U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today released a statement following House passage of H.R. 83, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, which funds the majority of the government through September 30, 2015 consistent with the Ryan-Murray budget agreement. Rep. Hultgren supported the legislation along with the entire Republican delegation of Illinois.
By Rrep. Randy Hultrgren (R-IL 14)
“This legislation abides by the Ryan-Murray budget agreement. It lays the groundwork for the new Congress next year to use its full weight to hold the administration accountable and pursue our priorities on tax reform, energy, government transparency and many other areas,” said Rep. Hultgren. “I am pleased this bill included provisions from my legislation which makes sure farmers and manufacturers have reliable and affordable access to the financial products they rely on to deal with uncertain events. This fix will help make sure they can purchase necessary products from people and institutions they have relationships with—the people they trust.
“I was also glad to see this bill prioritizes the most promising scientific research in areas such as supercomputing to map the brain, and ground-breaking high energy physics carried out at Fermilab and other National Labs. Further, it scales back EPA regulations that are not supported by science, including those targeted at farm ponds and irrigation ditches, and it trims the agency’s budget for the fifth year in a row.
“I have consistently opposed the President’s executive actions on immigration which reward and encourage unlawful entry at the expense of those who have patiently waited years in line to lawfully pursue the American Dream and citizenship. This bill addresses his executive overreach by only funding the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement, through February. It is imperative the House and Senate act at the beginning of the new Congress to stop President Obama’s executive overreach. The Constitution is clear: it’s Congress who makes the laws, and the President executes them.
“With a unified Congress next year, I look forward to stopping the President’s overreach and providing proper oversight over the executive branch.”
Additional highlights:
- Includes text of the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation (RAMI) Act, legislation Rep. Hultgren cosponsored which passed the House to help Illinois manufacturers expand and train an advanced manufacturing workforce through a network of regional institutes.
- Allows individuals who do not have a high school diploma or a GED to be eligible for financial aid for higher education after either passing an ability to benefit test, or completing six credit hours at an eligible post-secondary institution. Rep. Hultgren advocated for the ‘Ability to Benefit’ provisions to be included in appropriations legislation in a letter to the Labor, Health and Human Services Committee chairman and ranking member earlier this year.
- Maintains all existing pro-life policy and funding provisions including the Hyde Amendment and adds three new provisions, including requiring ObamaCare healthcare plans to tell customers if they provide abortion services
- Fully funds our troops’ pay raise that was authorized in the defense authorization bill
- Provides $64 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding for our troops, to combat ISIL, Train and Equip Iraqi allies, and support for Ukraine
- Includes no new funding for ObamaCare, and prohibits funds for ObamaCare Risk Corridors
- Cuts the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) by $10 million
- Prohibits IRS targeting organizations based on their ideological beliefs or for exercising their First Amendment rights
- Provides $5.4 billion to Fight Ebola at home and abroad
- Provides $2.5 billion for processing VA disability claims to end the backlog and rescinds $41 million in performance bonuses at the VA
