United States Senator Jeff Sessions

Strategy Sessions - Home

Strategy Sessions is a journal of Senator Sessions' activities in the Senate and at home in Alabama.  We update regularly, so please check back often.

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Fiscal Year 2011 Appropriations Process
 
Senator Sessions supports full and complete transparency in the appropriations process, and is pleased to comply with disclosure requirements issued by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Information regarding projects supported by U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions during the Fiscal Year 2011 appropriations process may be found here. (PDF). Requests made by other senators may be found here.
 
Below, a statement issued by Senator Sessions regarding the federal appropriations process:
 
“I am pleased to lend my support to a number of meritorious projects in Alabama that should be given strong consideration for funding in this year’s appropriations process.
 
“Under our Constitution, Congress—whose members are directly elected by and accountable to their constituents—has the sole authority to appropriate taxpayer money. When doing so, it is critical that Congress works within the constraints of the annual federal budget. If approved, the funding for the projects I am submitting would come completely from previously budgeted funds and would not increase federal spending or add to the debt in any way. 
 
“The earmark process is ripe for reform, and I have cosponsored, and voted in favor of, a moratorium on earmarks until that reform is implemented. Unfortunately, a majority of my colleagues oppose such a measure. I remain very uneasy about this process, but, so long as the current system is in place, I have an obligation to ensure that the people of Alabama see a fair share of their tax dollars invested in their state. Absent someone fighting for these projects, the funding would likely be directed to other states.
 
“My office receives nearly 600 non-defense requests for funding each year, far more than the committee will include. I am submitting a number of those requests that stand the best chance of approval, given their broad local support and potential to improve our communities and foster economic growth. Competition for appropriations will be tough. Based on past experience, only a very small number of those projects submitted will receive funding.
 
“This is one reason why I emphasize competitive grants, an alternative method of funding where experts at the 26 federal grant-making agencies use published criteria to select the most worthy grant applications. A full-time member of my staff is available to help local leaders in Alabama apply for competitive funding, and I am pleased to have supported successful applications that have resulted in $210 million in competitive grants for Alabama initiatives over the last three years.”