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Washington, D.C. - Congressman Randy Neugebauer (TX-19) introduced legislation Tuesday that would bring more fiscal responsibility to how Congress responds to emergencies.
Neugebauer’s legislation, the Responsible Emergency Appropriation Limits (REAL) Supplemental Act (H.R. 6176) reforms House rules so that an emergency supplemental appropriations bill can only provide for a single emergency, contain only emergency spending, and must be free of earmarks.
“The practice of loading up emergency bills with pork and other non-emergency items needs to come to an end,” Neugebauer said. “Too often, good bills that address real emergencies turn into bad bills and taxpayers are left to foot the bill.”
Neugebauer pointed to the recent emergency appropriations bill to fund the War on Terror as an example of an emergency appropriations bill that became a spending magnet. Soon after President George W. Bush submitted his request for War on Terror funding in February, 2006, a separate bill to fund Gulf Coast recovery was added to his request. In addition, unrelated, non-emergency items to fund projects in California, Hawaii and Illinois, among others, were included that increased the cost of the bill. Although President Bush’s initial request totaled $72.4 billion, the final price tag came to $94.5 billion. Neugebauer says that number would have been even bigger had it not been for fiscal conservatives in the House.
“If it hadn’t been for the efforts of House conservatives and House leadership, taxpayers would have had to pay for billions of dollars in additional spending,” Neugebauer said. “By eliminating earmarks and allowing each emergency to be considered on its own merits, my bill would ensure that we respond quickly to emergencies as well as spend taxpayer dollars wisely and responsibly.”
Neugebauer’s REAL Supplemental Act has already attracted 26 original cosponsors and garnered support from such fiscal watchdogs as the Americans for Tax Reform and the National Taxpayers Union.
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