Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Budget Committee, joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill. Excerpts and full video are below.
On the $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Bill:
“None of these things in a 4,155 page bill are on their own. They’re not siloed. It’s one giant bill. Thus the word omnibus. [It] is why the transparency of the process matters, why having 12 separate appropriations bills, each one identifying the topic within their own jurisdiction is what’s better for the members [and] what’s better for the Americans. Some will tell you and including Leader McConnell, in all of the omnibus [bills] we’ve ever had this is the ‘best one.’ I would say this might be the least worst one, but it’s certainly not good. So the process stinks from the beginning. Because the process has been jammed in this way, we got this bill at 2:00 AM and we’re going to be voting on it tomorrow. Because of that, I haven’t read all 4,155 pages, nor has anybody else. I’m a no [vote], I’ve been a no [vote] all along largely over process.”
“Let’s remember a year ago, when Chuck Schumer released [the Senate] calendar, he put this week on the calendar. Why do you think he scheduled us to be here the week of Christmas? He did it specifically for this reason. This is a liberal strategy to push all of the spending on Republicans – and by the way, the payoff to Republicans from Chuck Schumer is this 10% increase in military spending, which is very, very important. In this one bill, this is a 10% increase in defense and a 5% increase in non-defense.”
On the Need to Return Regular Order:
“We deserve a better process than this. Now, at the end of the day, Larry, just remember even with the House majority, when the House passes next year is very lean, much more responsible appropriations bills and sends them over in the Senate, the Democrats are in control over here. So [Democrats are] not going to accept it just out of pocket. Being the eternal optimists that you and I are—the good news is if that happens, then Kevin McCarthy and House Republicans get to start on January 3, with a clean slate and a new fiscal year to start the appropriations process and show us really what we’re all about. Then the negotiations begin in a bicameral, divided government way that the Founders envisioned and we start swapping priorities. We start negotiating. We start transacting. We do it in a manner that is obvious to the people of this country so they don’t have to be suspicious of 4,155 page bill that has to be decided in 12 hours.”
“[Regular order] is better for the institution of Congress. While somebody that ends up voting for this bill might [oppose] $100 billion in taxes, but they counter that with an $850 billion very important national defense appropriation to fund all the priorities and National Defense Authorization. That’s the transactional part of this business. You don’t get this pick and choose the things you liked the most or pick and choose the things you disliked the most.”