releases: http://flores.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398738
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://flores.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398738 | Flores Statement on Passage of Omnibus Appropriations Bill | 2015-12-18 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | TX | Bill Flores | F000461 | flores.house.gov | legacy | The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2016. Congressman Bill Flores (R-Texas) issued the following statement regarding its passage: The most essential constitutional function of our government is to provide for our national security. For this critical reason, I voted for todays bill. This plan funds our national defense and homeland security at increased levels necessary to confront the growing threats posed by an increasingly dangerous world. This bill addresses one of the biggest, single internal threats that our nation faces - the weakness of our visa waiver program. Currently, anyone with a passport from one of the 38 participating visa waiver countries can come to the United States without applying for a visa and without a basic background check.By tighteningcontrol of our nations visa waiver program,we can eliminate the possibility of someone entering one of the waiver countries, such as France, obtaining a passport, boarding a flight into the United States and entering our country unchecked. While the administration has failed to stop this possible threat, House Republicans saw its importance and acted to have provisions to strengthen security of the program included in the omnibus bill. Enacting this provision along with the veto proof House-passed SAFE Act, which bans Syrian refugees from entering America until more stringent vetting processes are put in place, will stop the Obama Administrations negligence towards our homeland security. This bill also lifts the four decade old ban on crude oil exports. This action creates an estimated one million new American jobs and adds $170 billion a year to our GDP. Lifting the ban will expand economic growth, lower consumer energy costs, move the United States closer to energy security, improve national security and reduce the trade deficit. This issue, along with national security, is so important to Texas that over 75 percent of its Congressional delegation voted for passage of the bill. Closer to home, this bill presents significant policy improvements for Texas and the 17thCongressional District. It provides relief to ranchers and farmers by repealing the harmful country-of-origin labeling requirements. It improves funding to address deferred maintenance issues with Texas ports, which will enhance the ability of Texas farmers to export their products. The bill strengthens funding for National Science Foundation andNational Institutes of Health basic research, which is critical to the three major research and educational institutions that have footprints in our district Texas A&M University, Baylor University and The University of Texas. It also provides funding stability for important defense contractors, like the manufacturers of the F-35, which are built in Texas. Additionally, it provides critical funding for our Texas military bases and supports our troops and their families. While this bill is far from perfect, it takes stands against the Obama Administrations agenda by restricting transfers of Guantanamo detainees, increasing funding for abstinence education, prohibiting taxpayer funding for abortion, blocking EPA and IRS overreach and not funding Obama's proposed Green Climate Fund. These important measures, combined with the House-passed tax extenders bill, will improve Americas economic opportunity for hardworking Texas families. This bill has a lot to dislike and a lot to like. Unfortunately, this represents what happens in Washington when government is divided. As Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, we worked hard to insert over 100 important conservative policy riders in the earlier appropriations bills and into this bill. Fortunately, some of those were included; however, many of them were not. After reading the bill closely and listening to input from our constituents, it became readily apparent that national security concerns are the most important issue for Texas. Thus, I voted for the bill to address these concerns. As we move into 2016, Conservatives will continue to fight for increased national security, protections for life and to rein in out-of-control federal bureaucrats. We look to advance a bold, conservative agenda which lays out our vision for national security, tax reform, economic growth, deficit reduction and other matters important to hardworking Texans. Congressman Bill Flores represents the 17th District of Texas and is an entrepreneur, former energy executive, Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) and member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |