Brett Guthrie: “Mr. Chair, this isn't a hollow exercise. This is our opportunity to say these programs are important to us. Article I of…”

“Mr. Chair, this isn't a hollow exercise. This is our opportunity to say these programs are important to us. Article I of the Constitution clearly gives us legislative authority: All legislative authority will vest in the Congress of the United States. We authorize these programs. I don't think the answer is to say we believe in these programs, therefore we are not going to vote to reauthorize them because we don't believe they are going to be carried out. It is our job to authorize them, to work the appropriations process, and then to do the oversight to make sure these are implemented. If the White House and the President can do this more efficiently, I am all about doing it more efficiently, but our job is to ensure that the mission is accomplished. If they can do that with different agencies, we need to have that debate. I think that is important. It starts with authorizing the program, and in this case reauthorizing the program. Mr. Chair, I just want you to know there are no reasons to vote against this in substance. The language of this bill that we have before us was negotiated by both the House and the Senate, with the Democratic leaders and the Republican leaders in the House and the Senate, so it was bipartisan and bicameral discussions. That is the text of the bill before us. What we are here doing today, it is not a hollow move. That is not it at all. We are here today to say these are important to us.”