Lummis Joins Amendment to Offset Hurricane Sandy Relief Funds

Statement

On Tuesday, U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) joined U.S. Representatives Mick Mulvaney (R-SC), Tom McClintock (R-CA), and Jeff Duncan (R-SC) in offering an amendment to the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013. The amendment would have offset the $17 billion cost of immediate Hurricane Sandy-related disaster assistance by trimming the 2013 budgets of federal agencies by 1.63%.

Congressman Lummis issued the following statement:

"Without question the victims of Sandy deserve relief. They deserve it. And we should give it to them in a way that we can afford. If we can't do a 1.6% reduction in spending, how are we going to deal with a $16 trillion debt?

"My own State of Wyoming is cutting spending 6.5% across the board right now to balance the budget because revenues didn't materialize that have materialized in the past. And it's very doable.

"We in this House cut our own budgets 11.4% in the period of two years. This House has not missed a beat. Not a single member was hurt by that.

"A 1.6% reduction in federal spending to pay for these victims' benefits, who deserve this money, is the right thing to do."

Rep. Lummis' amendment failed to pass the House by a vote of 162 to 258. Because the funds were not responsibly offset as Rep. Lummis sought to do through amendment, Rep. Lummis voted against the $17 billion package.

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