Amodei resort cities language, passed by full House, would apply to all executive branch agencies

July 16, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Brian Baluta, 202-225-6155

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mark Amodei (NV-2) today praised House passage of the fiscal year (FY) 2015 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill. A member of the Financial Services appropriations subcommittee, Amodei successfully included language in the funding bill to stop the practice of federal agencies to cancel or avoid meetings, trainings and conferences at resorts and casinos, despite the taxpayer-value such facilities can offer.

The language would direct the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to “ensure that agencies are implementing policies regarding travel, event, meeting or conference locations based on the most efficient use of taxpayer funds.”

Previously, Amodei was able to include similar language in the Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill to address the issue in the Department of Justice.

“These prohibitions emphasize optics over real fiscal restraint because they were implemented without concern for whether the banned resorts and casinos present a better value for taxpayers,” said Amodei. “Nevada’s hospitality industry offers the most competitive rates in the country and the expertise to affordably host either large or small meetings. Such policies also ignore the numerous federal government installations that operate within Nevada, as well as its central location among western states.”

The Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill provides annual funding for the Treasury Department, the Judiciary, the Small Business Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and several other agencies.

The bill totals $21.3 billion in funding for these agencies, which is $566 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $2.3 billion below the President’s request for these programs. The legislation prioritizes programs critical to enforcing laws, maintaining an effective judiciary system, and helping small businesses, while targeting lower-priority or poor-performing programs – such as the Internal Revenue Service – for reductions.

“Every day, I am asked, ‘Why don’t you do something?’ This bill ‘does something’ by removing funding from executive agencies that have become political tools of the administration,” said Amodei.

Bill highlights:

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – Included in the bill is $10.95 billion for the IRS – a cut of $341 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $1.5 billion below the President’s budget request. This will bring the agency’s budget below the sequester level and below the level that was in place in fiscal year 2008. This funding level is sufficient for the IRS to perform its core duties, including taxpayer services and the proper collection of funds, but will require the agency to streamline and make better use of its budget.

In addition, due to the inappropriate actions by the IRS in targeting groups that hold certain political beliefs, as well as its previous improper use of taxpayer funds, the bill includes the following provisions:

A prohibition on a proposed regulation related to political activities and the tax-exempt status of 501(c)(4) organizations. The proposed regulation could jeopardize the tax-exempt status of many non-profit organizations and inhibit citizens from exercising their right to freedom of speech, simply because they may be involved in political activity.
A prohibition on funds for bonuses or awards unless employee conduct and tax compliance are given consideration.
A prohibition on funds for the IRS to target groups for regulatory scrutiny based on their ideological beliefs.
A prohibition on funds for the IRS to target individuals for exercising their First Amendment rights.
A prohibition on funding for the production of inappropriate videos and conferences.
A prohibition on funding for the White House to order the IRS to determine the tax-exempt status of an organization.
A requirement for extensive reporting on IRS spending.

Affordable Care Act (ACA) – The bill also includes provisions to stop the IRS from further implementing ObamaCare, including a prohibition on any transfers of funding from the Department of Health and Human Services to the IRS for ObamaCare uses, and a prohibition on funding for the IRS to implement an individual insurance mandate on the American people.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) – Included in the bill is $1.4 billion for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is $50 million above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level and $300 million below the President’s budget request. The increase in funds is targeted specifically toward critical information technology initiatives. The legislation also includes a prohibition on the SEC spending any money out of its “reserve fund” – essentially a slush fund for the SEC to use without any congressional oversight.

In addition, the legislation contains requirements for the Administration to report to Congress on the cost and regulatory burdens of the Dodd-Frank Act, and a prohibition on funding to require political donation information in SEC filings.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) – The bill includes a provision to change the funding source for the CFPB from the Federal Reserve to the congressional appropriations process, starting in fiscal year 2016. Currently, funding for this agency is provided by mandatory spending and is not subject to annual congressional review. This change will allow for increased accountability and transparency of the agency’s activities and use of tax dollars. The legislation also requires extensive reporting on CFPB activities.

For a list of House adopted amendments to the bill, please visit: http://appropriations.house.gov/UploadedFiles/07.16.14_FY_2015_Financial_Services_Bill_-_Floor_Adopted_Amendments.pdf

For the text of the bill, please visit: https://beta.congress.gov/113/bills/hr5016/BILLS-113hr5016rh.pdf

For the bill report, please visit: https://beta.congress.gov/113/crpt/hrpt508/CRPT-113hrpt508.pdf

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