Spencer Cox: “the House voted today to recognize and commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a law that was…”

“the House voted today to recognize and commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a law that was approved with broad bipartisan support and that has proven its worth in enforcing the principles of freedom and individual rights that undergird our Nation. We commemorate a much sadder anniversary today, the 30th anniversary of the Budget Act of 1974. Unlike the Civil Rights Act, which was a bipartisan achievement approved with over 80 percent of Republican support and 62 percent of Democrat support, the 1974 Budget Act was approved over the strong objections of Republicans. The results of the Budget Act have been precisely what Republicans predicted. The House Policy Committee, which I chair, criticized the current budget process even before it took effect in 1973 and predicted precisely the runaway spending it would enable. In 1973, policy chairman John Rhodes issued a statement of the official position of House Republicans that said, ``Any limitation on expenditures should cover not only budgetary outlays handled through the Appropriations Committee, but also programs funded separately from the annual appropriations process.''”