2019: Schweikert Voted Against The FY 2020 Minibus Spending Bill That Represented 4 Of The 12 Appropriations Bills, Which Established A Sixth Armed Service For Space And Provided Only $1.375 Billion For The Border Wall, $3.6 Billion Less Than Trump Requested. In December 2019, Schweikert voted against the FY 2020 minibus appropriations bill. According to Congressional Quarterly, the bill would "would provide $860.3 billion in discretionary spending for four of the twelve fiscal 2020 appropriations bills: Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce-Justice-Science, and Financial Services. It would provide $695.1 for the Defense Department, $68 billion for the Homeland Security Department, $73.2 billion for the Commerce and Justice departments and science and related agencies, and $23.8 billion for the Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service, and other agencies. Among other provisions, it would provide $70.7 billion in overseas contingency operations funding, primarily for ongoing military operations in Afghanistan and other counterterrorism operations; $42.4 billion for military aircraft, including over $9 billion for the procurement of 98 F-35 planes; and $40 million for the operation and maintenance of the Space Force. It would provide $1.38 billion in funding for Customs and Border Protection for the construction of physical barriers along the U.S. southwest border. It would provide $22.6 billion for NASA activities and programs; $32.6 billion for the Justice Department, including $502.5 million to support state and local law enforcement activities under the Violence Against Women Act; and $7.6 billion for the Census Bureau. It would provide $425 million for Election Assistance Commission grants related improving federal election security. It would provide a 3.1% pay increase for all members of the armed forces and for federal civilian employees." The vote was a motion to concur in the Senate Amendment. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 280-138. The Senate then passed the bill and the President signed the bill into law. [House Vote 690, 12/17/19; Congressional Quarterly, 12/17/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.1158]
The FY 2020 Minibus Provided $1.375 Billion For A Border Wall, Over $3 Billion Less Than What Trump Requested. According to Washington Post, "At the crux of a new deal, the White House will get $1.375 billion in Homeland Security funds for the wall ― significantly less than the $5 billion Trump sought ― and no money to backfill the $3.6 billion in military construction funds the administration moved this year for the project. Democrats, in exchange, abandoned language to lower limits on the amount the military can shift between accounts, from $9.5 billion to $1.5 billion." [Washington Post, 12/19/19]
The FY 2020 Minibus Provided $40 Million To Establish A New, Sixth Armed Service For Space But Authorized $32 Million Less Than The Administration's Request. According to the Washington Post, "The defense bill dedicates $40 million to establish a new, sixth armed service [sic] for space, which was $32 million less than the administration's request. Even as Congress approved a sweeping defense policy bill this week that re-designates Air Force Space Command, it included language to prohibit any new billets, meaning the organization must be built with existing forces." [Washington Post, 12/19/19]
The FY 2020 Minibus Included A 3.1% Federal Pay Raise, The Largest In A Decade. According to Federal News Network, The bill "includes a 3.1% federal pay raise, the largest in a decade for the civilian workforce. Specifically, it includes a 2.6% across-the-board increase in base pay with an additional 0.5% in locality adjustments, for a total average of 3.1%." [Federal News Network, 12/19/19]
2019: Schweikert Voted Against The FY 2020 Minibus Spending Bill That Represented 8 Of The 12 Appropriations Bills, Which Repealed The ACA Cadillac Tax And Raised The Tobacco Age Of Sale To 21. In December 2019, Schweikert voted against the FY 2020 minibus appropriations bill. According to Congressional Quarterly, the bill would "would provide approximately $540 billion in discretionary funding for eight of the twelve fiscal 2020 appropriations bills: Labor-HHS-Education, Agriculture, Energy-Water, Interior-Environment, Legislative Branch, Military Construction-VA, State-Foreign Operations, and Transportation-HUD. It would provide $184.9 billion for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education departments and related agencies; $23.5 billion for the Agriculture Department and related agencies; $48.3 billion for the Energy Department and federal water projects; $36 billion for the Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency, and related agencies; $5 billion for legislative branch operations; $110.4 billion for the Veterans Affairs Department, military construction, and related agencies; $54.7 billion for the State Department and related agencies; and $74.3 billion for the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development departments and related agencies. It would also include a number of other legislative provisions related to taxes, health care programs, and various federal program extensions." The vote was a motion to concur in the Senate amendment. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 297-120. The Senate later passed the bill and the President signed the bill into law. [House Vote 689, 12/17/19; Congressional Quarterly, 12/17/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.1865]
