The Balanced Budget is a Game Changer

Sixteen years ago the Balanced Budget Amendment passed the House with bipartisan support, only to lose by one vote in the Senate. Since then, the debt has nearly tripled in size, growing by $9.7 trillion, or around $1.6 billion per day. The Balanced Budget Amendment is a game changer and we cannot afford to put it off any longer.

Read more.

Key Principles in the Debt Debate Congressman Forbes' is sticking to these key principles in the debt debate. More...

3 Things to Know on U.S. Fiscal Outlook Here are three things you need to know from the latest CBO report on the long term fiscal outlook for the U.S. More...

A Better Future for America Read about Congressman Forbes' work to cut spending and balance the budget.More...

Called for audit of the Federal Reserve. Congressman Forbes cosponsored and supported the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, H.R. 459, requiring the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an audit of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve banks. The bill was introduced to address the Federal Reserve’s 2008 and 2009 bailouts, which authorized a total of $1 trillion in outstanding loans and the expansion of government involvement in the private sector, primarily to AIG and Bear Stearns. H.R.459 would allow Congress to perform its appropriate oversight duty, ensuring that credible standards guide the Federal Reserve’s decision making. This bill passed by a vote of 327-98.

Called for a report on effect of sequestration. Congressman Forbes supported the Sequestration Transparency Act, H.R.5872, to require the President to submit a report to Congress that includes an estimate of the sequestration percentages and amounts necessary to achieve the required reduction for each spending category on an account level. The bill will also require the report to include additional data or explanations that would enhance public understanding of the looming sequester and actions to be taken under it. This bill passed by a vote of 414-2.

Called for a report on effect of sequestration.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored the Sequestration Transparency Act, H.R.5872, to require the President to submit a report to Congress that includes an estimate of the sequestration percentages and amounts necessary to achieve the required reduction for each spending category on an account level. The bill will also require the report to include additional data or explanations that would enhance public understanding of the looming sequester and actions to be taken under it.

Reducing Funding for Operation of the House of Representatives.  Congressman Forbes supported H.R. 5882, a bill to fund the operation of the Legislative Branch for the Fiscal Year 2013. This bill, which provides funding for the House of Representatives, cut spending by almost $40 million from the current level while ensuring that the House maintains the resources that members need to best represent their constituents. Congressman Forbes also supported passage of an amendment that saved the American taxpayers $1,000,000 by cutting the unnecessary Open World Leadership Center that used U.S. taxpayer money to bring Russian citizens to the United States to study our legislative process. The bill passed the House by a vote of 307-102.

Supported Funding for Key Programs. Congressman Forbes supported the Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2013, H.R.5326, which funds the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, NASA and the National Science Foundation at a total of $55.1 billion. This funding level is $1.6 billion below last year’s amount and $731 million below the President’s request for these programs. This is the first of twelve appropriations bill to be considered by the House this year. This bill passed by a vote of 247-163.

Voting for a Budget for the Federal Government.  Congressman Forbes supported a resolution, H.Con.Res.112, establishing a budget for Fiscal Year 2013.  This proposal would cut $5 trillion, relative to the President’s budget, from the federal budget over the next ten years; simplify the tax code to two income tax brackets; promote job creation and economic growth by reducing the corporate tax rate to 25 percent and eliminating corporate tax loopholes; and strengthen health and retirement security by repealing and defunding the President’s health care law and ensuring the solvency of Social Security.  This bill passed the House by a vote of 228 – 191.

Cut government waste and unnecessary spending.  Congressman Forbes supported passage of the Excess Federal Building and Property Disposal Act of 2012, H.R. 665.  This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct a program for the disposal of wasted or unnecessary federal property.  Within the first 19 years, this bill requires the OMB Director to save $19 billion through the closure and sale of these wasteful properties.  At a time when our nation’s debt is over $15 trillion, Congressman Forbes continues to support measure that end the irresponsible waste of taxpayer month on wasteful federal properties. H.R. 665 passed the House by a vote of 403-0.

Reformed the budget process. Congressman Forbes supported the Budget and Accounting Transparency Act, H.R. 3581, to require consideration of the market risk when calculating the cost of federal loans and guarantees. 
This bill passed the House by a vote of 245-180.

