America has been without transparency and accountability in Washington's legislative process for quite a few years, at least. I hear this concern over and over again in town hall meetings and other constituent events. As trust and faith in Congress is at an all-time low, I have committed myself to restoring this trust. I am listening to your concerns and doing my part to advocate for the most fair and open debate possible on Capitol Hill.
Last week, for example, the House voted on two of the twelve appropriations bills, which are the bills that dictate the $1 trillion in federal spending. We voted on H.R. 2055, the "Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012" ("MilCon-Vets" for short), and we voted on H.R. 2112, the "Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012." We brought these bills to the House floor under an open process that allowed any Member of the House to propose changes to the bill and request a vote on making those changes. Believe it or not, that isn't how the House has usually operated. In fact, while we have considered two bills under this open process thus far, last year the House didn't allow this open process at all. This process wasn't allowed in 2009 either, nor in 2008. The House has been so closed to new ideas and changes that before this year this open process was last allowed in July of 2007. To be clear, however, while I am proud that Republicans took this new, open direction, it takes both Republicans and Democrats to make the process work. Together, for America, we're doing it.
In a closed process, the leadership in the House simply brings a bill to the Floor and demands a vote with no opportunity for the full House membership to change and improve the bill. In an open process, all House members—and thus all Americans—have a chance to make changes, and that is exactly what our founding fathers intended.
Last week, I voted for changes to get America's budget back in order. The MilCon-Vets bill reduces spending below FY 2011 levels. Yes, I am committed to making sure that our veterans are fully served, but I am examining every category of government spending for waste, duplication, and potential reductions. A one-percent reduction cuts those items that can be reduced while protecting and even expanding those programs that serve our veterans well.
The Agriculture Appropriations bill reduces spending by 13% from last year's levels. In fact, it reduces spending all the way back to FY 2006 levels. Today, 42 cents of every dollar that the federal government spends is borrowed, so we must stand up and make these changes now. But again, this bill was considered under an open rule so that all members of Congress could play a role in making changes, and we made a lot of changes to further improve this bill.
I believe that this kind of open, transparent process is what the American people want—the ability to bring a bill to the House, debate the bill, and amend it before it is brought to a final vote. As a member of the Rules Committee—the committee in Congress that decides how a bill will come to the House Floor—I will continue to advocate for an open process. The days of legislating under the cloak of darkness are behind us. If a bill is worth passing, it is worth debating.
Our national debt is more than $14 trillion. Our unemployment is currently 9.1 percent. There is much to do to shrink spending and get government out of the way of America's job creators.
One bill at the time, we are doing exactly that. We are streamlining our government and drawing a hard line on spending. We will not make the mistakes of the past.
As you and I continue to stay in touch, please know that if you have any further questions about pending legislation, I am here to find the answers for you. If you have suggestions about how I can serve you better, I welcome your feedback.
Thank you for your support and your commitment to keeping our nation strong.
Sincerely,
Rob Woodall
Member of Congress
http://woodall.house.gov/
