{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://shimkus.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/shimkus-supports-fy2015-spending-bill", "Shimkus Supports FY2015 Spending Bill", "2014-12-11", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "IL", "John Shimkus", "S000364", "shimkus.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Congressman John Shimkus (R-Illinois-15) today voted to fund most federal government operations through the end of the fiscal year in September 2015. The bipartisan spending agreement includes a number of conservative priorities and better positions the Republican-controlled 114th Congress to confront President Obama\u2019s executive actions on immigration early next year.\n\u201cThis spending agreement builds on a five year streak of budget reductions that have cut the deficit by $165 billion since 2010,\u201d said Shimkus. \u201cTo put that into perspective, if Congress can keep these cuts in place, taxpayers will save $2.13 trillion over the next decade. That\u2019s on top of the cuts we\u2019ll have more leverage to make in the next Congress.\u201d\nSpecific cuts in the FY15 appropriations bill include a $345 million cut to the Internal Revenue Service, bringing total IRS funding down to below 2008 levels; a $60 million cut to the Environmental Protection Agency, bringing total EPA funding down $2.2 billion, or 21 percent, since 2010; and a $10 million cut to Obamacare\u2019s Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), whose decisions could restrict access to needed care for patients on Medicare. The bill also maintains the ban on federal funding for most abortions and directs the Administration to provide better information about which Obamacare plans provide abortion services.\n\u201cDespite all the conservative priorities included in this bill,\u201d Shimkus continued, \u201cI recognize that many are frustrated that it doesn\u2019t immediately defund President Obama\u2019s executive actions on immigration. I share those frustrations because I too oppose amnesty, but I would not have voted for this bill today if I didn\u2019t truly believe it gives us the upper hand in the immigration debate come January.\u201d\n\u201cThe reality,\u201d concluded Shimkus, \u201cis that a fully Republican-controlled Congress will be in a much better position to confront the President\u2019s immigration actions next year through stand-alone legislation as well as through appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security, which is only funded through February in this bill.\u201d\u00a0\nMore information on the omnibus appropriations bill can be found HERE.\n###", 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://shimkus.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/shimkus-supports-fy2015-spending-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 5.594576010480523, "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"}