MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee — announced he will co-chair the Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus alongside long-time co-chair, Congressman Joe Courtney AO (D-Conn.).

“As the United States’ adversaries work together to create an increasingly dangerous world, trusted allies like Australia are as critical as ever. That’s why I’ve worked diligently to strengthen AUKUS — the Australia-U.K.-U.S. alliance that keeps Chairman Xi up at night,” said Rep. McCaul. “A strong U.S. relationship with Australia benefits both of our economies, enhances our mutual security, and deters the CCP’s malign ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. I look forward to working with Congressman Courtney, who has a proven commitment to the U.S.-Australia alliance, to continue bolstering the caucus’ work at this important time in history.” 

“I am very excited to work with Congressman McCaul, who demonstrated his active support for the U.S.-Australia alliance in 2023 by partnering to enact historic bipartisan AUKUS authorities,” said Rep. Courtney AO. “As Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he guided committee approval of key ITAR provisions that were incorporated into the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. The bipartisan Friends of Australia Caucus has more work to do to build on that success, and I look forward to working with Michael to achieve this goal.”

Background:

The Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus seeks to expand and enrich the partnership between the United States and Australia, which enjoy strong economic and defense ties. McCaul has long supported the relationship between the U.S. and Australia, acknowledging that Australia is one of our most important strategic allies in the Indo-Pacific.

Last Congress, McCaul championed several pieces of legislation to strengthen the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) defense pact. He also penned a recent op-ed in the National Review on the critical importance of AUKUS.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

Austin, Texas – U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security Committees — joined CBS’ “Face the Nation” with Ed O’Keefe to discuss the latest on ceasefire efforts in Ukraine, President Trump’s upcoming visit to the Middle East, and more.

Click here to watch

On ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia:

“It’s very intense. … Mr. Putin decided to bomb Ukraine on Palm Sunday. He’s not making any concessions at all, while Zelensky seems to be making all the concessions. So the bottom line is: Putin has to agree to a 30-day cease-fire for any peace talks to go forward, and the land that he is asking for is — you know, even JD Vance talked about this, and the president — land that Russia has not even occupied in Ukraine. So [Putin] has to operate in good faith. We want peace, but not peace at any price. Because peace at any price is like appeasement, like we saw with Chamberlain and Hitler, and that’s unacceptable.

On the likelihood of the US passing a sanctions package:

“If Mr. Putin does not agree to a 30-day ceasefire, I think the sanctions are almost certain, not only from the Congress, but from the White House. … Getting [the national security supplemental package] passed the last time was a major accomplishment. Had we not accomplished that, Ed, Russia would be occupying Ukraine today — no question in my mind. … So again, it’s really up to Mr. Putin, who so far has not been negotiating in good faith, as to how we proceed from here. And we all want this war to end. We all want peace, but we want a just peace.”

On President Trump’s upcoming trip to the Middle East:

“We don’t have all the details. I know he’s there to discuss an economic alliance with the Saudis, with the UAE, with the Arab nations. And that’s important. Just like the minerals deal that the Ukraine parliament voted for, the more economically we’re tied to the Middle East, the more we’re security tied, and that will push China out of the region. The ultimate goal here, though, is a normalization agreement with Israel. We were getting close to that, until Iran decided, through its proxy in in Gaza — Hamas — to invade on October 7. So the point is, we need to be talking about all this as a package. But again, we cannot have normalization until you have a cease-fire in Gaza. And I think that’s the more difficult piece here.”

###

Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

Headline: Scott: Republican Budget is a Big, Bad Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) delivered the following statement at the House Budget Committee’s failed markup of Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2025, H. Con. Res. 14, President Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”:  
 

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It’s hard to take my colleagues on the other side of the aisle seriously when they come here and give speech after speech after speech, complaining about the deficit and then support this reconciliation plan that INCREASES the deficit. But this should not come as a surprise because every single Democratic president and presidential administration since Kennedy has left for their Republican successors a better deficit situation than the one they inherited. And every single Republican presidential administration since Nixon has left a WORSE deficit situation for the Democrats than the one they inherited. All without exception. 

“So here we go again. A Republican president following a Democratic president. The Republicans are here to make speeches about deficits and debts, and then again set to increase the deficit and national debt just like clockwork. So, the reason we have all this debt is because Democrats have not been able to clean up the Republican messes as quickly as they make them.

