Rob Bishop: “I am actually pleased to stand before the House today in support of this rule as well as the underlying pieces of the…”

“I am actually pleased to stand before the House today in support of this rule as well as the underlying pieces of the legislation, H.R. 4681 about intelligence and H.R. 4745 called the T-HUD bill. From the testimony that we received in the Rules Committee on these measures, it appears that both of these measures have enjoyed bipartisan cooperation in their formation and from their respective committee processes. One of the toughest responsibilities that a Member of the Congress has is to help prioritize the Federal expenditures of resources that we take from the American people. Sometimes, worthy projects and programs have to be trimmed to meet budget requirements and prioritization. While there are some spending choices--which I disagree--contained in H.R. 4745, overall, it is still a balanced measure which will provide for American infrastructure so essential for the economic growth and jobs, and maintains discipline by adhering to the top-line funding levels arrived at through that 2-year budget agreement that was passed by Congress. The $52 billion for transportation provided in these agencies is $7.8 billion below the President's request and still actually $1.8 billion less than the 2014 enacted level. Members have a chance, under the open rule of this resolution provided, to argue for changes in the prioritization. I am pleased that one of the things this bill recognizes is that States are different.…”