Key Vote YES on H.ADMT.397 to Reduce Department of Homeland Security Appropriations By 10 Percent

Dear FreedomWorks member,

As one of our million-plus FreedomWorks members nationwide, I urge you to contact your representatives and ask them to vote YES on H. AMDT.397 on H.R. 2017, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2012. The amendment offered by Rep. Rokita (R-Ind.) would cut homeland security funding by 10 percent across the board. The only exception is funding for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to enforce border security. The total savings would be $2.47 billion off the base bill and $3.54 billion from current spending levels.

This amendment is just the first in a series of amendments that the Republican Study Committee will be offering throughout the appropriation process. The Department of Homeland Security budget is just as prone to reckless spending as any other government department. The proposed fiscal year 2012 budget for Department of Homeland Security is a massive $40.6 billion. We cannot restore fiscal responsibility without addressing the bloated homeland security budget.

Last November, lawmakers overwhelmingly pledged to roll back spending. We hope that they will keep their promise by putting the Department of Homeland Security budget on the cutting board. With our national debt at $14.3 trillion, we cannot afford to have any sacred cows. The Department of Homeland Security should not enjoy protected status that isolates it from serious scrutiny. True fiscal stewards must vote for H.AMDT.397 to reduce homeland security spending by 10 percent.

I urge you to call your representatives and ask them to vote YES on H.AMDT.397 to H.R. 2017, the Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2012. We may count their vote as a KEY VOTE when calculating the FreedomWorks Economic Freedom Scorecard for 2011. The Economic Freedom Scorecard is used to determine eligibility for the Jefferson Award, which recognizes members of Congress with voting records that support economic freedom.

Sincerely,

Matt Kibbe
President and CEO
FreedomWorks       
[Click here for PDF version of this letter.]