“This bill not only increases the deficit, it makes working families pay a price. As the Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and Workforce, I am particularly outraged Republicans want to fund tax cuts for corporations and billionaires by making cuts in educational and nutritional programs. This bill uses taxpayers’ money to take resources from public schools, which serve 90% of students, and divert them to private schools. The bill also harms children’s access to school meal programs and makes it harder for students to afford a college education. 

“So, there’s nothing fiscally responsible about this budget and working families and middle-class families will pay the price.

“Programs that keep kids, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities from going hungry and ensure that students receive a quality education should not be on the chopping block. And after weeks of statements from Republican members that the budget they voted for twice does not cut Medicaid, this bill will rip away health care away from millions of Americans using Medicaid and makes health care more expensive for everyone else.

“This Big, Bad Bill is a collection of bad policies. It kicks millions of people off their health care, threatens food security for millions of families, makes it harder for students to afford education, and diverts taxpayer resources from public schools. It does all of this to give corporations and wealthy billionaires a tax cut and then it makes our debt worse. I urge my colleagues to vote no on this legislation.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

(Washington, D.C.) – In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) and Sam Graves (R-MO) introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives to recognize the dedication and lasting impact of America’s teachers. This bipartisan resolution highlights the important role that teachers play in shaping the next generation to become productive, responsible, and successful citizens, and encourages every American to show appreciation for the teachers in their life. 

“America’s teachers play an invaluable role in shaping our children, and the future of the country, into the resilient, intelligent, and morally virtuous individuals we expect them to become,” said Congressman Cleaver. “During Teacher Appreciation Week, I’m proud to join my friend Sam Graves in introducing this bipartisan resolution to formally recognize the important work educators do in Missouri and all across this great nation. On behalf of the communities we represent and from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your service.”

“Our dedicated teachers go above and beyond to ensure that our children have the best possible education,” said Congressman Graves. “They show up every day to help students succeed, learn, and grow. I’ve been lucky to learn from great teachers throughout my life, and I’ve seen the same impact on my kids and grandkids. Thank you to all of America’s teachers. During Teacher Appreciation Week and every week, we thank the educators who shape our communities and help prepare our children for a successful future.”

Congressman Cleaver has been a strong supporter of public education and American teachers. In 2023, Congressman Cleaver co-introduced the American Teacher Act to incentivize states to establish a K-12 teacher salary requirement of at least $60,000. Additionally, Rep. Cleaver previously called on Governor Parson to strengthen Missouri’s education system by boosting teacher pay. In March, following President Trump’s illegal executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, Cleaver hosted Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, in Kansas City to meet with local educators in Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District to discuss the impact of potential cuts to public education.

The bipartisan resolution is cosponsored by Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN), Ed Case (D-HI), and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR).

Official text of the resolution from Reps. Cleaver and Graves is available here.

 

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

(Kansas City, MO) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) held a press conference with local employees from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Missouri National Education Association (MNEA), National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) to highlight the impact of the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s cuts to the federal workforce. More than 30,000 federal workers are employed in Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, with one economist estimating the region could lose 6,000 good-paying federal jobs, which could wipe out thousands of other jobs in the process. 

“The Trump administration and Elon Musk have treated our federal workforce like a disposable expense, rather than the backbone of a functioning democracy,” said Congressman Cleaver. “Slashing jobs, hollowing out agencies, and undermining public service isn’t reform – it’s sabotage. I’m proud to stand with the unions representing the men and women who keep this country running. Today’s gathering is a line in the sand. We’re standing with the workers who’ve been silenced, sidelined, and scapegoated – and we won’t let billionaires hollow out public service under the guise of efficiency without a fight.”

The basics:

Where do federal employees work?

• Federal employees work in every congressional district in the country. In fact, 80 percent of the 2.3 million federal civilian employees work outside the D.C. region. As a result, mass firings have the potential to not only affect government services, but also to disrupt local economies.

What departments employ the most federal employees?

• Eight departments each employ over 100,000 civilian employees. They are the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, Department of the Air Force, Department of Justice, Department of Treasury, and other Department of Defense employees not included in the branches of the military. Employees at these agencies account for almost 75 percent of the federal civilian workforce, not including U.S. Postal Service workers. 

How much money is spent on federal employees?

