Rehberg Continues to Lead by Example: Reduces Leg Branch Funding in Subcommittee

Press Release

House Operating Budgets Now Cut 10% Since New Republican Majority

Montana's Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today helped draft the Fiscal Year 2012 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill which funds Congressional operations. Rehberg, a member of the subcommittee that drafts the bill, voted to reduce spending by 6.4% saving taxpayers $227 million. In addition to today's cuts in his office and Committee budget, Rehberg also supported a 5% reduction in his House office budget and a 9% reduction in his Committee budget earlier this year. Since the new Republican majority was sworn in, total funding for House offices has been reduced by more than 10%.

"Even as the Obama Administration marches to expand government into every aspect of our lives, the House of Representatives is leading by example in cutting our own budgets," said Rehberg, a member of the Balanced Budget Amendment Caucus. "Montana families have had to tighten their belts, so why shouldn't the government? And where better to start trimming the fat than with what we can most directly control: our own budgets."

Rehberg, who has been returning money from his office budget, or Members Representational Allowance (MRA), to the treasury for years has also sworn off wasteful earmarks and opted out of government publications that were printed at taxpayer expense despite being available online.

Among the provisions included in the legislation passed today by the Subcommittee is a reduction of $84.7 million to House Operations budgets (which includes MRAs), $36 million less for the Architect of the Capitol, $53 million less for the Library of Congress, $35 million less for the Government Accountability Office and $22 million in reductions for the Government Printing Office.

All reductions are compared with last years' funding levels -- meaning they are real cuts, not budget gimmicks based on over-inflated requests.

Source