Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) released the following after the passage of H.R. 5860:  

 “Let’s get the job done. House Republicans are fighting back against Joe Biden’s spending spree by passing the largest spending reforms in modern history through all 12 spending bills (known as appropriations). We now have six weeks to finish the work of reining in the budget, securing our border, and holding the Biden administration accountable. Rather than letting the Democrat Senate and White House dictate terms, House Republicans got the better of Chuck Schumer. 

“While we have passed a temporary stopgap bill this weekend to get our work done, I and 90 percent of Republicans supported a far better bill the day before, and one I thought could become law. It would have cut federal spending by 8 percent and included the toughest border security bill in a generation (H.R. 2). Unfortunately, about 20 Republicans decided to team up with every Democrat to defeat this budget cutting and border security bill, empowering the Senate to try and force a bad bill on the American people.  

 “Earlier this year, Republicans forced the White House to accept the most significant deficit reduction in a decade, clawing back billions in already allocated taxpayer dollars and cutting Federal deficit spending by $2.1 trillion over the next six years. Since then, House Republicans have followed regular order to pass appropriations bills that pay our troops, fund the border, and care for our veterans. The Senate has passed no government funding – zero percent – through regular order.  

“The stopgap measure House Republicans passed on Saturday allows more time to finish our work making American priorities a reality, including bills that cut spending, roll back harmful Federal policies enacted by the Federal bureaucracy, and ensure that our border is secured. If we fail to do so, we will end up with a worse result than if we had negotiated. I’ve seen this movie before, and it ends poorly.  

“I want to secure the border and protect American lives; I don’t want an unreliable government. Refusing to acknowledge the crisis on our border is dangerous for all Americans. In the month of August, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered a record 232,000 illegal immigrants and seized more than 1,800 pounds of fentanyl. Last year the U.S. saw 110,000 Americans die from overdoses. Surrender is not an option. Funding our government and securing our border is a duty we have.  

“A lapse in Federal government funding would prevent our troops and border patrol agents from getting paid and stop Ohioans from getting their deserved tax returns and small business loans. Several ongoing House investigations to hold government officials accountable will also be delayed, including into widespread corruption, the origins of COVID and our pandemic responses, and the suppression of evidence within the CIA, FBI, and DOJ. As Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, if the government shuts down, these important investigations I am working on will come to a halt.

“I have been to our southern border, and I have heard from my constituents, and I share their concerns about the massive human and drug trafficking operation occurring on our southern border as well as out-of-control Federal deficit spending. I believe we can both keep the government running and address the priorities of Ohioans and the American people, by securing our border and continuing important House investigations to hold our government accountable.  

“Congress now has 6 weeks to complete our work through regular order: to cut spending, secure the border, and continue the critical investigations into an out-of-control executive branch. So far, the Senate has not passed any appropriations bills." 

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