• Approximately 4 percent of all federal spending is compensation for civilian employees. In fiscal year 2022, the federal government spent $6.3 trillion in total outlays but only $271 billion was from compensation to civilian employees. For comparison, the gross tax gap from taxes the wealthy owe but refuse to pay is approximately $696 billion, or 2.5 times more than all compensation to civilian employees. Total civilian employee compensation is dwarfed by the amounts that wealthy tax cheats don’t pay in taxes.
• Moreover, as Congressional Republicans enable DOGE cuts in communities across the country, they are currently working to pass a $4.5 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly benefits the top 5% of Americans.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) released the following statement after the passing of former Missouri Governor and Senator Christopher S. “Kit” Bond.

“Kit Bond was a superb statesman, an exemplary public servant, and a dear friend to myself and Missourians across the Show Me State. From his time as State Auditor to his stewardship of Missouri as Governor, and eventually as Missouri’s Senator in Washington, Kit was the kind of elected official that every Missourian could be proud to call their representative; I know I was.  

“Having come from the small town of Mexico, Missouri, Kit would go on to graduate top of his class in law school and use his brilliant legal mind to clerk for the Chief Judge on the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. He was the epitome of the American Dream and what is possible through hard work and perseverance. While he could have stayed in Washington, D.C. to pursue a lucrative career in law, his love for Missouri and passion for public service were a magnetic force that brought him back home. 

“As a City Councilman and then Mayor, I had the privilege of working with Governor-turned-Senator Bond on numerous projects to the benefit of Kansas City and those who reside in our community. From the Charles E. Whittaker Federal Courthouse to the National World War I Museum and Memorial, as well as the redevelopment of 18^th & Vine and the construction of the Christopher S. Bond Bridge, one cannot walk around our community without experiencing the important work of Kit Bond – and every Kansas Citian should be grateful for his willingness to seek common ground and work across the aisle to make each of them possible.”

“With time, our professional relationship grew into a profound friendship that I will cherish forever. It is with deep sadness that I say farewell to a true friend, and I extend my deepest condolences to the entire Bond family as they grieve this colossal loss. May every Missourian take a moment to give thanks to this Missouri hero, and may his memory be a blessing to all.”

###

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), Derek Schmidt (R-KS), and Sharice Davids (D-KS) have called on the National Park Service to designate the Quindaro Townsite in Wyandotte County as a National Historic Landmark. The Kansas City, Kansas site served as a critical entry point for anti-slavery settlers and a sanctuary for those escaping bondage via the Underground Railroad prior to and during the U.S. Civil War.

“The Quindaro Townsite is a vital piece of U.S. history that demonstrates our national commitment to liberty and self-determination, which ought to be celebrated and shared with future generations,” said Congressman Cleaver. “Just as I was proud to introduce the bipartisan Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark Act with Reps. Schmidt and Davids, I’m once again honored to advocate for the designation of Quindaro as a National Historic Landmark, preserving this important chapter in America’s story until the end of time.”

“Quindaro is a meaningful part of our region, state, and country’s history,” Congressman Schmidt said. “Recognizing the site as a National Historic Landmark will provide the designation necessary to properly preserve the legacy of this important historical site. I’m proud to lead my fellow Kansas City area lawmakers in this effort.”

“Quindaro is a powerful part of Kansas’ history in the fight for freedom and equality, but for too long, local preservation efforts of this important site have lacked much-needed resources,” Representative Davids said. “I’m proud to work with Representatives Schmidt and Cleaver to ensure this site receives the recognition and protection it deserves through a National Historic Landmark designation.”

Founded in 1857, Quindaro emerged as a beacon for Free-State advocates during the turbulent “Bleeding Kansas” era. Strategically located along the Missouri River, it served as a critical entry point for anti-slavery settlers and a sanctuary for those escaping bondage via the Underground Railroad. The town’s establishment was a collaborative effort among the Wyandot Nation, New England abolitionists, and African American settlers, exemplifying a unique and harmonious multicultural alliance during a period marked by division and conflict.

Beyond its pivotal role in the anti-slavery movement, Quindaro became a nucleus for post-Civil War African American advancement. The establishment of the Quindaro Freedman’s School, later known as Western University, marked a significant milestone as the first Black school west of the Mississippi River. Institutions like Douglass Hospital further underscored the town’s commitment to education and healthcare within the African American community.

