Appropriations Process Quotes

We know the Constitution gives the purse strings to the House.

While the Pentagon ultimately awards military contracts, there is a reason for the review process. The Senate's subcommittee on Military Construction's approval carries weight.

Congressional sloth in recent years has hit mind-boggling new lows. It’s partly systemic, rooted in a mandatory spending regime that accounts for two-thirds of government dollars and runs on autopilot. That disconnect now imbues every aspect of governance. In the nearly 50 years since Congress created our current system of budgeting and appropriations, it’s managed to complete the process correctly four times. It last did so 25 years ago. The default is massive omnibus bills that are passed hours after release, minutes before the government shuts down for lack of funds.

We're not even supposed to have a break in August if we have not passed the appropriations bills. It's in the House rules.

Our legislative victory - an end to earmarks.

Congress passes bills that appropriate money. Congress says, 'We're building this bridge or funding that defense project, and they cost this much.'

Congress: Bingo with billions.

The only oversight on many of these programs is what the annual review in the appropriations process gives you, because the legislative committees generally fail to do their jobs.

Congressional Republicans have come to understand that their last, best hope of blocking bad policy from the White House is through spending bills.

The way our federal agencies are funded, the way the authorizing of these programs are done, I think needs to be completely revamped.

The budget is like a mythical bean bag. Congress votes mythical beans into it, then reaches in and tries to pull real ones out.

If the administration asks for $5 and Congress appropriates $4, that's what they get. If the government creates a subterfuge by going outside the government to raise money through a private entity, that's a violation of the law.

Our hope is that an omnibus bill is put together so we can work through our friends on the leadership staff to insert the language at the very end of the process, instead of working through the normal appropriations process—which involves too many people and could jeopardize our legislative fix.

Rather than negotiating yet another continuing resolution at the last minute, the appropriations process should work as it was originally designed, with appropriations bills passing the House and the Senate and being signed into law by the president, after robust debate, with a process for amendments.

So in the House and Senate, we own the budget. So what does that mean? That means that we can pass the spending bill.

Chairing any Appropriations subcommittee is both a great honor and weighty responsibility.