April 9, 2018
Washington, D.C.
Congress recently passed, and the President signed, a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill that gives Democrats everything they want while violating key conservative principles on both policy and process.
By relinquishing control of the process to Democrats, the Republican leadership allowed many provisions in the bill to stand out as clear violations of the promises that Republicans made to voters. They include the following:
- $500 million for Planned Parenthood.
- Full funding for sanctuary cities.
- $20 billion for Amtrak, including money for Sen. Schumer’s New York-New Jersey Gateway Tunnel.
- Language prohibiting construction of the wall along the Mexican border, and only $1.6 billion for repairs to the existing.
- A gun control provision that could be used to “disarm law-abiding Americans.”
- Maintains the “status quo” on Obamacare.
- The text of 24 unrelated bills that were added without debate or amendments.
- Spending increases that are twice as high as any request made by President Obama, at a time when President Trump’s nominees to run various programs are being slow-walked through the Senate.
The 2,232-page bill was made public less than 24 hours before House members were asked to vote, in direct violation of the House’s 72-hour rule. The rule reflects a promise that Republicans made in their Pledge to America to allow at least three legislative days for Members of Congress and the public to read bills before a vote. “No more hiding legislative language,” they wrote. “Legislation should be understood by all interested parties before it is voted on.” Moreover, the House Rules Committee blocked attempts by any Members to offer amendments.
In the Senate, there was very little debate, and no amendments. Though seven budgetary points of order laid against the legislation, none of these points of order were challenged or debated. A 2,232-page, $1.3 trillion bill passed the Congress 48-hours after it was introduced with minimal debate and without Members being allowed to offer any changes.
President Trump rightly called the bill “ridiculous,” and called out Members of both chambers for the hasty, haphazard way the bill was passed. He also pledged that he would “never sign another bill like this again.”
We support the President in this regard and will insist that this promise is kept. We call upon the Congress to fulfill its constitutional role with more transparency, deliberation, and thoughtfulness. Appropriations bills should be given ample time for consideration, debate and amendments. Omnibus spending bills should be the rare exception, instead of norm.
Specifically, once an individual appropriations bill is passed by the House, the Senate should schedule time for its consideration and allow time for consideration, debate and amendments. The Senate, in particular, should prioritize the debate, amendment and passage of individual appropriations bills over wasting time in endless quorum calls.
Future funding bills should restore the spending caps signed by President Obama in 2011 to force fiscal discipline onto the government. They should fully fund the border wall, defund sanctuary cities and, at a minimum, defund Planned Parenthood and apply Hyde and conscience protections across the government, as Republicans have been promising to do for decades. Finally, the bill should not include extraneous bills that grow government, and bills that do should be subject to executive-led rescission in the areas where money cannot be responsibly spent.
Republicans have long promised that, if they were given congressional majorities, they would use that mandate to affect positive change across the government. Sadly, we are seeing even worse spending, process, and policy outcomes than we saw with a Democratic president. This is untenable. We urge the Republican majority to prioritize their promises over expediency, and we call on President Trump to reject future efforts that do not meet his expectations, or the expectations of the voters who elected him.
