Tucson lawmaker calls on Congress to be frugal with taxpayer dollars
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today rejected a $3.1 billion spending bill to fund the House of Representatives and the U.S. Capitol complex.
“Congress must lead by example,” the Tucson lawmaker said after this morning's vote against the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, H.R. 2771. “Any bill that overflows with as much wasteful spending as this one does is definitely not the kind of example I want to set.”
Despite Giffords' objections, the act passed 216-176.
The act calls for boosting the legislative branch budget by 4.1 percent, or $122 million. Some of the provisions of H.R. 2771 that Giffords considers excessive include:
- Increasing the Government Printing Office budget by $9 million, to $131 million;
- Spending $34 million on a Capitol Visitors Center expansion project that is two years behind schedule;
- Spending $30 million on preparing for the 2008 presidential elections, including $3.6 million on the construction of inaugural facilities; and
- Spending $2.7 million to convert the Capitol power plant from coal to natural gas, although a study on the long-term costs on the conversion has not been completed.
“The residents of Southeastern Arizona expect me to keep a close eye on how their hard-earned tax dollars are spent,” Giffords said. “They expect me to make sure government is held accountable. My vote against the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act is an example of me fulfilling that obligation.”
During today's debate on the act, Giffords voted for amendments that would have cut the appropriations request four percent across the board. She also voted to save $3.2 million annually by reducing the print run of the Congressional Record, which contains information that could easily be accessed on-line.
Giffords, a former small business owner, recently joined the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate and conservative Democrats dedicated to fiscal responsibility. More information on Giffords' appointment to the coalition can be found at http://www.house.gov/ross/BlueDogs/Press%20Releases/Blue%20Dog%20Coalition%20Announces%20Membership%20Expansion.html