Rep. George Holding (R-N.C.) was caught sleeping on the job (again). Someone get this man some coffee or something. Meanwhile Rep. Rogers “optimistic” the House and Senate can come together for a deal on the budget?
On October 16, just before the 11th hour a deal was struck between the Republicans and Democrats to avoid an economic catastrophe, Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky the powerful Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives on the urgent need to pass legislation (H.R. 2775) to avoid the default.
“The House must realize it is just one-half of one-third of this government and that no laws can be made without the consent of the Senate and the President, just as they can’t enact laws without us. We must also acknowledge the profligate spending and borrowing that is driving us into unsustainable debt and hurting this Nation and the people who call it home. I am optimistic that once this resolution is passed, the House and the Senate will come together in a budget conference to work out our broad fiscal and budgetary challenges.”
“It is my hope that a common, topline discretionary number for fiscal year 2014 will be established that will allow Congress to enact full-year appropriations bills and avoid shutdowns like this in the future; and it is also my hope that Congress can address head-on the problem of unsustainable growth in our mandatory and entitlement programs and work to reform our overly complicated growth-stifling Tax Code. The resolution before us will buy us some time to accomplish this must-do list, and it will ensure that our people have access to the critical government services they rely on in the meantime. We must take actions that will help restore the people’s confidence in their elected officials and in the economic future of this Nation. We must”, he said.
“The sooner we pass this resolution, the sooner we can move on to the many tasks before us that the people have sent us here to work on. Madame Speaker I reserve the balance of my time”, said Rep. Rogers last night.
(source: Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov).
Rep. Rogers current Committee Assignments include:
House Appropriations Committee (Chairman)
House Republican Steering Committee