Supported efforts to reduce spending. Congressman Forbes supported the Expedited Legislative Line-Item Veto and Rescissions Act, H.R.3521, to provide for an expedited process for spending cuts in which the President can submit to Congress proposed discretionary spending cuts from appropriations bills.  These proposals would then be voted on by the House and Senate and would have to be signed by the President to become law. 
This bill passed the House by a vote of 254-173.

Eliminating Pay Raises for Members of Congress.  Congressman Forbes supported H.R. 3835 to eliminate pay raises for Members of Congress and federal employees through 2013.  At a time when millions of Americans continue to have trouble finding work and paying their bills, Congressman Forbes believes that it is inappropriate for Members of Congress to have their salaries increased.  In addition, if our fiscal crisis demands that we freeze the salaries of our nation's civil servants, Members of Congress should not be exempt.
This bill passed the House by a vote of 309-117.

Supported initiatives to reform the budget process.  Congressman Forbes voted for two initiatives to reform the broken budget process in Washington.  Specifically, he supported the the Pro-Growth Budgeting Act, H.R.3582, to require that the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office begin providing a supplemental analysis of the longer-term economic impact of legislation that is estimated to have a budgetary impact of more than .25% of GDP.  The current economic model used to score legislative proposals assumes current law will remain unchanged over the course of the fiscal period and does not take economic growth into account.  Congressman Forbes also supported the Baseline Reform Act, H.R.3578, to remove the assumption that discretionary spending will increase each year by the level of inflation. 
H.R.3582 passed the House by a vote of 242-179 and H.R.3578 passed by the House a vote of 235-177.

Ensured taxpayer dollars targeted at the needy are used appropriately.  Congressman Forbes supported the Welfare Integrity Now for Children and Families Act, H.R. 3567, which requires states to ensure that federal taxpayer dollars provided as part of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program are not being spent at liquor stores, casinos, or strip clubs. The federal funds allocated for this program were intended to help those who have basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter, not to be misused for gambling and adult entertainment. 
This bill passed the House by a vote of 395-27.

Tightened the belts of House Committees.  Congressman Forbes supported H.Res. 496, a bill that cut House Committee budgets in order to contribute to House efforts to reduce federal spending.  Congressman Forbes has consistently voted to reduce congressional expenditures, including personal office expense and committee spending levels.
This bill passed the House by voice vote.

Recognized the importance of balancing the federal budget.  Congressman Forbes voted to support H.Res.516, a resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the passage of a federal budget for Fiscal Year 2013 is of national importance. 
This resolution passed the House by a vote of 410-1.  

Opposed increasing the debt ceiling.  Congressman Forbes supported H.J.Res.98, a joint resolution of disapproval of the President’s action to increase the debt limit by $1.2 trillion.  As a part of last year's debt ceiling agreement, which Congressman Forbes opposed, legislative language was included to allow the debt ceiling to be raised automatically, 15 days after the President officially notified Congress, unless Congress voted to deny the borrowing increase. 
This resolution passed the House by a vote of 239-176, but failed in the Senate.

Voting for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution.  Congressman Forbes supported a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, H.J.Res.2, which would require that Congress not spend more than it takes in.  Additionally, the amendment would require a three-fifths majority in both chambers to raise the debt ceiling and would legally require the president to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually.  Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate, and ratification by three-fourths of the states to take effect.   A statement by Congressman Forbes on the failed vote is available here.
This bill failed to pass the House by a vote of 261-165.  Two-thirds (290 votes) was required for passage

Ending Taxpayer-Subsidized Bonuses for CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored H.R. 1221, the Equity In Government Compensation Act, to suspend the compensation packages for executives of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Since September 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Authority has approved multi-million dollar bonuses for the GSEs’ top executives.  A report released recently by the Inspector General of the FHFA found that the six top executives at Fannie and Freddie were paid $35.4 million since the taxpayers bailed out the GSEs.  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continue to suffer losses three years after being taken under government conservatorship.  Combined, the two companies have required about $145 billion in taxpayer aid since 2008.

