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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) today commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
In a statement for the Congressional Record, Cochran paid tribute to the past and outlined his hopes for the committee as it goes forward.
“The primary role of the Congress in appropriating taxpayer dollars is explicit in our Constitution. It is an important responsibility and must not be taken lightly,” Cochran said.
“The Appropriations Committee faces great pressures as discretionary spending is increasingly crowded out by mandatory spending and persistent deficits. It is more important than ever that the appropriations bills be brought before the Senate for careful consideration. I hope we can find a way to do that in the coming months and years,” he said.
For more information on the Senate Appropriations Committee, visit: http://www.appropriations.senate.gov/
The following is the full text of Cochran’s statement:
Mr. President, I would like to bring attention to an important anniversary in the history of the United States Senate. Today marks the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
In 1867, the Senate passed a resolution creating a standing committee on appropriations. The committee was founded to bring greater discipline to government spending by consolidating the control, management and oversight of federal expenditures.
The primary role of the Congress in appropriating taxpayer dollars is explicit in our Constitution. It is an important responsibility and must not be taken lightly.
The Appropriations Committee has served the American people by working together to make thoughtful decisions in the allocation of public funds. It is challenging work. Each year we consider a vast amount of input from public hearings, expert sources, our fellow Senators, and our constituents. We do our best to weigh competing priorities and make responsible recommendations.
The Appropriations Committee faces great pressures as discretionary spending is increasingly crowded out by mandatory spending and persistent deficits. It is more important than ever that the appropriations bills be brought before the Senate for careful consideration. I hope we can find a way to do that in the coming months and years.
As we mark the 150th anniversary of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, I look forward to working with my friend and Vice Chairman, the Senator from Vermont. I hope all Senators will work with us to enact appropriations bills that provide for a strong national defense and support our country’s domestic and international priorities.
I yield the floor.
