Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) President Tom Schatz today sent a letter to the House of Representatives, urging members to oppose H.R. 3547, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014. The letter reads in part as follows:

"Later today, you will vote on H.R. 3547, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014, also known as the omnibus appropriations bill, which would fund government agencies and programs through the end of the fiscal year (FY) 2014. On behalf of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), I urge you to oppose this legislation for the following reasons:

  • H.R. 3547 breaks the sequester caps established in the 2011 Budget Control Act. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 set a spending cap of $1.012 trillion in FY 2014, which is not only $45 billion above the $967 billion sequester cap for FY 2014, but also $26 billion above the $986 billion level set in the continuing resolution (CR) that expires today.
  • H.R. 3547 is overflowing with earmarks. In our preliminary analysis, we have uncovered a proliferation of earmarks in the 1,582-page bill. Even more disturbing is that certain lawmakers have issued press releases in the wake of the bill's release, shamelessly bragging about "bringing home the bacon," a practice that was prevalent during the golden age of earmarks. Accordingly, taxpayers should be worried about this bill setting a precedent for a return to earmarking.
  • H.R. 3547 fails to eliminate ineffective and wasteful programs. The bill not only fails to eliminate or consolidate hundreds of duplicative and overlapping programs that have been identified by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) over the past three years and cost $295 billion annually according to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), it also increases spending on dozens of programs that have been cited as wasteful and ineffective by GAO, agency inspectors general, the Congressional Budget Office, and other budget analysts.

Now that spending levels have been established for both FY 2014 and 2015, Congress has ample time to end the mismanagement of the taxpayers' money on thousands of wasteful programs. The FY 2015 bills should also be completely earmark-free. I urge you to oppose the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014. All votes on H.R. 3547 will be among those considered in CCAGW's 2014 Congressional Ratings."

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW)
Alex Booze, 202-467-5318
or
Leslie K. Paige, 202-467-5300