Maintained funding for key government programs.  Congressman Forbes supported the conference report to H.R. 2112, a “minibus” package comprised of the Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bills.   The three bills provided about $128 billion in discretionary spending subject to the $1.043 trillion cap provided for under the Budget Control Act, the debt limit compromise that passed in August.  This bill also provided a short-term continuing resolution to fund the federal government through December 16, 2011, ensuring that moneys for critical government agencies do not expire.   
This bill passed in the House by a vote of 298-121.

Tying Government Spending to Congressional Pay.  Congressman Forbes reintroduced the Congressional Accountability Pay (CAP) Act, H.R. 3136, to break Congress’ addiction to spending by tying the salaries of Members of Congress to the growth in government spending.  The bill would require a decrease in the rate of pay for each Member of Congress by a specified percentage if outlays for any fiscal year are greater than outlays for the preceding fiscal year.  Read more about the CAP Act here.

Supported a short-term measure to fund the government.  Congressman Forbes supported a continuing resolution, H.R. 2608, to fund the federal government through November 18, 2011 at $1.043 trillion, as set by the Budget Control Act. The bill provides a total of $2.65 billion in disaster relief funding in response to this year's storms and floods. This bill passed the House by a vote of 352-66. 

Supported a short-term funding measure and cut wasteful spending.  Congressman Forbes supported the Continuing Appropriations Act, H.R.2608, to fund the federal government through November 18, 2011 at a rate of $1.043 trillion.  The bill also provides for $3.65 billion in disaster funding, with $1 billion immediately available and the remainder during fiscal year 2012.  The funding is offset by cutting $1.5 billion from "stimulus" programs, including $100 million from the fund that provided taxpayer dollars to the bankrupt solar-panel company Solyndra, which is under criminal and congressional investigation.
This bill passed the House by a vote of 219-203. 

Opposed raising the debt ceiling. Congressman Forbes cosponsored a resolution of disapproval, H.J.Res.77, regarding an increase in the debt ceiling. The Budget Control Act called for a reduction of spending of $917 billion over 10 years, which would allow the President to immediately seek a $900 billion increase to the debt limit. Under the bill, $400 billion of that increase occurred with passage of the bill in August, but the other $500 billion remains subject to a congressional resolution of disapproval. 

Supported transparency in "supercommittee" negotiations. Congressman Forbes cosponsored a bill, H.R. 2796, to guarantee that all of the supercommittee’s work sessions will be open to the general public and the press in order to enhance transparency and accountability.  The supercommittee was created under the Budget Control Act that was signed into law in August.  This committee is comprised of 12 Members - 3 Senate Republicans, 3 Senate Democrats, 3 House Republicans, and 3 House Democrats - and is tasked with finding at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction over ten years.

Working to Stop Spending, Reduce the Deficit, and Protect our National Security.  As Congress debated issues surrounding the need to lift the debt ceiling over the course of the past several weeks, a number of proposals came before the House of Representatives for consideration.  Congressman Forbes supported solutions that cut spending, reduced the deficit, and put the nation on a path to passing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. However, Congressman Forbes also supported protecting our men and women in uniform around the world and maintaining our national security.

Ensuring Payment of Social Security Benefits.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored H.R.2581, the Social Security Check Guarantee Act, to ensure that Social Security payments would be paid even if the federal government exceeded its debt limit and could not meet all of its financial obligations.  Social Security payments are earned benefits and are paid through payroll taxes, which continue to come in to the U.S. Treasury each month.  As a result, Congressman Forbes fought to ensure that the continued revenues would be used to pay benefits, not other purposes.

Prioritizing Payments for Troops in Debt Debate.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored H.R.2534, the Ensuring America's Promises Act, to ensure that interest on the debt and benefits for active duty military personnel, veterans, social security, and Medicare are paid regardless of whether or not the federal government reached its statutory debt limit.

Supporting the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act. Congressman Forbes voted for the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act, H.R.2560, which would cut spending by $111 billion in Fiscal Year 2012, cap spending at 19.9% of the nation's gross domestic product, and require the passage of a Balanced Budget amendment to the Constitution before the debt limit could be raised.  Read Congressman Forbes' statement on the vote here.  The House passed this bill by a vote of 234-190.