Politico: Repealing The Cadillac Tax "All But Guts The Funding Provisions" For The ACA. According to Politico, "Congress preserved a moratorium on the 'Cadillac' tax until 2022 [...] The move all but guts the funding provisions for the Affordable Care Act, with the Cadillac tax repeal alone projected to cost nearly $200 billion." [Politico, 12/16/19]
The FY 2020 Minibus Raised The Age Of Sale For Tobacoo To 21, Which Will Be Implemented Over The Three Years. According to Reuters, the bill "[raised] the U.S. tobacco purchasing age to 21 [...] The crackdown on youth smoking, by changing the minimum age for cigarette and other tobacco purchases to 21 from the current 18, would give the U.S. food and Drug Administration six months to develop regulations. The agency would then have three years to work with states on implementing the change." [Reuters, 12/16/19]
The FY 2020 Minibus Was The First Time In Over 20 Years That Congress Had Appropriated Money For Gun Violence Research. According to The Hill, "It's the first time in more than 20 years that Congress has appropriated money for gun violence research [...] Congress stopped funding gun violence research in 1996 after an amendment passed blocking agencies from using federal funds to advocate for gun control [...] While Democrats had tried for years to end the amendment, they shifted their strategy this year, pushing for $50 million in funding while leaving the amendment in place in an attempt to allay concerns that the money could be used inappropriately." [The Hill, 12/16/19]
2020: Schweikert Voted Against A Continuing Appropriations Bill To Fund The Government Through December 20, 2020. In November 2019, Schweikert voted against a continuing appropriations bill, which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "provide funding for federal government operations and services through Dec. 20, 2019, at fiscal 2019 levels." The vote was on a motion to concur in the Senate amendment. The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 231-192. The bill was then passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President. [House Vote 631, 11/19/19; Congressional Quarterly, 11/19/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.3055]
The Bill Would Serve As A Stopgap Measure To Fund The Government Until The 12 Annual Spending Bills Are Passed. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The temporary funding bill is designed to give appropriators more time to decide how to divvy up $1.37 trillion in discretionary spending among the 12 annual spending bills needed for the fiscal year that is already more than seven weeks old. That task has been stymied mostly over funding for a wall along the U.S. southern border." [Congressional Quarterly, 11/21/19]
The Stopgap Bill Increased Funding For The 2020 Census. According to Congressional Quarterly, the continuing resolution included "A provision allowing the Census Bureau to spend at a $7.3 billion annualized rate in order to ensure adequate funding for the 2020 decennial count. That includes $90 million for special mobile questionnaire assistance centers to replace brick-and-mortar locations, an effort that has run into skepticism from some lawmakers as well as the bureau's external advisory board." [Congressional Quarterly, 11/19/19]
The Stopgap Bill Provided Funding To Extend Numerous Programs Until A Complete Budget Could Be Passed. According to Congressional Quarterly, the continuing resolution included "Provisions extending numerous expiring health care programs that were temporarily renewed in the most recent stopgap law, such as funding for community health centers and teaching hospitals, as well other miscellaneous programs ranging from the higher education reauthorization law to the Export-Import Bank." [Congressional Quarterly, 11/19/19]
The Stopgap Bill Ensured A 3.1% Pay Raise For U.S. Troops To Take Effect Jan. 1." According to Congressional Quarterly, "The stopgap bill [...] also would specifically ensure a 3.1% pay increase for U.S. troops that's supposed to take effect Jan. 1." [Congressional Quarterly, 11/19/19]
2020: Schweikert Voted Against A Continuing Appropriations Bill To Fund The Government Through November 21, 2020. In September 2019, Schweikert voted against a continuing appropriations bill, which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "provide funding for federal government operations and services through Nov. 21, 2019, at fiscal 2019 levels." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 301-123. The bill was then passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President. [House Vote 538, 9/19/19; Congressional Quarterly, 9/19/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.4378]
The Bill Would Give Lawmakers More Time To Agree On FY 2020 Spending Bills. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The Senate on Thursday cleared legislation to fund federal agencies through Nov. 21, giving lawmakers and the White House more time to reach agreement on the annual appropriations process." [Congressional Quarterly, 9/26/19]
The Stopgap Bill Does Not Address Partisan Fighting Over Immigration And Abortion Policies, Including Funding For The Border Wall. According to Congressional Quarterly, "the short-term funding, which Trump is expected to sign, does nothing to resolve the partisan fights over funding levels, immigration and abortion policies that have stalled spending bills for months. And the increasingly bitter deadlock over funding for a wall along the southern border still threatens to blow up the appropriations process, as it did last year. [Congressional Quarterly, 9/27/19]
