Mini-Bus Funds Government, Cuts Spending

Washington, D.C.– Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) released the following statement on the passage of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Agriculture, Commerce/Justice/Science (CSJ), and Transportation/Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bills – also known as a “Mini-Bus.” Diaz-Balart comments:

“This bill reduces total discretionary spending for the second year in a row, a significant achievement, saving taxpayers billions of dollars. More importantly, this bill represents the extraordinary change House Republicans have made, taking Washington’s attitude from how much can government spend to how much of government can be reduced responsibly.

“By closely reviewing numerous agencies and programs, we were able to cut funding for duplicative, ineffective, and poorly planned programs. Clearly, we maintained responsible funding levels for important activities such as, housing, federal law enforcement, food and drug safety, and infrastructure development.

“The package also consists of a short term CR to continue funding federal operations, in order to finalize the remaining nine FY2012 Appropriations bills. The work has been long and hard, but we are one step closer in reducing the size of the federal government while simultaneously, funding essential services.”

Congressman Diaz-Balart sits on the House Appropriations Committee and three of its subcommittees: Transportation/Housing and Urban Development (THUD), Vice-Chair of Financial Services, and State and Foreign Operations.