Key Vote NO on the MilCon-VA/Agriculture/T-HUD Minibus, H.R. 4366

On behalf of our activist community, I urge you to contact your senators and ask them to vote NO on H.R. 4366, which will contain three appropriations bills. Those bills are the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. 

While we applaud the Senate Appropriations Committee for getting its work done on the 12 regular appropriations for the first time since 2018, we have concerns about the spending levels in many of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s bills, which, combined, don’t adhere to the caps established by the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act capped discretionary budget authority for FY 2024 at $1.590 trillion, with $886.35 billion allocated for defense and $703.65 billion allocated for nondefense. However, the Senate Appropriations Committee has ignored that cap and has produced appropriations bills that set the budget authority for FY 2024 at $1.650 trillion and outlays of $1.794 trillion. 

Combined, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bills spend $58.7 billion more than in FY 2022 and $25.2 billion more than in FY 2023. It’s fiscally irresponsible to continue to increase discretionary spending when there’s already a long and wide river of red ink flowing from Capitol Hill. 

In FY 2024, roughly 85 percent of discretionary spending will be paid for by debt. The rest of the tax revenue collected by the federal government is spent on mandatory programs, net interest, and a sliver of discretionary spending. Based on current projections, the budget deficit will get progressively worse, as Congress continues to borrow more to feed its addiction to discretionary spending. 

To be clear, discretionary spending is a problem, but the bigger problem is the alarming, yet entirely predictable growth of entitlement programs, as well as increased spending on debt service. Exacerbating the situation is the combination of lethargy, lack of political will, and denial that emanates from the Capitol about the debt crisis. Members must begin to tackle the issues that face the United States to avoid the real pain that will come if they stay on the current trajectory of doing nothing. 

FreedomWorks will count the vote for H.R. 4366, when calculating our 2023 Congressional Scorecard and reserves the right to score any related votes or amendments and weigh any votes.

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FreedomWorks will count this vote on our 2023 Congressional Scorecard and reserves the right to score any amendments, motions, or other related votes. The scorecard is used to determine eligibility for the FreedomFighter Award, which recognizes Members of the House and Senate who consistently vote to support economic freedom and individual liberty.

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