Archaeological excavations have unveiled a wealth of artifacts, offering invaluable insights into the daily lives of Quindaro’s diverse inhabitants. The site’s preserved foundations and structures provide a tangible connection to this rich history. Recognized on the National Register of Historic Places since 2002, Quindaro’s significance has been further acknowledged through its designation as a National Commemorative Site in 2019.

In 2023, the lawmakers introduced the Quindaro Townsite National Historic Landmark Act to designate the Quindaro Townsite as a National Historic Landmark.

The official letter from lawmakers is available here.

 

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lloyd Smucker (PA-16)

WASHINGTON—Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), a senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means, voted to advance the committee’s legislative proposals in compliance with the instructions of H. Con. Res. 14, the Concurrent Resolution on the budget for Fiscal Year 2025. 

“Today’s vote is a great step forward to enacting the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” to provide hardworking families, small businesses, seniors, and farmers with additional tax relief. This legislation will put more money back into Americans’ pockets and unleash greater business investment by providing them with much-needed certainty in our tax code. We must get this done for the American people,” said Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11). “As Congress continues to move forward throughout this process, we must ensure that it is done in a fiscally responsible manner and complies with the outlines of the House’s budget resolution.”

The committee reported legislative language to permanently extend many expiring provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including the individual tax rates, the small business tax deduction, and relief for family-farmers from the death tax. 

The Ways and Means Committee proposal contains legislative provisions authored by Rep. Smucker, including: 

• Permanent Tax Relief and Certainty for Small Businesses: Permanently increasing and enhancing the small business tax deduction, known as Section 199A of the tax code. Smucker’s Main Street Tax Certainty Act has the support of 187 Members of the House and the legislation has broad support among stakeholders in PA-11 and across the nation.  
   
• Expanded Support for Individuals with Disabilities Using ABLE Accounts: Smucker’s bipartisan ENABLE Act to allow individuals with disabilities and their families to save and invest in tax-advantaged accounts without jeopardizing their eligibility for essential federal support programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income, is included making these tax provisions permanent. 
   
• Improved Access to Primary Care: The Ways and Means Committee’s proposals include Smucker’s Primary Care Enhancement Act, which would clarify provisions of the Internal Revenue Code to remove barriers for individuals with Health Savings Accounts from using those funds to access Direct Primary Care, a health care delivery model which provides high-quality care at lower cost for individuals of all ages and incomes across America.

# # #

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lloyd Smucker (PA-16)

WASHINGTON—The Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (IEWOTC) Act sponsored by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), a senior member of the Committee on Ways and means, would lead to job creation and reduce reliance on safety net programs, according to a recent study. 

The study indicates the enactment of IEWOTC Act would “directly support 350,000 new jobs.” Additionally, the report shows the legislation would increase federal revenue by an estimated $5.8 billion and reduce federal expenditure by an estimated $5.6 billion. It would also add $56 billion to GDP over ten years. 

“The Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act is pro-growth and pro-worker. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit is a program that supports employers and employees as they reenter the workforce. I am committed to helping disadvantaged Americans get back to work by advancing legislation to improve this proven tool,” said Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11). 

WOTC has not been updated since its enactment twenty-seven years ago, and its value has been eroded significantly due to inflation. The National Employment Opportunity Network reports that the WOTC has saved federal governments an estimated $202 billion over ten years.

The Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act would:

1. Update the WOTC, which has not been changed since its enactment twenty-seven years ago and encourage longer-service employment.
2. Increase the current credit percentage from 40% to 50% of qualified wages.
3. Add a second level of credit for employees who work 400 or more hours.
4. Eliminate the arbitrary age cap at which SNAP recipients are eligible for WOTC. This change will provide an incentive to hire older workers and better align the credit with previously adopted work reforms.  

Smucker introduced the legislation with his colleagues Reps. Steven Horsford (NV-4), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), and Tom Suozzi (NY-03). Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).  

# # # 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lloyd Smucker (PA-16)

WASHINGTON—Thirty-one Members of the House Republican Conference, led by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) Vice Chair of the Budget Committee, are calling for Congress to pass reconciliation legislation that is “genuinely fiscally responsible.” Failure to achieve the spending reduction targets outlined in the budget resolution will mean “the Ways and Means Committee’s instruction must be lowered dollar-for-dollar to keep the reconciliation bill within the agreed limits.”

