democrats' resolution which enacted a budget authorizing $3.5 trillion government expansion while bypassing all opportunities for debate or amendment.
Since President Biden took office inflation has increased every single month. At a time when our nation is trying to rebuild and recover in response to COVID-19, the Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats don't seem to mind that the price of everyday goods and services are on the rise while Nebraskan's paychecks are worth less. These things do not just happen.
The federal government spends too much. While we must continue working to get our nation's fiscal house in order, every year Congress still has to pass twelve annual appropriations bills to fund the basic operations of the federal government. This process is one of the best ways for Congress to conduct appropriate oversight of the President and executive branch.
Earlier this year, President Biden pushed his $1.9 trillion spending package, the American Rescue Plan, through Congress and signed it into law claiming it was a dire necessity because of the pandemic. However, his administration has been very slow in rolling out programs created by this massive bill despite saying it was so urgently required.
Washington, DC – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) took to the floor of the House of Representatives today to speak in opposition of the proposed budget reconciliation ahead of the vote on the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Smith voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Budget reconciliation is a longstanding tool intended to provide an expedited track for making changes to federal law relating to long-term budgeting. The primary purpose of reconciliation is to allow budget-related policies to pass through the Senate with a simple majority, without the need to reach a 60-vote majority to end debate.
The COVID-19 pandemic cast the United States into uncharted territory. Americans were asked to take unprecedented steps in order to slow down the spread of the virus. I have supported bipartisan efforts Congress and President Trump have enacted to fight this virus and provide economic relief. However, I continue to have serious concerns about the costs associated with these bills.