Tom Tancredo: “Mr. Chairman, the Tancredo amendment to H.R. 853, the Comprehensive Budget Process Reform Act, would simply expand the…”

“Mr. Chairman, the Tancredo amendment to H.R. 853, the Comprehensive Budget Process Reform Act, would simply expand the reporting requirements for unauthorized programs which appear in the back of the House appropriations reports. I want to take this opportunity to bring to the attention of the committee and, to help put this thing in perspective, some historical tidbits that I think are interesting. In 1979, for instance, the Conservative Party leader, Margaret Thatcher, was elected Britain's first female Prime Minister, the Facts of Life began as a four-episode spin-off from an already successful sitcom Different Strokes, and the Legal Services Corporation was last authorized. In 1980, Mount Saint Helens erupted in May, Ronald Reagan was elected President in November, and the Department of Justice was last reauthorized. In 1983, the invasion of Grenada, the last episode of MASH was broadcast, and the EPA toxic substance program was last reauthorized. In 1984, the Olympics came to Los Angeles, the movie Ghost Busters premiered, and the Power Marketing Administration was last reauthorized. Well, I could go on, there are quite a bit of what I would call interesting tidbits that puts this issue in perspective. We have a lot of programs out there that are continuing to be appropriated for that have not been reauthorized for years. This is a dereliction of our duty, I think, and something we have to draw attention to.”