The Bill Was Delayed Several Days To Do Disagreements Over Payouts For Farmers Affected By Presidennt Trump's Trade War With China. Last-minute disagreements on the temporary spending bill largely related to certain agriculture related payouts for tariff-affected farmers and ranchers had delayed work on the bill for several days. But lawmakers ultimately agreed on billions of dollars more to support agricultural losses that were incurred as a result of President Donald Trump's trade war with China and other countries. [Congressional Quarterly, 9/19/19]
2019: Schweikert Voted Against The FY 2020 Minibus Spending Bill That Funded The Treasury Department, IRS, SEC, White House, And Other Government Agencies. In June 2019, Schweikert voted against the FY 2020 minibus appropriations bill, which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "provide $24.95 billion in discretionary funding for the Treasury Department, the federal judiciary, the office of the president, a number of executive agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission, and other government operations. Among other provisions, the bill would provide $12 billion for the Internal Revenue Service, including $5.2 billion for enforcement activities and $2.6 billion for IRS taxpayer services. It would provide $7.9 billion for the federal judiciary, $1.9 billion for the Securities and Exchange Commission, $996 million for the Small Business Administration, $741 million in federal payments to the District of Columbia, and $178 million for the White House executive office of the president. It would prohibit the use of funds made available by the bill for the IRS to 'target' any group for regulatory scrutiny based on ideological beliefs or for the reorganization or transfer of any function or authority of the Office of Personnel Management to another federal agency." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 224-196. The bill was never taken up in the Senate. [House Vote 424, 6/26/19; Congressional Quarterly, 6/26/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.3351]
The Bill Prevented The Trump Administration To Use Money From The Treasury Forfeiture Fund To Build The Border Wall. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The White House has threatened to veto the bill, calling it too expensive and objecting to Democratic provisions blocking appropriated funds from being used to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border. The bill would appropriate $355 million more than the White House budget requested, and $1.4 billion more than enacted in fiscal 2019. The bill would prevent the administration from using money from the Treasury Forfeiture Fund to build a wall along the southern border." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/26/19]
The Bill Blocked The Implementation Of The SEC's Regulation Best Interest, Which Customer Advocates Have Rebuked. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The measure included amendments offered by House Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters, D-Calif., regarding Securities and Exchange Commission policies. One Waters' amendment would keep the SEC from implementing its new Regulation Best Interest, which sets a code of conduct for investment advisers' and broker-dealers' communications with customers. Consumer advocates have decried Reg BI, saying it does more harm than good by setting a behavior standard based on disclosing conflicts of interests to clients rather than forcing advisers to act in the clients' best interests, as fiduciaries." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/26/19]
2020: Schweikert Voted Against The FY 2020 Minibus Spending Bill That Represented 4 Of The 12 Appropriations Bills, Which, Amongst Other Provisions, Blocked A Question On Citizenship In The 2020 Census. In June 2019, Schweikert voted against the FY 2020 minibus appropriations bill, which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "provide $321.9 billion in discretionary spending for five of the 12 fiscal 2020 appropriations bills, including $73.9 billion for the Commerce and Justice departments and science and related agencies, $24.3 billion for the Agriculture Department and related agencies, $39.5 billion for the Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency, and related agencies, $108.4 billion for the Veterans Affairs Department, military construction, and related agencies, and $75.8 billion for the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development departments and related agencies. It would also provide $61 billion in obligations from highway and aviation trust funds for associated Transportation Department programs." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 227-194. [House Vote 408, 6/25/19; Congressional Quarterly, 6/25/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.3055]
The FY 2020 Minibus Prohibited The Justice Department From Arguing That The ACA Is Unconstitutional. According to Congressional Quarterly, "the House adopted an amendment to stop the Justice Department from using funds to argue in court that the Obama administration's health care law is unconstitutional or invalid." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/25/19]
Democrats Blocked A Republican Amendment In The FY 2020 Minibus That Would Allow A Question On Citizenship In The 2020 Census. According to Congressional Quarterly, "House Democrats backed a ban on a citizenship question in the 2020 census Tuesday, as the Oversight and Reform Committee released new details from its probe into the Trump administration's decision to include the question [...] Democrats have opposed the citizenship question, arguing it will depress noncitizen response rates and is intended to help Republicans in post 2020 redistricting." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/25/19]
