Finding Common Ground Priorities

Just more than a year ago, members on both sides of the aisle in both chambers of Congress unveiled a two-year bipartisan budget deal. When the announcement was made by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan and Senate Budget Chairman Patty Murray that a deal had been reached, it proved that, despite inevitable differences and even conflicting priorities, we can work together and lead in divided government.

With another government shutdown looming last week, I am pleased that lawmakers were again able to put partisan differences aside and ultimately come together to vote on legislation that fully funds the government and reflects the best interests of the American people. After months of negotiations between leadership in the House and Senate to reconcile differences on funding legislation for fiscal year 2015, House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers and Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski announced a similar agreement to responsibly fund the government, using the terms set out in the Bipartisan Budget Act.

Called an “omnibus,” this bipartisan, bicameral agreement passed the House chamber on Thursday evening and included full funding for 11 of the 12 regular appropriations bills through the end of the fiscal year. The Homeland Security appropriations bill, however, is instead funded at current levels under a temporary continuing resolution set to expire on February 27, 2015. While the president announced toward the end of November that he will grant legal status to approximately 5 million illegal immigrants, the Administration isn’t expected to implement that plan until the spring of 2015. This provides the opportunity for the incoming Republican majority in the 114th Congress to address the president’s overreach.

While the negotiations were certainly tough, I believe that the omnibus reflects common sense and conservative priorities. For example, it includes cuts to both the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In fact, the omnibus brings EPA staffing to its lowest level since 1989. Another win for conservative values includes provisions that maintain historic pro-life provisions and language requiring Obamacare plans to disclose whether or not abortion services are provided.

Along with some necessary cuts to various areas of government, the omnibus also redirects savings to fund important programs, including money previously spent on political party conventions. In light of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, which I co-authored with my colleague Gregg Harper and that was signed into law by the president earlier this year, those inefficiently-used taxpayer dollars, $12.6 million laid out in the omnibus, will now go toward funding valuable pediatric disease research.

Of great importance to the Fourth District of Oklahoma and following recent passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, I am pleased that the omnibus fully funds our military and prevents the Administration’s recommended deactivation of seven AWACS aircraft stationed at Tinker Air Force Base. Such a move by the Administration would significantly impact the readiness and ability of our Armed Forces to combat current and future conflicts. Also addressed in the military funding, the omnibus acknowledges the need to maintain our national security by dealing with threats that currently include the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and the growing terrorist threat posed by ISIL in the Middle East.

While the agreement isn’t perfect, I do believe this is the best solution that provides much-needed certainty to the American people. Most importantly, passage of the omnibus prevented another painful government shutdown that would put partisan differences ahead of the best interests of the American people.