Labrador Votes Against Massive Spending Bill

Press Release

Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) released the following statement today after voting against the FY 2014 Omnibus spending bill. The Omnibus spends $45 billion above the budget caps established in 2011, gutting the sequester:

"Once again, Congress is kicking the can down the road, refusing to make the tough choices that are necessary to put our fiscal house in order and prevent a future debt crisis. The Omnibus is Washington at its worst -- a 1,582 page bill stuffed with pork, ineffective programs and giveaways, being rushed through Congress without proper review. And to make matters worse, the Omnibus doesn't appropriate any money for the PILT program, even though Idaho's rural communities rely on PILT to meet their basic budget needs. The federal government should honor its commitment to Idaho's counties."

Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) are federal payments to local governments that help offset losses in property taxes due to non-taxable federal lands within their boundaries. In FY 2013, Idaho received $26.3 million in PILT payments.

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