Key Vote YES on Spending Cut Amendments to CSJ Appropriation Bill

Dear FreedomWorks member,

As one of our million-plus FreedomWorks member nationwide, I urge you to contact your representative and ask him or her to vote YES on amendments to H.R. 5326, the Departments of Commerce, Science, and Justice Appropriation Bill that will further cut spending. It is unclear as of this writing which amendments will be voted on. However, we have so far identified the following Amendments as potential key votes that we may score on our scorecard if they come up for a vote.

• An amendment introduced by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) would eliminate the Economic Development Administration (EDA). The EDA is a duplicative, ineffective, and wasteful program that should be eliminated immediately. The EDA picks winners and losers in the marketplace. Similar to earmarks, the EDA subsidizes local projects that benefit few people at the expense of taxpayers.

• An amendment introduced by Rep. John Duncan (R-TN) would completely defund the American Community Survey (ACS), a periodic intrusive survey the Census conducts which asks extremely personal questions. The U.S. Census Bureau randomly selects 3 million Americans to fill out the ACS. If someone refuses to complete the intrusive survey, they can be subjected to a fine up to $5,000. The ACS is an additional government survey that is not mandated in the Constitution.

 • An amendment introduced by Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) that would make the ACS voluntary.

 • An amendment introduced by Rep. Westmoreland  (R-GA) would reduce funding for the Legal Services Corporation by $128 million.

 • Introduced by Rep. Cravaack (R-MN), Amendment 7, would ensure that no funds made available by this Act will be used to carry out the activities of the Climate Change Education program. The National Science Foundation proposes to spend $38 million over the next five years making grants to universities, zoos, and scientific organizations to “educate” the public about global climate change. The program is not based on sound evidence and has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars.

 • Introduced by Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Amendment 8, would ensure that none of the funds of this Act would be used to implement the National Ocean Policy (NOP). We must defund the NOP which would grant federal bureaucrats more control over the oceans and fisheries.

I urge you to call your representative and ask him or her to vote YES on the above amendments to H.R. 5326, the Departments of Commerce, Science, and Justice Appropriation Bill. We will be watching their votes closely and may score these amendments as key votes. 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 a PDF version of this letter.]