Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Chairman Graves for yielding to me. Like many of our colleagues, I recognize the critical importance of the biennial Water Resources Development Act. I also appreciate the need to move the House version as quickly as possible. However, I must raise serious concerns with the bill presented on suspension today. These concerns are shared by my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee on a bipartisan basis. Certain sections of the bill would cede Congress' Article I authority to fund and oversee Federal agencies. This should not only concern the Appropriations Committee, but all Members of Congress. Allowing agencies to become self-funded is a terrible idea. This is true whatever form it takes, whether allowing agencies to spend incoming fees without congressional approval, accept funding from other sources including non-Federal sources, or transfer funds across agencies without congressional oversight. Such actions make the Federal bureaucracy far less accountable and embolden unelected officials to overstep their congressional mandates. The requirement that agencies receive appropriations from Congress each year is one of the most important checks on their authority and is critical to preserving the separation of powers under the Constitution. Creating self-funded agencies also removes them from the top-line spending caps on appropriations, thereby increasing total spending and taking another piece of total spending outside of fiscal controls.…”