The Members write: “We are fully committed to passing a reconciliation bill that achieves the objectives we all support, which include extending President Trump’s tax cuts, growing our economy, securing our borders, unleashing American energy, and ensuring peace through strength.”

The lawmakers continue, “We remain firmly committed to ensuring the bill is genuinely fiscally responsible. We reaffirm that our support depends, at minimum, on the bill’s strict adherence to the House framework for instructions contained in the concurrent budget resolution (Section 4001 of H.Con.Res.14).”

The group expresses its appreciation for the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Leader Scalie’s commitments that no measure will be brought to the floor unless it fully meets the standards of the House framework for instructions contained in the concurrent budget resolution. 

Signatories to the letter include Representatives: Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Lauren Boebert (CO-04), Josh Brecheen (OK-02), Tim Burchett (TN-02), Eric Burlison (MO-07), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Andrew Clyde (GA-09), Elijiah Crane (AZ-02), Brandon Gill (TX-26), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Andy Harris (MD-01), Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Morgan Luttrell (TX-08), Richard McCormick (GA-07), Mary Miller (IL-15), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Jay Obernolte (CA-23), Andrew Ogles (TN-05), Robert Onder (MO-03), Scott Perry (PA-10), Chip Roy (TX-21), David Schweikert (AZ-01), Keith Self (TX-03), Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), Victoria Spartz (IN-05), Greg Steube (FL-17), Marlin Stutzman (IN-03), Tom Tiffany (WI-07), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), and Ryan Zinke (MT-01).

The full letter is available here. 

Full text follows below: 

May 7, 2025
 

The Honorable Mike Johnson

Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Steve Scalise

Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Subject: Commitment to House Framework in Reconciliation

Dear Speaker Johnson and Leader Scalise,

We are fully committed to passing a reconciliation bill that achieves the objectives we all support, which include extending President Trump’s tax cuts, growing our economy, securing our borders, unleashing American energy, and ensuring peace through strength.

Additionally, we remain firmly committed to ensuring the bill is genuinely fiscally responsible. We reaffirm that our support depends, at minimum, on the bill’s strict adherence to the House framework for instructions contained in the concurrent budget resolution (Section 4001 of H.Con.Res.14). We also appreciate your assurance that no measure will be brought to the floor unless it fully meets this standard.

The Big Picture

America’s fiscal path is unsustainable and worsening. The national debt has exceeded $36 trillion and is growing by nearly $2 trillion each year. Annual interest costs are on track to surpass $1 trillion, overtaking what we spend on Medicare or national defense. Federal outlays remain at record highs, and the recent strain in Treasury markets makes it clear that we can no longer count on historically low interest rates. We must move decisively to restore market confidence and put the budget on a sustainable path.
 

Minmum Criteria for Our Support

Under the House’s framework, the reconciliation bill must not add to the deficit. The House budget resolution assumes that enacting President Trump’s agenda, including extending the 2017 tax cuts, will generate $2.5 trillion in additional revenue through economic growth. This means that all additional tax cuts or increases in spending above this level must be offset. To fully extend and build upon the 2017 tax cuts, this means that the reconciliation bill must include at least $2 trillion in verifiable savings either through spending reductions or scaling back the size of the tax package. If savings fall short, the Ways and Means Committee’s instruction

must be lowered dollar-for-dollar to keep the reconciliation bill within the agreed limits.

In practice, the Ways and Means Committee’s instruction may not exceed $2.5 trillion more than the debt reduction achieved by all other committees.

Deficit Reduction in Other Committees                 Maximum Ways and Means Instruction

$2.0 trillion                                                                 $4.5 trillion

$1.5 trillion                                                                 $4.0 trillion

$1.0 trillion                                                                 $3.5 trillion

Critically, the deficit reduction target must be met with real, enforceable spending cuts – not budget gimmicks. The final bill must deliver structural reforms that strengthen long-term growth and produce long-term savings.

Bottom Line

A $2 trillion reduction in spending may sound substantial. However, it equals only 2.3 percent of projected federal outlays over the next decade and only reduces the rate of growth in spending. Even with those savings, annual spending is expected to grow from $7 trillion to $10 trillion over the next 10 years, and debt will exceed $50 trillion by 2035.

The House reconciliation instructions are binding. They set a floor for savings, not a ceiling. We must hold that line on fiscal discipline to put the country back on a sustainable path.

We are more committed than ever to making that happen.

# # #