Kratovil Opposes $446 Billion Omnibus Appropriations Spending Act

Washington, DC – Rep. Frank Kratovil voted against HR 3288, The Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2010. The consolidated spending bill combines 6 different appropriations totaling $446.8 billion in discretionary spending, and about $1.1 trillion when mandatory spending is included. The bill represents a consolidation of appropriations bill that have not yet been passed by the House as well as various other measures.

Rep. Kratovil released the following statement:

“Although this bill included funding for many deserving programs and projects, we cannot ignore the fact that our nation is facing a $12 trillion debt. Responsible leadership means we need to set priorities; increased spending on key priorities must be offset by cuts elsewhere. This bill failed to make those tough choices and instead significantly increased discretionary spending over last year.

“I am also concerned that we were not given sufficient time to review the changes included in the final conference committee report before voting. While it is true that the House had previously debated and passed these spending bills separately, changes were made during negotiations with the Senate that should have justified more time to review and better understand the contents of this bill. ”

Rep. Frank Kratovil