Thornberry Statement On Passage Of Massive Omnibus Spending Bill

Press Release

Congressman Mac Thornberry (TX-13) today issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 1105, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009:

"The House has once again passed a massive spending bill with little time to debate it. Combined with the stimulus bill, it puts us at an 80% increase over last year's budget," Congressman Thornberry said. "It makes no sense to increase spending exponentially, greatly adding to the debt burden placed on our economy."

"I am also concerned that within this large increase in spending some critical national security-related programs are significantly underfunded. This short fall for operations in our nuclear weapons complex must be corrected in the future," Congressman Thornberry continued.

H.R. 1105 includes nine appropriations bills that were not passed by Congress last year, and none were considered on the House floor. These nine bills should have each been considered individually, with the full House and the American people having the chance for input. The bill represents the largest one-year hike in annual discretionary spending since the Carter administration, and tops discretionary spending at more than $1 trillion for the first time in history.

"Our economy is facing many challenges and American families are making critical sacrifices during these tough economic times. It is my hope that Democrats and Republicans can come together to bring real fiscal responsibility and do what's right for families, for small businesses, and for our country's future," Congressman Thornberry concluded.

To view the full bill text of H.R. 1105, please click here.

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