Flores Statement on Passage of Continuing Resolution

Press Release

Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 933, the Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act. Following passage of H.R. 933, U.S. Congressman Bill Flores (R-Texas) issued the following statement:

"Last week, President Obama signed a sequestration order to initiate across-the-board cuts to federal funding of defense and domestic programs. Today, the House passed legislation to ease the brunt of the cuts that have occurred to the Department of Defense and our military men and women. Through this Continuing Resolution (CR), we will avoid a possible government shutdown, fund essential federal programs and services at the reduced sequestration levels, and help maintain our national security.

"The CR provides for a discretionary funding level that is over $100 billion lower than the CR we inherited when I was elected to Congress in 2010; and it reflects our continuing commitment to a smaller, more efficient, and more accountable federal government. It is my hope that the Senate will pass this CR and that President Obama will expediently sign it into law so Congress can focus on the nations other challenges. Next week, House Republicans will be rolling out our budget for fiscal year 2014, which will balance the federal budget in 10 years.

"Some persons and groups throughout the country expressed concerns that the CR includes funds to implement Obamacare. While the CR included no funds expressly dedicated to the implementation of Obamacare, this CR denied additional funding requests from Health and Human Services and the Internal Revenue Service which would help pay for the federal insurance exchanges putting the law's tax provisions in place. Moreover these agencies will be funded at a level in FY 2014 that is lower than their funding levels when Obamacare was passed, thus frustrating its implementation."

H.R. 933 extends funding for operations for all federal agencies, programs and services until the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2013. The effective funding level in for H.R. 933 is approximately $984 billion, as required by the president's sequestration order.

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