Heartland Institute Experts React to House Passing 2018 Omnibus Spending Bill

Today, the House of Representatives passed a $1.3 trillion omnibus appropriations bill to fund the government through September 30. The bill must be approved by the Senate before midnight March 23 to avert a government shutdown. The 2,232 page bill includes spending measures on a myriad of projects. If approved by the Senate, President Trump is expected to sign the bill.

The following statements from budget and tax policy experts at The Heartland Institute – a free-market think tank – may be used for attribution. For more comments, refer to the contact information below. To book a Heartland guest on your program, please contact Media Specialist Billy Aouste at [email protected] and 312/377-4000 or (cell) 847/445-7554.

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“Lawmakers in Congress seem to always promise that they’ll fix the federal government’s addiction to spending, but it never happens. The new omnibus bill is no different, so if you like trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see, you’ll love the new spending bill.

“When politicians of both parties in Washington get together, America’s taxpayers usually lose. And so it is with this latest massive spending bill in Washington. Trillion-dollar deficits are bad not only for America’s checkbook, but the accompanying massive, bloated big government is an existential threat to our freedoms as well.”

Tim Huelskamp, Ph.D.
President
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000

Dr. Huelskamp represented Kansas’ 1st District in the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017.
 


“Congress continues to spend more and more money every day, despite promising the folks back home they’ll govern responsibly.

“D.C. swamp creatures from both parties, many of whom promised to ‘drain the swamp’ and ‘keep America great’ are ignoring the ticking of the federal debt time bomb. Government debt is a weight placed around the neck of American taxpayers, and, if current trends continue, this weight will sink us all.

“There’s not much difference between increasing spending today and hiking taxes tomorrow. Either way, everyday people will get stuck with the bill.”

Jesse Hathaway
Research Fellow, Budget and Tax Policy
The Heartland Institute
Managing Editor, Budget & Tax News
[email protected]
312/377-4000


“House swamp passes spending bill to further flood the country in debt. Schumer and Pelosi laugh out loud.  RINOs laugh behind closed doors and go on vacation. Administrative State parties on.”

Christopher Garbacz
Consultant
Policy Advisor, The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
601/961-5413