{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://byrne.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/funding-bill-includes-conservative-reforms-alabama-priorities", "Funding Bill Includes Conservative Reforms, Alabama Priorities", "2014-12-11", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "AL", "Bradley Byrne", "B001289", "byrne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-1) called a government funding bill passed by the House of Representatives today \u201cgood news\u201d for Southwest Alabama and the best strategy for reining in President Barack Obama\u2019s recent executive action on immigration.\n\t\t\t\t\tA government funding bill must be passed by the House and the Senate and signed into law by President Obama in order to avoid a government shutdown. The current funding measure expires at midnight tonight.\n\t\t\t\t\tThe funding bill included a number of provisions of particular importance to Southwest Alabama:\n\t\t\t\t\t Littoral Combat Ship (LCS): fully funds the construction of 3 new ships and includes $80 million for the advance procurement of materials for a ship to be built in fiscal 2016\n\t\t\t\t\t\tJoint High Speed Vessel (JHSV): fully funds an additional vessel\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHarbor Maintenance Trust Fund: boosts funding for the Harbor Maintenance Fund, which is used to keep the Port of Mobile maintained and operating smoothly, by $100 million\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWaters of the US Rule: makes clear the proposed Waters of the US rule cannot apply to farm ponds and irrigation ditches. This is important to Alabama farmers and an issue Congressman Byrne has\u00a0spoken out on.\n\t\t\t\t\t Byrne\u00a0said:\u00a0\u201cThe government funding bill approved in the House of Representatives today includes some good news for families and businesses in Southwest Alabama. From fully funding three Littoral Combat Ships to easing a burdensome regulation on our local farmers, there are many positive reforms included in this bill. Additionally, the bill includes no new funding for ObamaCare, slashes the budgets of the EPA and IRS and includes strong 2nd Amendment and pro-life policies.\u201d\n\t\t\t\t\tThe bill funds most government agencies through October 1, 2015, but funding for immigration programs and the Department of Homeland Security only runs through February 27 of next year, giving the Republican controlled House and Senate a chance to rein in President Obama\u2019s recent executive action on immigration.\n\t\t\t\t\tByrne\u00a0said:\u00a0\u201cI have been perfectly clear about the harmful impact President Obama\u2019s executive action on immigration will have on our country, and I am committed to fighting it tooth and nail. That said, until Republicans take control of the Senate in January, any piece of legislation must be able to get through Harry Reid\u2019s Democrat controlled Senate.\n\t\t\t\t\t\u201cBy only funding the Department of Homeland Security through February, this strategy gives us the best chance to actually make meaningful attempts to rein in the President\u2019s ill-conceived executive action. With the help of a Republican-controlled Senate, that will be my top priority in the next year.\n\t\t\t\t\t\u201cMost importantly, passing this bill will allow Congress to return to \u2018regular order\u2019 and pass individual appropriations bills instead of relying on these large scale funding measures. I have made clear I won\u2019t make a habit of supporting these giant funding bills, and I don\u2019t consider this the best way to do the people\u2019s business. If Senate Democrats had followed \u2018regular order\u2019 earlier this year and passed individual funding bills, we wouldn\u2019t have been facing yet another fiscal crisis.\u201d\n\t\t\t\t\tIn addition to the funding provisions important to Southwest Alabama, the bill also included many conservative reforms:\n\t\t\t\t\t ObamaCare\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNo new funds for ObamaCare,\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRequires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury Department to report to Congress on improper payments of ObamaCare tax subsidies\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCuts the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) by $10 million\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPro Life\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMaintains all existing pro-life policy and funding provisions\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBans public funding for abortions in the District of Columbia, within the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and for federal prisoners\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThree new pro-life provisions: \u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tObamacare transparency - requires ObamaCare healthcare plans to tell customers if they provide abortion services\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tConscience protection - requires HHS Office of Civil Rights to address complaints of violations\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvides $12 million in unused abstinence education funds\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCuts EPA by $60 million (fifth consecutive year of cuts, totaling a 21% reduction since Fiscal Year 2010 and a decrease in 2,000 positions)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSecond Amendment\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProtects Second Amendment rights and prohibits EPA from regulating lead content in ammunition or fishing tackle\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIRS\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCuts IRS funding $345.6 million ($1.5 billion below the president\u2019s request)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProhibits IRS targeting organizations based on their ideological beliefs or for exercising their First Amendment rights\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProhibits the White House ordering review of tax-exempt status\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProhibits IRS funds for inappropriate videos and conferences\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIsrael\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFully funds the US-Israel Memorandum of Understanding at $3.1 billion\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProhibits funds for the Palestinian Authority if it unilaterally seeks membership at the UN and does not counter incitement of violence\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tOther provisions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStops the National Labor Relations Board\u2019s (NLRB) regulations related to e-Card Check\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNo funds for high-speed rail\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t The House passed the bill by a vote of 219 to 206, with many liberal Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, voting in opposition.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://byrne.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/funding-bill-includes-conservative-reforms-alabama-priorities"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8652969263494015, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}