A response from Congressman Billy Long...

December 19, 2014

Mr. Dan Owen

xxxx Street

Forsyth, MO 65653-5415

Dear Mr. Owen,

Thank you for contacting me regarding appropriations for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015.

H.R. 83, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, or Cromnibus, sets funding levels for most federal agencies until September 30, 2015. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the agency responsible for implementing President Obama's Executive amnesty immigration policy, was only extended until February 27, 2015. This bill does not include any new funding for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), known as Obamacare, and does not authorize President Obama's Executive amnesty immigration policy. Additionally, the temporary DHS funding will give the 114th Congress the opportunity to address the President's illegal immigration policy with the newly elected Republican majority in the Senate and a larger Republican majority in the House of Representatives.

The Cromnibus reduces spending, over-regulation and abuse by agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It slashes the EPA budget by $60 million, which is a 21 percent reduction since FY 2010, and it blocks the EPA from redefining 'fill material', which would have a negative impact on several industries. Additionally, it cuts the IRS budget by $345.6 million, which is below FY 2008 funding levels, and prohibits the IRS from targeting organizations based on their beliefs or for exercising their First Amendment rights.

This is far from a perfect bill, but it is an important step in stopping President Obama's agenda and an opportunity to return to regular order when considering government spending. I believe the 114th Congress will take this opportunity to act on the message that the American people sent to Washington on November 4, 2014. We have relied on short term and stopgap measures to fund the government too many times; if Congress votes on each appropriations bill separately, we will scrutinize all programs and cut the unnecessary spending. That is why I voted in favor of this bill when it passed the House by a vote of 219-206 on December 11, 2014. It was then passed by the Senate and was sent to President Obama for his signature.

Again, thank you for contacting me on this important issue. Hearing the views of all Missourians gives me the opportunity to better understand how important issues could impact the people of the Seventh District and the future interests of the nation.

For additional information regarding current legislation, my representation of the Seventh District, and to sign up to receive my monthly newsletter, I invite you to visit my website at http://long.house.gov.

Sincerely, Billy Long Member of Congress