Jim Nussle: “I rise to speak on H.R. 5120, a bill providing appropriations for the Department of Treasury and related agencies and to…”

“I rise to speak on H.R. 5120, a bill providing appropriations for the Department of Treasury and related agencies and to express my continuing concern with the path the House is currently taking on appropriations. overall levels As reported, H.R. 5120 provides $18.5 billion in budget authority and $18.2 billion in outlays for fiscal year 2003. It also exceeds the President's request by $537 million. To put this increase in perspective, appropriations for the agencies covered by this bill have climbed by an average of 10.5 percent a year over the last three years. The bill provides another $31 million for fiscal year 2004 for free and reduced mail for the blind as well as mail for overseas voting. This is included in the list of permissible advance appropriations pursuant to the House-passed budget resolution for fiscal year 2003 (H. Con. Res. 353). compliance with budget resolution It is only fair to point out that this bill, like that of the Interior bill we considered last week, is within the reporting Subcommittee' 302(b) allocation. Hence, no budget-related point of order lies against consideration of the bill. To the Appropriations Committee's credit, it was able to meet its 302(b) allocation without designating phony emergencies, which are effectively exempt from any budgetary constraints. Nor did it attempt to create the illusion of fiscal restraint by offsetting spending increases with rescissions in funds that would never have been spent.”