Supporting Speaker Boehner's Plan. Congressman Forbes voted for Speaker Boehner's plan, S.627 , which would create a two-step process for the President to increase the debt limit by as much as $2.5 trillion, following the enactment of $2.7 trillion in spending cuts.  The legislation provides an initial $915 billion in savings over 10 years, primarily through the imposition of spending caps on discretionary spending, which would allow the President to immediately seek a $900 billion increase to the debt limit. Under the bill, $400 billion of that increase would occur immediately, but the other $500 billion would be subject to a congressional resolution of disapproval.  The bill creates a bipartisan Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to recommend $1.8 trillion in additional deficit reduction, which if enacted would allow the President to seek a further $1.6 trillion increase in the debt limit — which also would be subject to a congressional vote of disapproval.  Finally, the measure requires the House and Senate to vote on a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution between Sept. 30 and Dec. 31.  Read Congressman Forbes' statement on the vote here.  The House passed this bill by a vote of 218-210.

Opposing Leader Reid's Plan. Congressman Forbes voted against Senator Reid's plan, H.R.2693, which would provide for $2.2 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years, primarily through the imposition of spending caps on discretionary spending, and allows for a total $2.4 trillion increase in the debt ceiling through a two-step process that allows Congress to disapprove of the increases.  Unlike the House-passed debt reduction bill, the measure does not make a second debt limit increase contingent upon passage of deficit reduction legislation or a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.  This bill failed in the House by a vote of 173-246.

Opposing the Budget Control Act of 2011 in Order to Protect National Security. Congressman Forbes voted against S.365, the final bill to raise the debt ceiling.  This bill creates a two-step process for the President to increase the debt limit by a maximum of $2.4 trillion, following the enactment of at least $2.4 trillion in spending cuts. The legislation provides for an initial $917 billion in savings over 10 years, primarily through the imposition of spending caps on discretionary spending, which would allow the President to immediately seek a $900 billion increase to the debt limit. The bill creates a bipartisan Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to recommend at least $1.2 trillion in additional deficit reduction over 10 years.  Though details remain unclear, conservative estimates suggest that total cuts to defense over the next ten years would be at least $900 billion.  Read Congressman Forbes' statement on the vote here.  The House passed this bill by a vote of 269-161.

Cut Spending and Balancing the Budget.  Congressman Forbes voted for the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act, H.R. 2560, which would cut spending by $111 billion in Fiscal Year 2012, cap spending at 19.9% of the nation's gross domestic product, and require the passage of a Balanced Budget amendment to the Constitution before the debt limit could be raised.  Read Congressman Forbes' statement on the vote here.  The House passed this bill by a vote of 234-190.

Fought for Seniors and the Military in Debt Ceiling Negotiations.  Congressman Forbes joined his colleagues in sending a letter to the President, asking him to make a public commitment to making debt-interest payments on time, in the event we do reach the debt ceiling.  The letter urges the President to make a priority Social Security and Medicare payments, as well as payments to our military personnel, a priority.

Cut budgets for Members of Congress.  Congressman Forbes supported the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of FY 2012, H.R.2551, which allocated $227 million, or 6% less than the current level of funding, and $472 million, or 12% less than requested by the offices and agencies covered by the measure. All accounts funded by the bill were reduced from their FY 2011 levels, except for the Capitol Police, which was maintained at its current funding level for security purposes. Notably, Member offices also received reductions of 6.4% from the current funding level. Congressman Forbes also supported an amendment to the legislation to reduce wasteful spending for the printing of documents for Congress that can be accessed online, saving taxpayers an estimated $5 million. Every year, the GPO wastes taxpayer dollars with the daily printing and delivery of publications such as the unsolicited Congressional Record, only to be thrown away.  The House passed this bill by a vote of 252-159.

Reduced the Nation's Deficit.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act, H.R.2560, which would cut spending by $111 billion in Fiscal Year 2012, cap spending at 19.9% of the nation's gross domestic product, and require passage of a Balanced Budget amendment to the Constitution before the debt limit could be raised.  Upon voting for this legislation, Congressman Forbes released a statement that is available here.

