Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2007
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007 -- (House of Representatives - May 24, 2006)
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Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman and join him in his objection. I have a great deal of respect for the gentleman and my great friend from Colorado, but this is a very carefully worked bill, very carefully crafted bill, and decisions have been made that are discrete on a project-by-project basis, and I do not think it is correct policy to simply then have an across-the-board cut regardless of what the amount is and would join my chairman in opposition to the amendment.
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Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the chairman yielding and would associate myself with his remarks and add my voice and objection to the amendment being offered.
The fact is our committee does a great job at oversight. And as the chairman mentioned in his opening statement, we held a series of hearings dedicated to oversight. As he points out, you do have offices of inspectors general, and we do have a very competent staff, and we do exercise a great deal of care.
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Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the chairman's yielding.
First of all, I would express my opposition to the amendment being offered by the gentleman from Arizona. We have an authorized activity and the subcommittee has earmarked this project.
I have a philosophical difference with the approach that the Member has taken, as a Member of the House of Representatives, because we are a co-equal branch of the United States Government, and the last time I looked at the budget of this country was in excess of some trillions of dollars.
The gentleman mentioned catastrophic failures. I would mention that the administration spent a great deal of money in their budget request on about 10,000 trailers in response to a great natural crisis. Those trailers are sitting out in the middle of Arkansas.
The chairman of the committee talked about Hanford. That was not an earmark, but it was requested by the administration. If this committee and all of the members of this committee did not continue as we do every day to exercise oversight and deliberate activity and judgment, they would still be spending more of the taxpayers' hard-earned moneys than is necessary.
There is under construction in the State of California, and I don't mean to single them out, but the gentleman mentioned catastrophic failures, the National Ignition Facility that some years ago was on time and under budget. It was an administration request.
We are not defunct of all wisdom. The administration is not. There is a balance to be struck; and in a budget in excess of some trillions of dollars I do believe this subcommittee, under this chairman and the Members on it, have made wise and reasoned and specific decisions.
I am adamantly opposed to the amendment offered by the gentleman.
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Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Chairman, I would be happy to respond with a question of my own, because the gentleman is very fixated on the lack of oversight on the subcommittee, which I take umbrage at.
But I would also suggest that in an earlier remark you made on the floor that almost 70 percent of the spending of the Federal Government today, and I share the gentleman's concern making sure we have fiscal responsibility.
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Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentlewoman yielding. I certainly associate myself with her remarks and am opposed to the amendment.
I would respond to an earlier remark made by the gentleman from Texas when he complained about the deficits. There are two sides to balancing the budget. There is the expenditure side, and I do think the debate taking place here is very healthy. I would hope that the gentleman would also have the same debate initiated as far as the 70 percent of the spending taking place. And that is mandatory spending. And those tax provisions, once they are a precedent to the Tax Code, inure to the benefit, the last time I look, of people that pay taxes, which are not units of the government, but private citizens and private corporations.
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Mr. VISCLOSKY. I appreciate the chairman yielding, and I appreciate your leadership on this bill.
This is a finely crafted piece of legislation and, again, I congratulate the Chair and all the members of the committee and the staff, and I would encourage the membership to strongly support this legislation. It has been a pleasure to work with the gentleman from Ohio.
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