The House considered six additional appropriations bills last week: Department of Defense; Financial Services and General Government; Homeland Security; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Legislative Branch; and State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. These bills included multiple hard-fought conservative victories, specifically when it comes to securing the border and ending the political agenda being pushed in our military. These are just some of the House Republican-secured wins:
- Represents the first overall cut to non-defense, non-Veterans Affairs spending in almost a decade.
- Gives our troops the largest pay increase in four decades.
- Funds an additional 22,000 border agents and 8,000 ICE detention beds, as well as provide a 25% increase in border security technology.
- Guts elements of the Pentagon’s DEI bureaucracy and the Department of Defense’s woke climate programs.
- Prohibits taxpayer dollars from funding the terrorist-sympathizing United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
- Maintains the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of any federal funds for abortion.
- Implements a $10.2 billion cut to the IRS.
It’s well past time we close out government funding work for the current fiscal year, especially considering we’re already five months in. These bills include significant, consequential wins that House Republicans fought tooth and nail for during negotiations with the Biden Administration and Democrat-controlled Senate. So, for those with a standard of perfection – I welcome you to the complexity of reality. Republicans only control one chamber of one branch of government, and we were still able to achieve significant conservative policy wins.
MAINTAINING A STRONG NATIONAL DEFENSE
The FY24 Department of Defense Appropriations Act includes victories for national security, military families, and military readiness. This legislation:
- Funds the largest increase in basic military pay in more than 20 years.
- Invests in next-generation fighter aircraft, helicopters, tactical combat vehicles, and submarines.
- Cuts $50.5 million for diversity and inclusion programs in President Biden’s budget request.
- Prohibits President Biden from closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility or transferring detainees to the U.S.
We are living in an increasingly dangerous world. China is modernizing, Russia is waging war, Hamas is trying to wipe Israel off the map, and countries like Iran and North Korea are continuing their pursuit of long-range ballistic missiles. I was proud to support this bill to ensure our servicemembers are fully equipped to keep our nation safe and deter our adversaries. This bill sends a clear message that the U.S. military is ready for combat.
SUPPORTING AMERICAN SMALL BUSINESSES
The FY24 Financial Services and General Government Act prioritizes programs critical to enforcing laws, maintaining an effective judiciary system, and helping small businesses, while targeting programs and agencies with a proven track record of mismanagement and misconduct. This legislation:
- Pulls back $10.2 billion from the Biden Administration, and partially defunds President Biden’s army of IRS agents set on targeting Americans and their families.
- Claws back more than $2 billion in unused COVID-19 funding.
- Prohibits the Administration from reducing consumer choice and banning gas stoves.
SECURING THE BORDER
The FY24 Homeland Security Appropriations Act provides funding to secure our border, remove dangerous criminals, and bolster our national security. This legislation:
- Increases funding for new border security technology and invests in cutting-edge technology.
- Provides funding for 22,000 new Border Patrol Agents and provides $125 million for Border Patrol overtime pay.
- Funds a detention bed level of 41,500, more than 16,000 above President Biden’s budget request.
- Maintains the prohibition on the hiring of illegal immigrants.
The Biden Administration’s crisis at the southern border is an abject failure. I was proud to support this legislation that invests in resources to secure the border and prevent the flow of illicit drugs and dangerous criminals into our communities.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION
The FY24 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Act provides support to improve education and healthcare services, as well as protect health, labor, and safety standards. This legislation:
- Delivers targeted resources to rural communities, including vital telehealth and opioid response resources.
- Supports biomedical research investigating cures for cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic and rare diseases.
- Maintains the Hyde Amendment, which ensures no federal funding can be used for abortion.
- Provides protections so that no individuals, like nurses and doctors, can be forced to perform or participate in abortion services.
In addition to making proper investments in our rural communities and prioritizing medical research, this bill promotes American values and protects life.
