Press Releases

Washington, D.C. (April 9, 2014) – This afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.Con.Res. 96, the Budget Resolution for fiscal year 2015, with a vote of 219-205. The fiscal year 2015 Budget Resolution balances the budget in ten years by cutting spending by $5.1 trillion, and it ensures greater access to federal lands for energy exploration, better forest management, wildfire suppression, and balanced land management.

Congressional Western Caucus Co-Chairs Steve Pearce and Cynthia Lummis along with Chairman Emeritus Rob Bishop released the following statements in response to the passage of H.Con.Res. 96:

“The budget passed today is a strong win for the West,” said Congressman Pearce. “The current course laid out by the Obama administration ignores our growing national debt, while attempting to curtail growth in our energy sector. The budget resolution passed today unlocks domestic energy supplies for Western communities. It also fully funds wildfire suppression programs, so that the Forest Service does not have to borrow from forest management accounts to fight fires.”

“Once again we have passed a responsible budget in the U.S. House to turn our country around, return it to fiscal sanity, and restore common sense to how we manage our forests and other natural resources on federal land in the West,” said Rep. Lummis. “I very much appreciate the hard work of Paul Ryan on this budget. This plan takes the difficult and absolutely necessary task of reforming social welfare and certain entitlement programs head-on. It cuts government spending by over $5 trillion as our national debt soars over the $17 trillion debt mark. And it would balance the federal budget within ten years. It is high time we rein in the out of control spending in Washington and create more opportunities for economic prosperity in the West and nationwide.”

“The framework of the federal budget should support the constitutional responsibilities of the federal government. Unfortunately, over the years, this has changed and spending has focused less on Congress’ constitutional role and more on programs that expand the scope of the federal government. This has resulted in budgets that don’t balance and an unacceptable deficit. This budget balances, focuses on core constitutional duties such as national defense, and cuts the growth of spending. While I may not support every single aspect of it, this is the responsible path forward and I was pleased to lend my support to the measure,” said Bishop.