Norman D. Dicks: “While I would prefer to be doing our regular appropriation bills, I support this continuing resolution. H.J. Res. 117…”

“While I would prefer to be doing our regular appropriation bills, I support this continuing resolution. H.J. Res. 117 avoids a government shutdown by continuing the full range of Federal activities at last year's rate of operations, plus six-tenths of 1 percent. The CR also preserves the agreement on spending levels and the reforms in budgeting for disaster relief as set out in the Budget Control Act. On defense, the CR caps overseas contingency operations at the President's request for FY 2013 at $88.5 billion instead of continuing last year's level of $115.1 billion, a reduction of $26.6 billion. The CR grants some flexibility for transferring funds within OCO since last year's priorities do not meet this year's defense needs in the region. Beyond that, however, the CR is stringent on defense. DOD requested limited authority for new starts and changes in production and procurement rates. Those requests were all denied. The CR includes only a handful of spending anomalies, providing additional funding only where absolutely necessary. Wildland fire suppression receives more funds than last year's level. The Interior Department and the Forest Service have already spent all of their FY12 fire suppression funding, in addition to $400 million that was reprogrammed to respond to a harsh fire season.…”