MAKING CONGRESS MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT
As the Chairman of the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee, I was proud to negotiate the FY24 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act. This legislation:
- Maintains critical funding for the House of Representatives so it can hold the Biden Administration accountable and conduct vigorous oversight of the Executive Branch.
- Ensures adequate resources for Members to effectively serve their constituents.
- Requires unspent amounts from Members’ Representational Allowances (MRA) to be used for debt and deficit reduction. I believe in leading by example, which is why I have returned more than $2 million in MRA funds to the U.S. Treasury.
We must ensure Congress remains open and working for the American people. As we continue to hear more about the alleged abuses of power committed by President Biden and his family, it’s more important than ever that the House of Representatives can conduct oversight of the Administration.
COUNTERING CHINESE AGGRESSION
The FY24 State, Foreign Operation, and Related Programs Act provides support for American foreign policy programs around the world. This legislation:
- Cuts overall spending by 6%, slashing wasteful funding the Biden Administration can use on controversial programs that have nothing to do with U.S. national security.
- Priorities funding to counter Chinese aggression.
- Prohibits any taxpayer funding from going to the Hamas apologists at UNRWA.
- Implements conditions on any assistance to Gaza and prevents diversion to Hamas or terrorist entities and requires third-party monitoring.
At a time when China is becoming more aggressive and Hamas is propagating dangerous lies, we must continue to support our national security interests and allies across the globe.
HONORING OUR NATION'S HEROES
The FY24 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act prioritizes our nation’s heroes and honors their sacrifice. This legislation:
- Fully funds veterans’ health care programs.
- Fully funds veterans’ benefits and VA programs.
- Protects veteran’s Second Amendment rights.
- Improves and maintains housing for servicemembers and their families.
- Secures an additional $2 billion above the President’s request for defense spending.
This bill provides support for critical housing, infrastructure, and facilities for U.S. servicemembers and their families, as well as increased funding for veterans’ health care and benefits. As an Army veteran, and father of a Navy veteran, I am proud to ensure that our veterans get the medical treatment and benefits they deserve.
JUST GETTING STARTED
I am proud of the wins we were able to secure during the FY24 appropriations process. House Republicans are just getting started when it comes to delivering on our promise to change the trajectory of federal spending and reign in budgetary waste, all without shortchanging investments in national security and our servicemembers. By strategically increasing defense spending, rescinding wasteful Democrat wish list spending, and making targeted cuts to bloated non-defense programs, we took the first step towards achieving what we set out to do.
I know that there is plenty of media and online chatter regarding this funding measure, and I know that there is no shortage of diversity of views when it comes to the issues addressed in the measure. This is neither shocking nor new. I also know that we are living through clearly turbulent times, and sometimes it’s necessary to put country before personal political stature. You can’t just decide to sit out when you don’t like the cards you’ve been dealt – in this case a Democratic-controlled White House and Senate. There is still a deficit to be dealt with, global allies and interests to protect, a border to secure, troops to be paid, and national security to strengthen. Without Republicans at the negotiating table, the Biden Administration would have attempted to increase federal spending by billions of dollars, doubled tax rates, and exploded the deficit. There are some things that are just plainly more important than scoring political brownie points.
President Biden has officially run out of excuses. Now that Congress has approved a record amount of funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the impetus falls squarely on the Biden Administration to effectively utilize these unprecedented resources to secure the border and bring an end to the humanitarian and security crisis at the southern border.
LOOKING AHEAD
Fiscal Year 2025 is just kicking off and I look forward to continuing put an end to federal waste and fund the programs and agencies Americans rely on.
THE BOTTOM LINE
As always, thank you for subscribing to the Amodei Report. I look forward to continuing to keep you up to date on the issues you care about most. For additional information, please visit my website at Amodei.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-6155, Reno office: (775) 686-5760, or Elko phone: (775) 777-7705. To receive updates on what I am doing in Washington and in Nevada’s 2nd District follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Sincerely,