CONGRESSMAN BISHOP OPPOSES BILL THAT DEFUNDS SERVICES FOR VETERANS, FAMILIES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND RURAL COMMUNITIES

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, voted against a partisan funding bill, H.R. 1968, that defunds a wide range of services on which America’s seniors, veterans, families, and children rely. The legislation puts at risk America’s national security and our ability to respond to and recover from natural disasters.

The vote on the bill was 217-213. It is now being considered by the U.S. Senate.

“All Georgians will be hurt by this partisan bill which gives up Congress’ Constitutional power of the purse to the Executive Branch. I cannot stand idly by while Elon Musk destroys important programs that keep our communities safe, make housing affordable, support medical research, and help our veterans,” said Congressman Bishop.

This bill would cut funding for non-defense programs and services by $13 billion while increasing defense spending by $6 billion, dishonoring the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act to set top line funding for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The bill:

• Allows Elon Musk to fire Social Security Administration workers and shutter local offices which will lead to increased backlogs, making it harder for Americans to get their earned benefits.
• Cuts $475 million to state and local police departments and reduces the funding to cities and towns for community-oriented policing services by $247 million.
• Slashes funding for rural clean water and wastewater disposal projects by $117 million, and cuts rural community distant learning, telemedicine, and broadband grants by $10 million each.
• Takes away much needed funds from ongoing infrastructure projects to build safer roads, railways, bridges, and airports to pay for disaster relief, yet still reduces FEMA's Federal Assistance account by $182 million.
• Eliminates $23 billion promised to veterans, through the PACT Act, to treat them for exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances during their service to the nation.
• Slashes the Federal Highway Administration by $1.9 billion, the Federal Airport Administration by $482 million, and the Federal Transit Administration by $207 million, putting the brakes on projects that are improving the capacity and safety of public roads and transportation.
• Underfunds, by $27 million, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service which undercuts its ability to prevent invasive species and diseases from wreaking havoc on U.S. agriculture and undermines its fight against bird flu at a time when egg prices are at an all-time high.
• Eliminates Congressional directives to the Agricultural Research Service, jeopardizing $2 billion in research on agricultural products, such as pecans, peanuts, and cotton, that are crucial to Georgia’s economy.

“This bill is part of a pretext to allow the Trump Administration to steal already appropriated funds for hard-working Americans and their communities and add over a $1 trillion to the deficit in order to pay for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. Most of the proposed tax cuts would go to the top 5% of households while most working families will only get a few hundred dollars in tax cuts a year,” said Congressman Bishop. “Congress must fight to stop this Administration from feathering the nests of billionaires by taking the flesh off the backs of hard-working Americans. I support a short-term continuing resolution so that Congress can negotiate a bipartisan funding bill that responsibly meets the needs of all Americans.”

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