The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1341 on Oct. 6, 2017.
The Department is primarily focused on food nutrition, with assistance programs making up 80 percent of its budget. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department implements too many regulations and restrictions and impedes the economy.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
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speech of
HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS
of maryland
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union had under consideration the concurrent resolution
(H. Con. Res. 71) establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027:
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Chair, as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I strongly oppose House Concurrent Resolution 71.
This Budget Resolution would direct the Oversight Committee to identify a minimum of $32 billion in savings over ten years.
Only two of the other 11 authorizing committees would be instructed to make more drastic cuts to federal programs--the Ways and Means Committee would have to identify at least $52 billion and the Judiciary Committee would have to identify at least $45 billion in cuts.
Once again, House Republicans are targeting middle class civil service workers and their pensions for massive reductions.
The Republican Budget would require federal workers to contribute significantly more to their pension plans than they do now.
It would also end the retirement supplement for employees like law enforcement officers who are required by law to retire before reaching eligibility age for Social Security benefits.
It would also eliminate pensions altogether for new hires.
This Budget Resolution would slash the federal workforce by 10 percent through attrition in certain agencies by limiting agencies to one new hire for every three employees who leave.
I am utterly dismayed at the relentless Republican attacks on middle class federal workers without any real consideration of what they do every single day for the American people.
Over the past several years, Republicans in Congress have cut federal employee compensation and retirement benefits for a total of nearly
$200 billion in order to pay for deficit reduction and other government programs.
The argument that federal workers must sacrifice for the good of the country might have made some sense when the country was struggling during the Great Recession, and they did sacrifice.
But it makes much less sense now that our economy is recovering and the wage gains made by private sector workers are far outstripping those of workers who commit their lives to public service.
The argument that federal workers must be continually forced to sacrifice for deficit reduction also loses its strength when House Republicans are trying to give tax cuts to the wealthy without paying for it.
The Republican tax package would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit over 10 years, and 80 percent of tax cuts would benefit the top 1 percent of Americans, who earn at least $900,000.
While the wealthiest in our country would receive the vast majority of tax cuts, one third of middle class families making between $50,000 and $150,000 would see their taxes increase.
Many of these middle class families are federal workers who dedicate their lives to serving the American people.
It is unfair and uncompassionate to treat our civil servants in this way.
These are the men and women who aided in the rescue and recovery efforts as Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria tore through Texas, Louisiana, the Southeast, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
More than 32,000 federal employees were involved in helping families trapped in the storms.
They include: disaster response teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who provided temporary power and roofing, debris removal, and infrastructure assessment; National Guard soldiers and airmen who delivered food and water to survivors and cleared debris to open roads; Department of Energy personnel who ensured that fuel was available in impacted areas; Public Health Service officers who provided healthcare, including dialysis services to those in need; Members of the U.S. Coast Guard who helped ensure the delivery of relief supplies; and Agriculture Department employees who provided food to schools, shelters, and disaster organizations.
Rather than targeting and penalizing these brave and selfless public servants, Congress must do a better job at showing how much we appreciate their efforts.
I urge my colleagues to vote against House Concurrent Resolution 71.
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