Jeff Fortenberry: “I thank our chairman, Mr. Rogers, for his steadfast commitment and hard work on this important bill. Mr. Speaker, as…”

“I thank our chairman, Mr. Rogers, for his steadfast commitment and hard work on this important bill. Mr. Speaker, as President Kennedy once said, ``To govern is to choose,'' and the key here is to try and choose wisely. This bill is a result of a long and arduous and democratic process. It is a result of the extensive effort of the Appropriations Committee, with input from Members, to try and deliver effectively prioritized government services. Now, Mr. Speaker, I don't agree with everything in the bill. I don't think anyone here does. But the question is, are we going to move forward and govern a bit more towards something a bit better? And what is good in this bill? First of all, it continues to prioritize the right type of budgeting and reduce spending. The spending levels in the bill are $176 billion below fiscal year 2010 funding levels. Although our deficit has come down significantly through a smarter budgeting process and some tax reform, nonetheless our deficit is still way too high. We have work to do in this regard, and this bill does make significant progress on that front. There are also important reforms. Some big ones involve the IRS. Their problems that they imposed on the American people have begun to be curtailed here. Second, the bill also addresses the sad and difficult issue of the emerging need to fight Ebola and its spread. It positions the U.S.…”