Washington, D.C.—U.S. Congressman Steve King today successfully offered an amendment to save $100 million hard earned taxpayer dollars.  The amendment passed on the House floor.  King amended H.R. 569, a bill which reauthorizes appropriations for an expired federal program that provides grants to states for municipal planning, design, and construction of treatment works to intercept, transport, control, or treat municipal combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows. The King amendment reduced the taxpayer dollars authorized to be spent by 5%.  King cut the spending by 5% to keep it in line with sums that were spent in the past, with an allowance for inflation.

"When Congress spends hard earned taxpayer dollars it must spend each dollar wisely," said King. "Congress must stop increasing spending and do more with less."

The 2007 amount authorized by this legislation was $1.8 billion.  By having a 5% decrease in this number, King saved taxpayers $100 million. H.R. 569 passed the House and now awaits action by the Senate.  Any sums appropriated pursuant to this authorization, once it becomes law, must pass both the House and Senate, and be signed by the President.