SW Arkansas Times

U.S. House of Representatives passed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. In response, Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) expressed his dissent with the legislation, particularly highlighting his concerns about the allocation of funds. Westerman stated, “I am committed to working in good faith with my colleagues to restore fiscal sanity and secure the southern border. Because of that, I could not, in good conscience, vote for a bill that provided millions in funding for abortion clinics and child transgender programs through Senate Democrat earmarks while the bill included zero policy provisions to address immediate concerns and secure the southern border."

Regarding the handling of the budget, Westerman criticized the lack of provisions addressing the pressing issue of the southern border crisis. He emphasized, "The most significant issue facing our nation right now is the crisis at the southern border, and this package was railroaded by Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden to keep the border open and illegal immigration flowing."

Westerman proposed an alternative approach to government funding, suggesting, "There was a better way to address government funding and it was to pass a year-long spending resolution that would have invoked the automatic cuts under the debt limit deal, without the far-left earmarks from Senate Democrats, while fully funding our military."

Asserting the role of Congress in fiscal matters, Westerman stated, "Congress has the power of the purse, and that grants us the ability to address out of control government spending and restore fiscal sanity in our nation, but federal bureaucracy is getting in the way of being able to do so." He also expressed his commitment to advocating for a transparent budget process and collaborating with colleagues to implement conservative solutions.

The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 encompasses various appropriations bills, including the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, and Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.