Cole Opposes Bloated Homeland Security Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C.- U.S. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-4) today voted against passage of the Homeland Security Appropriations bill aimed at increasing non-emergency spending by $4.3 billion, which is twice as much as requested by the President in the FY 08 budget.

"This bill busts the federal budget without doing anything to increase our homeland security," Congressman Cole said. "The President requested a healthy amount for homeland security spending. These across the board increases on all appropriations bills will drive up the deficit and ultimately create higher taxes for hard-working American families. This is yet another example of the new Majority's appetite for bigger government and higher tax burdens on hard-working Americans."

In addition to spending more money overall, the Majority tried to sneak billions in secret earmarks into the bill. Because House Republicans stood united against the Majority's secret slush fund plans, two critical earmark reforms from last year that had been eliminated were reinstated.

"As a member of the Rules Committee in the 109th Congress, I was able to help implement reforms that gave members the opportunity to challenge earmarks," Congressman Cole said. "The House Majority decided to remove these reforms from the rules that they approved during the first month of the 110th Congress. They were willing to sacrifice the credibility of the spending process by making congressional earmarks more secretive than ever. Fortunately, House Republicans stood together and forced the Majority leadership to back down from the secret earmark slush fund, and give members the right to challenge wasteful spending on the House floor. "

Last year's reforms required full disclosure of all earmarks and disclosure of who requested them before the spending bill is voted on in the House. The reforms also give Members the right to challenge, debate and vote on wasteful earmarks contained in spending bills before those bills are voted on in the House.

"If an earmark is worthy of one cent of the taxpayers' money, it must be able to withstand public scrutiny. The taxpayers' money must never be spent behind closed doors," Congressman Cole continued. "Although we achieved an important victory on behalf of American families by retaining transparency in spending bills, the outrageous level of excessive spending in this particular bill is unacceptable."

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