Democrats Blocked A Republican Amendment In The FY 2020 Minibus That Would Have Thwarted The Implementation Of The Clean Power Plan. According to Congressional Quarterly, "the House rejected a Republican amendment that would have prohibited the EPA from enforcing the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan, which aimed to cut carbon emissions. But the EPA last week finalized a more lenient replacement, which they've dubbed the Affordable Clean Energy rule, which sets no limits on power plant emissions and seeks to prop up the struggling coal industry." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/25/19]
The FY 2020 Minibus Included Amendments To Provide Additional Funding For Preventing Homelessness. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The House adopted three amendments that would boost funds to prevent homelessness [...] one [...] would move $1 million from the HUD executive office budget to pay for transitional housing. Another amendment [...] would move $5 million from the $521.5 million administrative support budget to boost a homeless assistance grant program." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/24/19]
The FY 2020 Minibus Included Provisions To Curb Activities By Secretary Elaine's Chao To Use Her Position For Private Gain. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The house adopted an amendment [...] that would forbid federal funds from being used to break a federal ethics rule against using public office for private gain. The amendment is aimed at [Secretary Elaine] Chao, who has been accused of using public appearances as Transportation secretary to help her family's international shipping company." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/24/19]
2019: Schweikert Voted Against The FY 2020 Minibus Spending Bill That Represented 4 Of The 12 Appropriations Bills, Which Would Increase Domestic Funding And Block Monet For A Border Wall. In June 2019, Schweikert voted against the FY 2020 minibus appropriations bill, which would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "provide $984.7 billion in discretionary spending for four of the twelve fiscal 2020 appropriations bills, including $690.2 billion for the Defense Department, $191.7 billion for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Departments, $56.4 billion for the State Department and related agencies, and $46.4 billion for the Energy Department and federal water projects. Within total funding, the bill provides $76.1 billion in overseas contingency operations funding not subject to discretionary spending caps." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 226-203. The bill was never taken up in the Senate. [House Vote 367, 6/19/19; Congressional Quarterly, 6/19/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.2740]
Congressional Quarterly: While The Defense Bill "Typically Receives Bipartisan Support," All House Republicans Voted Against The Minibus Despite The $690.2 Billion Appropriated For Defense Spending. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The display of party unity by Republicans was striking, particularly given inclusion of the Defense bill which typically enjoys broad support on that side of the aisle. The version written by Democrats clocks in at a robust $690.2 billion, just 1 percent below levels sought by the Pentagon for fiscal 2020." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/19/19]
The FY 2020 Minibus Would Increase Spending By 6.9 Percent More Than The Trump Administration's Request. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The measure would spend 6.9 percent more than President Donald Trump requested for the coming fiscal year, amounting to a $63.4 billion increase. It would exceed this year's enacted spending levels by $31.5 billion, according to a Statement of Administration Policy." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/19/19]
The FY 2020 Blocked Pentagon Funding For A Wall On The Southern Border. According to Defense News, "the White House has threatened that President Donald Trump would veto the massive bill. Beyond the above provisions and others, the administration strongly objected to language meant to block Pentagon funds being applied to a wall on the southern border." [Defense News, 6/19/19]
The FY 2020 Minibus Included An Amendment To Block The Trump Administration's Ban On Transgender People Serving In The Military. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The House adopted an amendment blocking the Pentagon from enforcing Trump's ban on transgender people from serving openly in the military. The provision, authored by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., is sure to be contested in the Republican-controlled Senate whenever compromise legislation is considered." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/19/19]
The FY 2020 Minibus Prohibited The State Department From Spending Money At Hotels And Golf Resorts Affiliated With The Trump Organization, Which Cost Taxpayers $80,000 Since 2017. According to Congressional Quarterly, "House Democrats offered another rebuke to Trump [...] by voting to block the State Department from spending taxpayers' money at his domestic and overseas golf clubs and hotels. The House voted 231-187 to adopt an amendment that would prohibit the department from spending funds at any of the Trump Organization's hundreds of hotels, golf resorts and other properties [...] The department since 2017 has paid nearly $80,000 to properties owned, managed or branded by the president's private company, The Trump Organization, according to data tabulated by the investigative news site ProPublica. The tab for American taxpayers includes a nearly $11,000 payment to the president's golf club in Doonbeg, Ireland. ProPublica said it was not clear when that specific payment was made." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/19/19]
