{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://lucas.house.gov/frankly-speaking/funding-our-priorities", "Funding Our Priorities", "2014-12-16", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "OK", "Frank Lucas", "L000491", "lucas.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Last week, Congress voted on and passed a bipartisan spending bill that will fund the federal government through the rest of the bookkeeping year. This legislation, also known as an omnibus, combines twelve different appropriations bills into a single bill.\nThis year the omnibus contributed to $165 billion in overall spending cuts since 2010, while protecting jobs, strengthening our nation\u2019s national security, and directing funds to many vital parts of our government. It also includes several provisions and budget cuts directed at areas where the government has overstepped its bounds.\nFor example, the IRS budget has been cut by $345.6 million amid reports earlier this year of gross incompetence and abuse of power, and Obamacare will not receive another dollar in new spending.\nFarmers and ranchers will receive needed relief from regulatory overreach by the EPA. The spending bill cuts the agency\u2019s staffing to its lowest levels since 1989 and requires them to withdraw a new rule under the Clean Water Act that would\u2019ve allowed government regulation of on-farm irrigation ditches or ponds.\nThis bill also does not provide a single dime for President Obama\u2019s unilateral executive amnesty.\nIn fact, it challenges the president\u2019s entire approach on immigration by withholding yearlong funding for the Department of Homeland Security. This sets up a real debate on amnesty and illegal immigration for next month so the new Republican majority in the House and Senate can fully weigh in on the issue.\nApart from signing or vetoing legislation, the president\u2019s responsibility is to implement the law, not write the law or rule by decree. The showdown on the president\u2019s immigration policy will occur next year and there will be several more debates throughout the rest of his two years in office.\nIt\u2019s clear from the recent election that President Obama\u2019s unpopular policies are what cost many of his fellow Democrats their job in Congress. As a result, Republicans will take control of the Senate and have the largest majority in the House since the 1920\u2019s.\nThe shift in power means we now have a new set of chairmen and chairwomen who control the hearing schedule, we now have the ability to control the appropriations process, and the Senate will now control the confirmation process \u2013 meaning they do not have to approve executive appointments or treaty proposals.\nThrough his actions and rhetoric over the course of the last six years, the president has made himself into a lame duck. He is beyond salvaging his failed agenda. His only remaining option is to drag the rest of us down through political gamesmanship, and I will not be complicit in allowing that to happen.\nThis spending agreement isn\u2019t perfect, but it represents real priorities and most importantly keeps the federal government open. It keeps the USDA offices open; it keeps Social Security offices open; and it ensures our country\u2019s servicemen and women receive their hard earned paychecks.\nWe now have an opportunity to return to a regular legislative order. The president\u2019s policies have caused grief not only to his own party, but the American people at large. In the 114th Congress, I look forward to reversing this trend by supporting commonsense policies that will get our country back on track.", 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://lucas.house.gov/frankly-speaking/funding-our-priorities"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4094188809394836, "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"}