JOHN BOEHNER

Washington (Feb 5, 2009) In a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), House Republican leaders today formally asked that the massive FY 2009 omnibus spending bill be posted online immediately.  Posting the massive bill online would allow the American people to study the contents of the bill between now and the week after President’s Day, when the $500 billion legislation is scheduled to be brought to a vote, and would be consistent with President Obama’s call for greater transparency in government, Republican leaders noted.

 

“In the face of the highest deficit in our Nation’s history, the Majority has asked the American taxpayers to fund nearly $1.5 trillion in new government spending in just four short weeks.  And yet now the Majority plans to spend hundreds of billions more without yet sharing the content of the bill with Republican Members or the public,” GOP leaders wrote.  “In the midst of a severe recession, taxpayers have a right to see each provision of this legislation and evaluate the merit of each dollar of government spending their children and grandchildren are being required to fund.”

 

NOTE:  The letter was signed by Reps. John Boehner (R-OH), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Mike Pence (R-IN), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), John Carter (R-TX), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Roy Blunt (R-MO), David Dreier (R-CA), and Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).  The text of the letter follows and is available here.

 

February 5, 2009

 

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

Speaker, US House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

 

The Honorable Steny Hoyer

Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20515

 

Madame Speaker and Majority Leader Hoyer:

 

Many weeks ago, you scheduled this week to consider the Fiscal Year 2009 omnibus spending bill.  Now that you have announced that consideration will be delayed until after the President’s Day recess, we remain troubled that the text of the bill has not been made available to the public and are concerned about the apparent precedent being established with massive spending bills in the 111^th Congress.  We urge you to make the text of the bill and explanatory statement available to all by posting it on-line and heeding President Obama’s call for more transparency in government. 

 

In the face of the highest deficit in our Nation’s history, the Majority has asked the American taxpayers to fund nearly $1.5 trillion in new government spending in just four short weeks.  And yet now the Majority plans to spend hundreds of billions more without yet sharing the content of the bill with Republican Members or the public.  In the midst of a severe recession, taxpayers have a right to see each provision of this legislation and evaluate the merit of each dollar of government spending their children and grandchildren are being required to fund. 

 

Recent experience has demonstrated that transparency, scrutiny, and regular order are essential tools for crafting effective and prudent legislation.  Vast spending bills that have been rushed through the House, such as the so-called “stimulus,” were hastily considered without adequate input from both sides of the aisle—and the American taxpayer is worse off for it.

 

Without regular order and sufficient time to examine this legislation how can the American people and Members of Congress know where the $500 billion will be spent?  What will the funding increases be for the final six months of fiscal year 2009?  Sadly, if the Majority refuses to release at least the text of the omnibus, none of these questions will be answered before the House votes to add hundreds of billions more to the deficit. 

 

Again, we urge you to make the text of the omnibus spending bill and explanatory statement available to the public immediately, allowing all sides to judge the merit of each taxpayer dollar spent.

 

Sincerely,

 

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