Marsha Blackburn Likes To Spend Your Money

Fiscal 2003 Omnibus Appropriations.

The final version (conference report) of House Joint Resolution 2 would provide $397 billion in fiscal 2003 for all Cabinet departments and government agencies covered in 11 unfinished spending bills from the 107th Congress. The bills included are: Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-State, District of Columbia, Energy and Water Development, Foreign Operations, Interior, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch, Transportation, Treasury-Postal Service, and VA-HUD. The problem with the omnibus approach is that thousands of unconstitutional activities are lumped together with legitimate legislation in one massive bill.
Thus, big government is perpetuated with a minimum of accountability. The House adopted the conference report on H. J. Res. 2 on February 13, 2003 by a vote of 338 to 83 (Roll Call 32).

Marsha Blackburn Voted FOR this bill.
108-1 (Source: The New American, July 14, 2003)


Budget Resolution —Final Version.

The final version (conference report) of the budget resolution (House Concurrent Resolution 95) would authorize federal spending for fiscal 2004 of $1,861 billion dollars with a deficit of $558 billion and an increase in the public debt ceiling of $984 billion. This planned deficit of $558 billion dwarfs the previous record federal deficit of $290 billion in 1992. The $984 billion increase in the public debt ceiling authorized in this bill constituted, under Rule XXVII of the House, approval of the debt limit increase bill (House Joint Resolution 51) without having to cast a separate vote just on increasing the debt ceiling. Subsequently the Senate passed H. J. Res. 51 and President Bush signed it into law, increasing the public debt ceiling by $984 billion (for a new total of $7.4 trillion) and giving Congress a green light to continue its fiscally irresponsible ways. This resolution also includes $400 billion for a Medicare prescription drug benefit for 2004-2013. The House adopted the conference report on H. Con. Res. 95 on April 11, 2003 by a vote of 216 to 211 (Roll Call 141).

Marsha Blackburn Voted FOR this bill.
108-1 (Source: The New American, July 14, 2003)

Supplemental Appropriations.

The final version (conference report) of this supplemental appropriations bill H.R. 1268) would add another $82 billion to the federal budget for fiscal 2005. The supplemental pending, even if needed and constitutional, should not have been added on to the annual federal budget after the fact, but should have been included as part of the regular appropriations process. The supplemental spending in this bill includes $75.9 billion for defense-related purposes, most of it for the military occupation of Iraq, and $907 million for tsunami victims, the latter clearly unconstitutional. One particularly objectionable element of this legislation is the REAL ID Act, which was added to the supplemental appropriations bill by the conference
committee. The REAL ID Act would authorize the federal government to impose national standards for driver’s licenses and thereby develop a national ID system. The House adopted the final version of H.R. 1268 on May 5, 2005 by vote of 368-58 (Roll Call 161).

Marsha Blackburn Voted FOR this bill.
109-1 (Source: The New American, August 8, 2005)

Supplemental Appropriations.

The Fiscal 2009 Supplemental Appropriations bill (H.R. 2346) would provide an additional $96.7 billion in “emergency” funding for the current fiscal year over and above the regular appropriations. Included in the funds for H.R. 2346 is $84.5 billion for the ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, $10 billion for foreign aid programs, and $2 billion for flu pandemic preparation. The House passed H.R. 2346 on May 14, 2009, by a vote of 368-60 (Roll Call 265). The spending is over and above what the federal government had already budgeted, the United States never declared war against Iraq and Afghanistan, and some of the spending (e.g., foreign aid) is unconstitutional.

Marsha Blackburn voted FOR this bill.
(Source: The New American – July 20, 2009)