Washington, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), a member of the House Budget Committee, voted today for a joint funding resolution that seeks to clean up the federal budget mess in a bipartisan and bicameral fashion.
“The budget mess left behind by the 109th Congress is far worse than the American people have been led to believe,” said Etheridge. “It will take a lot of hard work to restore our nation’s books. Today’s legislation, while not perfect, will allow the Congress to move on to the essential work at hand to deliver a new direction for the American people.”
Congress typically funds the federal government through 11 appropriations bills. However, the Republican-controlled 109th Congress adjourned without passing nine out of the 11 appropriations bills. Since the fiscal year began on October 1, 2006, Congress has funded the government through stop-gap funding measures. Today’s legislation would provide funding through Sept. 30, 2007, and would put Congress on a path to fiscal discipline.
H.J. Res. 20 funds the government at the same level as Fiscal Year 2006 and includes no earmarks. The legislation adheres to a strict spending limit, however increases funding for critical needs that have bipartisan support, such as veterans’ healthcare, state and local law enforcement, and education. The bill increases the maximum Pell Grant for the first time in four years, by $260 to $4,310. An additional $1 billion is funding in included for base closure and realignment. The increases are offset by finding $10 billion in savings from other initiatives.
The budget also suspends the annual Congressional pay raise for the rest of the fiscal year, keeping a promise Democrats made to stop their pay raise until the American people receive a pay raise through an increase in the federal minimum wage.