Opposed Additional Funding for the IMF and European Bailouts.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored a bill, H.R.2313, to rescind enhanced funding provided to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).  The IMF has recently taken the lead in financing bailouts of European nations such as Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Italy.  As 1 of only 17 Members of Congress to oppose every bailout and stimulus plan in the United States, Congressman Forbes believes it is wrong to use American taxpayer dollars to bail out foreign nations.  The bill directs that all unobligated amounts be put back into the Treasury's General Fund to be used solely for U.S. deficit reduction.

Worked for innovative solutions to pay down the debt.  Congressman Forbes continues to explore innovative ways to pay down America's skyrocketing debt and has cosponsored H.R.1358, the Returned Exclusively for Unpaid National Debt (REFUND) Act.  This legislation would allow states to return unwanted federal dollars to be used toward paying down the national debt.  Current law allows these funds to be returned and then given to other states, but not to the federal government for the explicit purpose of paying down the debt.

Eliminated Wasteful Stimulus Spending.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored End the Stimulus Advertisement Act, H.R.389, which would prohibit funding for any additional “stimulus” signs and reduce each federal agency's budget by the amount they have already spent on such signs.  The signs are not required, but they are “strongly encouraged” by the Administration to identify all American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) projects funded by the Department of Transportation.  It is up to individual states whether the signs are displayed, but the cost of the signs is considered an “eligible project administration cost” of the ARRA grants, meaning they are funded by taxpayers across the country. The cost to make each sign varies state-by-state, but according to some reports, some of the "sponsored by the stimulus" road signs can cost taxpayers up to $10,000 each. Congressman Forbes believes that at a time when our nation is facing a crushing national debt, we cannot afford a taxpayer-funded marketing campaign for a stimulus program that has not been effective.

Approved a Balanced Budget Amendment.  Congressman Forbes voted to approve H.J.Res.1, a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  The resolution requires that Congress not spend more than it receives in revenues, requires the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress, and requires a 3/5 majority vote to increase the debt limit.  The resolution authorizes a waiver of the provisions when a declaration of war is in effect as declared by a joint resolution, adopted by a majority of the whole number of each House, which has become law.  H.J.Res.1 passed the Judiciary Committee by a vote of 20-12 with Congressman Forbes' support and has been reported to the House floor for further consideration.

Voted Against Raising the Debt Limit Without Spending Cuts.  Congressman Forbes voted against H.R.1954, a bill that would raise the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt limit an additional $2.4 trillion to $16.7 trillion---the amount needed to implement the President’s budget through the end of fiscal year 2012---without any significant cuts in the nation’s spending habits.  Congressman Forbes believes that the Administration must first agree to make real cuts and reforms to reduce the deficit before Congress can agree to raise the debt ceiling.  Failing to take action to cut current spending, restrict future spending, and improve federal budgeting will only worsen our nation’s fiscal condition.  This bill failed in the House by a vote of 97-318.

Cut Government Spending by $6.2 Trillion.  Congressman Forbes supported the budget proposal for the next fiscal year, H.Con.Res.34, put forth by the House Budget Committee Chairman, Congressman Paul Ryan.  The proposed budget will reduce deficit spending by $6.2 trillion over the next 10 years when compared to the Administration’s budget proposal.  This budget eliminates hundreds of duplicative programs, reflects the ban on earmarks, and curbs corporate welfare, bringing non-security discretionary spending to below 2008 levels.  Learn more about the House budget proposal here.  This bill passed the House by a vote of 235-193.

Opposed insignificant reduction in government spending.  Congressman Forbes opposed the continuing resolution to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, H.R.1473.  Initial reports were that spending would be reduced by $38 billion for the remainder of the fiscal year; however, upon further review, it was determined that actual federal outlays would only be reduced by $352 million.  Congressman Forbes believes that it is not enough to reduce just the license to spend taxpayer dollars; Congress must reduce the actual spending.  With a projected budget deficit of $1.5 trillion in FY2011 alone, the American people deserve serious solutions addressing our nation’s fiscal condition.  Congressman Forbes believes that Congress could have and should have done better.  Read his statement here.  This bill passed the House by a vote of 260-167.

Joined the Balanced Budget Amendment Caucus.  Congressman Forbes joined the Balanced Budget Amendment Caucus.  The purpose of the Caucus is to raise awareness about the necessity and importance of amending the Constitution to require a balanced budget and to educate other Members on the subject. Congressman Forbes is also a cosponsor of the balanced budget amendment, H.J.Res.1.   Learn about the key elements of a balanced budget here.

