Alan Simpson: “I thank the chairwoman for yielding time. I rise today in reluctant opposition to H.R. 2740, the four-bill fiscal 2020…”

“I thank the chairwoman for yielding time. I rise today in reluctant opposition to H.R. 2740, the four-bill fiscal 2020 appropriations package that includes the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill. As ranking member of that subcommittee, I know there are several bipartisan priorities in the bill, but, unfortunately, the overall four-bill package is too flawed for me to be able to support it at this time. First and foremost, these bills were developed using top-line funding levels that do not reflect a bipartisan, bicameral agreement. The reality is that we are dealing with monopoly money here, and we all know that. These will not be the final numbers that come out whenever we reach an agreement. The majority's budget framework also promotes the misguided notion that increases to defense spending must be matched or exceeded by increases in nondefense spending. In the Energy and Water bill specifically, a bill that was roughly half defense and half nondefense spending in fiscal year 2019, the increase for nondefense programs is more than 1\1/2\ times the increase for defense programs. While I support many of the nondefense programs in this bill, we need to know the broader budgetary context before we can decide whether individual programs are funded appropriately. We must work together with the Senate and the White House and develop an agreement on overall spending caps.…”