Chris Ward: “Mr. Speaker, as a freshman Democrat I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 107, which is a bold first step…”

“Mr. Speaker, as a freshman Democrat I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 107, which is a bold first step in making this institution and Government as a whole more efficient, more effective, and in fact more truly representative of the people. We as an institution cannot request families and businesses to make sacrifices and hard choices unless we are also willing to make those sacrifices. I am proud to support this resolution to cut funding for committees by over $67 million, a 30-percent reduction from the last Congress. Under this resolution committee staffs will be cut by more than 620 staffers, which also represents a 30-percent reduction from the last Congress. My support of this resolution is a natural extension of my support for the Congressional Accountability Act, which will force Congress to comply with the same laws it imposes on the rest of the Nation. This resolution has broad bipartisan support and will set an example of how both sides of the aisle can come together. I believe that this resolution is an example of the bold, decisive measures which must be enacted in order to restore the faith of the American people in this great legislative body and put people's trust back in Government and in this House. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the resolution.”