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69-006
SBDV 2009-1
2008
110TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Report
| Union Calendar No. 472 |
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JULY 8, 2008- Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
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JERRY LEWIS, CaliforniaC. W. BILL YOUNG, FloridaRALPH REGULA, OhioHAROLD ROGERS, KentuckyFRANK R. WOLF, VirginiaJAMES T. WALSH, New YorkDAVID L. HOBSON, OhioJOE KNOLLENBERG, MichiganJACK KINGSTON, GeorgiaRODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN,New JerseyTODD TIAHRT, KansasZACH WAMP, TennesseeTOM LATHAM, IowaROBERT B. ADERHOLT, AlabamaJO ANN EMERSON, MissouriKAY GRANGER, TexasJOHN E. PETERSON, PennsylvaniaVIRGIL H. GOODE, JR., VirginiaRAY LAHOOD, IllinoisDAVE WELDON, FloridaMICHAEL K. SIMPSON, IdahoJOHN ABNEY CULBERSON, TexasMARK STEVEN KIRK, IllinoisANDER CRENSHAW, FloridaDENNIS R. REHBERG, MontanaJOHN R. CARTER, TexasRODNEY ALEXANDER, LouisianaKEN CALVERT, CaliforniaJO BONNER, Alabama
ROB NABORS, CLERK AND STAFF DIRECTOR
(II)
LETTER OF SUBMITTAL
House of Representatives,
Committee on Appropriations,
--Washington, DC, July 8, 2008.
- Hon. NANCY PELOSI,
- The Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives,
- Washington, DC.
DEAR MADAM SPEAKER: By direction of the Committee on Appropriations, I submit herewith the Committee's report on the suballocation of budget allocations for fiscal year 2009.
As required by section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this report subdivides the allocation of fiscal year 2009 spending authority to the House Committee on Appropriations contained in the Joint Explanatory Statement of the Committee of Conference on S. Con. Res. 70, the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2009.
Sincerely,
David R. Obey,
--Chairman.
(III)
2d Session
110-746
--REPORT ON THE SUBALLOCATION OF BUDGET ALLOCATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009
SUBALLOCATION OF BUDGET ALLOCATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009
The Committee on Appropriations submits the following report on the suballocation of budget allocations for fiscal year 2009 pursuant to section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. This report is consistent with the `Allocation of Spending Authority to House Committee on Appropriations' presented in the Joint Explanatory Statement of the Committee of Conference on S. Con. Res. 70, the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2009.
MINORITY VIEWS OF REPRESENTATIVE JERRY LEWIS
The 302(b) suballocations adopted by the House Appropriations Committee on June 24, 2008, marked the first time in history that the discretionary spending allocated to the Appropriations Committee exceeded one trillion dollars. The President proposed a generous $991 billion total spending level reflecting an increase of $59 billion, or 6%, above the 2008 enacted spending level. Yet such an increase was not enough to satisfy the spending desires of our Democrat majority as they added $21 billion on top of the $59 billion, for a total of $80 billion, or 9%, above the fiscal year 2008 enacted level. Since the majority's overall budget blueprint was so excessive, we did not offer an alternative 302(b) suballocation. It is more instructive to illustrate the impacts of the majority's spending plans, which will further squeeze American families.
The majority's plan to spend $80 billion over the 2008 enacted budget levels represents exactly the kind of unfettered spending that illustrates the differences between Republicans and Democrats. Rather than making tough spending choices, the majority continues to throw more money at problems without demanding results. If this spending philosophy continues and is adopted into the baseline, this country will see an increase of $241 billion in new spending over the next five years.
In the end, who will pay for these massive increases in spending? The Democrats have chosen to pay the bill by further squeezing American families. Their agenda requires tax increases of more than $683 billion over the next five years. Families of four who earn $40,000 today will see a tax increase of more than $2,000 in 2011. A single parent of two children who earns $30,000
today will see a tax increase of more than $1,600 in 2011. This year alone, millions more middle income families may be captured by the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). In addition, the Democrats have also failed to address skyrocketing food and energy prices. The cost of a gallon of gasoline has increased more than 75% since the Democrats claimed the majority in January of 2007. The majority has offered no real solutions for the tightening household budgets of hard working Americans.
The allocations before us also point to another key difference in the spending priorities between Democrats and Republicans. We have heard countless arguments by the majority party that they fully support funding for our troops, yet despite increasing spending by $21 billion above the President's request, the Democrat majority chose to cut defense spending by $4 billion below the President's request.
By cutting defense, the majority chose to divert funds that benefit our troops to instead bolster spending for other non-defense, non-homeland security discretionary programs at levels over and above the generous funding levels assumed in the budget resolution. We think it is important that the record be set straight so that the American people can see the priorities that are reflected in the Democrat majority's decisions.
By moving forward with the allocations as adopted by the majority, we are guaranteeing vetoes from the White House. We are guaranteeing that most, if not all, of the spending bills will never see the light of day and we will be forced to fund the operations of government through a continuing resolution into the next calendar year. We are guaranteeing less real income to America's families as they pay for the Democrats' spending spree and inability to address rising food and energy costs.
Adoption of these 302(b) allocations spells failure to do our job. We cannot and do not support them.
JERRY LEWIS.