The FY 2020 Minibus Blocked The U.S. From Providing Discounts To Saudi Arabia On The Purchase Of U.S. Weapons Systems. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, D-Va., won passage of an amendment he sponsored that would block Saudi Arabia from receiving discounts on the purchase of U.S. weapons systems by tapping International Military and Education Training funds. Lawmakers have expressed concern about Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen and the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/19/19]
The FY 2020 Minibus Blocked A Trump Administration Rule That Allowed The Sale Of Short-Term Health Insurance Plans That Don't Comply With The ACA. According to Congressional Quarterly, "the House adopted bill language blocking the administration from enforcing a rule that allows the sale of short-term health insurance plans that don't comply with all requirements of the 2010 health care overhaul. Republicans have offered such plans to help lower costs, but Democrats have criticized them as "junk insurance" that don't provide needed coverage." [Congressional Quarterly, 6/19/19]
2019: Schweikert Voted For An Amendment To The FY 2020 Minibus That Would Have Cut Discretionary Funding By 14 Percent For Labor, Health and Human Services, And Education. In June 2019, Schweikert voted for a bill that would, according to Congressional Quarterly, "decrease by 14 percent all discretionary funding made available under the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Title of the bill." The vote was on adoption of the amendment. The House rejected the amendment by a vote of 150-273. [House Vote 289, 6/13/19; Congressional Quarterly, 6/13/19; Congressional Actions, H.Amdt. 306; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2740]
2019: Schweikert Voted Against The Bipartisan Budget Act. In July 2019, Schweikert voted against the Bipartisan Budget Act. According to Congressional Quarterly, the vote would "establish enforceable budget levels in the House and Senate for fiscal 2020 and 2021 and suspend the public debt limit through July 31, 2021. It would increase discretionary budget caps for defense and non-defense spending, and would provide a total of $1.37 trillion for fiscal 2020 and $1.38 trillion for fiscal 2021 in discretionary budget authority, including for overseas contingency operations." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 284-149. [House Vote 511, 7/25/19; Congressional Quarterly, 7/25/19; Congressional Actions, H.R.3877]
The Budget Bill Lifted Spending Caps From The 2013 Budget Control Act. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The latest deal signed by Trump (HR 3877) lifts the last of the law's old caps, governing discretionary spending levels for fiscal years 2020 and 2021. That deal, which provided an extra $324 billion over two years, means that policymakers will have erased nearly all of the additional automatic cuts to agency budgets that took effect in early 2013, according to a CQ Roll Call analysis." [Congressional Quarterly, 8/5/19]
The Budget Bill Could Add $1.7 Trillion To The Deficit In The Next Decade. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The new budget deal could add another $1.7 trillion to deficits in the coming decade, since lawmakers are unlikely to return to lower spending limits, according to an estimate from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, an independent watchdog. That projection comes despite a warning from the Congressional Budget Office that the U.S. was already headed for record debt, which "poses substantial risks for the nation and presents policymakers with significant challenges[...]in what amounts to a silver lining, the CQ Roll Call analysis also found that deficits are much lower since 2011 than the law had projected at the time, despite the lifting of spending caps. The law was projected to cut $2.1 trillion from deficits over 10 years." [Congressional Quarterly, 8/5/19]
The Bill Increased The Defense Cap For FY 2020 By $90 Billion. According to CSIS, "The deal increases the defense cap for FY 2020 by approximately $90 billion above the previous cap of $576 billion and raises the FY 2021 budget cap of $590 billion by approximately $81 billion. BBA 2019 also specifies the funding levels for the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account for FY 2020 and FY 2021. The original purpose of OCO was to fund the incremental costs of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan; however, due to its exemption from the budget caps under the BCA, the account has been used as a loophole to supplement funding for normal base budget defense activities and, to a lesser extent, nondefense State Department activities. The bill provides $71.5 billion in OCO for FY 2020 and $69 billion for FY 2021, bringing total national defense discretionary spending (050) to $738 billion and $740.5 billion, respectively." [CSIS, 8/5/19]
The Bill's Republican Proponents Pointed To The Increase In Defense Spending. According to Politico, "The bill's proponents on the Republican side have been touting the increase in defense spending as worth the compromise with Democrats over domestic spending." [Politico, 8/1/19]