| The Honorable Edwin Meese III Former Attorney General President Ronald Reagan |
Alfred S. Regnery Chairman, Conservative Action Project Chairman, Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund |
| Thomas E. McClusky President March for Life Action |
The Honorable Bob McEwen U.S. House of Representatives Former Member, Ohio |
| Wesley Denton Former Communications Director Senator Jim DeMint (SC) |
The Honorable Colin A. Hanna President Let Freedom Ring, Inc. |
| Jenny Beth Martin Chairman Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund |
The Honorable Jim DeMint U.S. Senate Former Member, South Carolina |
| Ed Corrigan Vice Chairman, Conservative Action Project Former Executive Director, Senate Steering Committee |
Rachel Bovard Former Policy Director Senate Steering Committee |
| The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop Former White House Advisor President Ronald Reagan |
William L. Walton Chairman CNP Action, Inc. |
| Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.) Executive Vice President Family Research Council |
Diana Banister President and Partner Shirley & Banister Public Affairs |
| The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Former Chief Domestic Advisor President Ronald Reagan |
Adam Brandon President FreedomWorks |
| The Honorable Tony Perkins President, Family Research Council President, Council for National Policy |
Cleta Mitchell, Esq. |
| The Honorable David McIntosh U.S. House of Representatives Former Member, Indiana |
The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell Chairman Constitutional Congress, Inc. |
| Michael A. Needham Chief Executive Officer Heritage Action for America |
The Honorable Donald J. Devine Former Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management President Ronald Reagan |
| James C. Dobson Ph.D. Founder & President Family Talk |
Bob Adams President Revive America PAC |
| Rebecca Hagelin Secretary Council for National Policy |
Richard H. Wright CEO Andrews Consulting |
| Jack Park None Conservative Activist and Donor |
Preston Hawkins President Herbert Hawkins Company |
| Jason S. Jones President Movie to Movement |
David Williams President Taxpayers Protection Alliance |
| C. Preston Noell III President Tradition, Family, Property, Inc. |
Samuel Casey Managing Director & General Counsel Jubilee Campaign |
| Kevin Freeman Founder NSIC Institute |
Bob Carlstrom President The Carlstrom Group, LLC |
| Tim Wildmon President American Family Association |
The Honorable Mike Spence Founding President Conservative Republicans of California |
| Martha Boneta President VCS |
Charles Copeland President Intercollegiate Studies Institute |
| Christopher Malagisi Editor in Chief Conservative Book Club |
Jim Backlin Vice President of Legislative Affairs Christian Coalition of America |
| Elaine Donnelly President Center for Military Readiness |
Allen Hebert Chairman American-Chinese Fellowship of Houston |
| James L. Martin Founder/Chairman 60 Plus Association |
Saulius “Saul” Anuzis President 60 Plus Association |
| Ted Baehr Chairman and CEO Christian Film and Television Commission™ / Movieguide® |
Donna Hearne CEO Constitutional Coalition |
| Linwood Bragan Executive Director CapStand Council for Policy & Ethics |
Tim LeFever Chairman Capitol Resource Institute |
| Rod D. Martin Founder and CEO The Martin Organization, Inc. |
Sherri R. Martin Executive Vice President The Martin Organization, Inc. |
| Haley E. Martin President The Martin Foundation |
Shawn A. Mitchell Former National Chaplain National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA) |
| Jerry Melvin Former Dean Florida House of Representatives |
Evelio Silvera Campaign for the American Future |
| Norman Singleton President Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty |
Jeremy Cerone CEO EliteSafe Inc. |
| Diane Stover President Ohio Values Voters, Inc. |
Ron Robinson President Young America’s Foundation |
| Seton Motley President Less Government |
Paul J. Gessing President Rio Grande Foundation |
| William Pascoe Managing Partner Antietam Communications |
Robert K. Fischer Meeting Coordinator Conservatives of Faith |
| The Honorable Mike Hill Former Member Florida State Representative |
Willes K. Lee President National Federation of Republican Assemblies |
| Col. Francis X. De Luca USMCR(Ret) President Emeritus Civitas Institute |
The Honorable James C. Miller III Budget Director for President Reagan |
| Peter J. Thomas Chairman The Conservative Cacus |
Sal Russo Co-Founder and Chief Strategist Tea Party Express |
| Dr. Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D. Washington Bureau Chief Infowars.com |
Caroline Lewis Owner Percipio Communications |
| The Honorable Belden Bell Legacy Co-Chair The Heritage Foundation |
Steve Berger Pastor Grace Chapel |
| Kay R. Daly President Coalition for a Fair Judiciary |
Chad Connelly President Faith Wins |
| Anne Schlafly Cori Chairman Eagle Forum |
Dr. Richard Rounsavelle Trustee Media Research Center |
| The Honorable Gary L. Bauer President American Values |
Ralph A. Rebandt, II Lead Pastor/Police Chaplain Oakland Hills Community Church/Michigan Police Chiefs |
| The Honorable Michael R. Long State Chairman NYS Conservative Party |
E.C. Sykes Managing Director Aslan Capital Fund |
| Lewis K. Uhler President National Tax Limitation Committee |
Rick Scarborough Founder Vision America |
| Felix Bronstein Attorney |
Floyd Brown Chairman Western Center for Journalism |
| Kristan Hawkins President Students for Life of America |
Dean Clancy Former Associate Director White House OMB |
| Susan A. Carleson Chairman and CEO American Civil Rights Union |
The Honorable Tom DeLay Former Majority Leader U.S. House of Representatives |
| Penny Young Nance CEO and President Concerned Women for America LAC |
All organizations listed for IDENTIFICATION purposes only.
