McIntyre votes for another bloated spending bill. Haven't we had enough?

Verne Strickland Blogmaster USA DOT COM   July 6, 2012

 

By Patriot on July 5, 2012 in Unfulfilled Promises, Voting Record
 

If we ever plan to balance the budget – a goal Mike McIntyre purports to share – we will need to spend less money each subsequent.  How else will we close the $1.3 trillion annual deficit without killing jobs with tax increases?

Last week, the House passed the FY 2013 appropriations bill for Transportation-HUD (H.R. 5972).  While members of Congress promised to cuts spending from year to year, this bill actually increases spending on some of the most wasteful programs and projects. 

Here is a synopsis from the Republican Study Committee of the extra spending in the bill:

• Amtrak: $1.8 billion—$384 million above last year. 

• Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority: $150 million—the same as last year

and $15 million more than the President’s request.

• Essential Air Service: $214 million—same as President’s request, and $71 million

(or 49%) above last year.

• Tenant-based Rental Assistance: $19.1 billion—$60 million more than the

President’s request and $219.9 million more than last year.

• Community Development Block Grant: $3.34 billion—$396 million more than

both last year and the President’s request.

• Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation: $225.3 million—$10 million more than

last year and $12.3 million more than the request.

Mike McIntyre voted for this bill, despite the increased in wasteful spending [roll call #450].  It’s not like McIntyre didn’t get a chance to vote against each individual item.  He did – and he voted no:

• McClintock AMDT to eliminate the Essential Air Service rural pork program.  This program provides $1000+ per-seat subsidy for airlines to fly into small airports that would otherwise be unprofitable. [roll call #417]
• Garrett AMDT to eliminate earmark to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.  [roll call #418]
• Broun AMDT to reduce by $6.5 million the amount provided for salaries and expenses of the Office of Public and Indian Housing at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.   This amendment would have merely kept spending at FY 2012 levels. [roll call #424]
• Broun AMDT to reduce by $110 million the amount provided for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Public Housing Capital Fund Program. [roll call #429]
• Broun amendment to reduce by $12.3 million the amount provided for payment to the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. This amendment merely keeps the spending in line with Obama’s budget request!  [roll call #432]
• McClintock AMDT to eliminate all funding for the Community Development Fund for assistance to state and local governments, a total of $3.4 billion. [roll call #434]

Maybe Mike McIntyre would like to let us know if there is anything he would like to cut.

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