Averted government shutdown.  Congressman Forbes supported a short-term continuing resolution, H.R.1363, funding the federal government through April 15th.  The legislation was enacted to provide the House and Senate with time to consider the bipartisan spending compromise that will fund the government through the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year (September 2011).  This bill passed the House by a vote of 348-70.

Ensured that Paying the National Debt Remains a Priority.  Congressman Forbes signed on as a cosponsor for the Full Faith and Credit Act, H.R.421, which directs the United States Treasury, in the event the debt ceiling is reached, to make payments on the debt a priority, rather than defaulting on our obligations.

Worked to prevent a government shutdown.  Congressman Forbes voted for the Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2011, H.R.1255, expressing the urgency for Congress to pass a spending measure in order to prevent a government shutdown. Additionally, the legislation bars Members of Congress and the President from receiving a salary for each day there is a government shutdown lasting more than 24 hours.  This bill passed the House by a vote of 221-202.

Kept the government functioning. Congressman Forbes supported H.J.Res.48 to extend funding for the federal government an additional three weeks through April 8th, 2011. The legislation reduces funding for designated federal programs by $3.5 billion and rescinds $2.6 billion in earmarks. In total, the bill cuts government spending by $6 billion dollars in proportion with spending reductions designated by H.R.1, a bill that reduced appropriations for the remainder of FY2011 by $61 billion. To read Congressman Forbes’ statement on the vote, click here.  This bill passed the House by a vote of 271-158.

Cancelled Underutilized and Overfunded Programs.  Congressman Forbes voted to support H.R.830, which would terminate the FHA Refinance Program and restrict the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from newly insuring any mortgage under the program.  The legislation would also direct the HUD Secretary to conduct a study to determine the extent of use of the FHA Refinance Program by members of the Armed Forces, Veterans, and Gold Star recipients.  The program was funded with $8 billion in TARP funds.  $50 million of this $8 billion has been disbursed as of February 3, 2011.  Only 44 loans have been refinanced under this program as of mid-February and only 245 applicants have been submitted.  This bill passed by a vote of 256 – 171.

Terminated unused federal programs. Congressman Forbes supported the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program Termination Act (H.R. 836). This bill repeals the unused and underfunded Emergency Mortgage Relief Program that was initially authorized in 1975 and never funded until 2010.  This bill rescinds any of the $1 billion in funds appropriated that have not been used.  It also requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development conduct a study to determine the extent of usage of the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program and the impact on covered homeowners.  This bill passed by a vote of 242 – 177.

Funded federal government operations through March 18, 2011. Congressman Forbes supported a short-term continuing resolution (CR) (H.J.RES.44). The CR reduced spending by $4 billion and provided a total of $1.083 trillion in discretionary budget authority for Fiscal Year 2011. The bill eliminated funding that was made available in Fiscal Year 2010 for earmarked programs and projects and eight current government programs for which no funds were requested in the President’s budget.  This bill passed by a vote of 335 – 91.

Reduced Federal Spending by $61.5 Billion.  Congressman Forbes supported the Fiscal Year 2011 Continuing Resolution (H.R.1) reducing federal spending by $61.5 billion through September 30, 2011. The bill included the elimination of federal funding for abortion and public broadcasting and prohibited the use of funds this year for the disestablishment of U.S. Joint Forces Command. During the more than 90 hours of debate, Congressman Forbes voted on over 100 amendments. The legislation is currently pending in the Senate and must be acted on by March 4, 2011.  This bill passed by a vote of 235 -189.

Eliminated Wasteful Spending in Congress.  Congressman Forbes supported the Stop the Over Printing (STOP) Act (H.R.292) eliminating the mandatory requirement that 200 paper copies be printed of any bill or legislation introduced in Congress.  In the 110th Congress the Government Printing Office printed 2.8 million paper copies of 14, 042 bills and resolutions at a cost of $7 million.  The Act would require all bills and legislation be made available in an electronic format accessible on the internet and permit 75 copies of a bill or legislation be printed upon request by either a Member of Congress of a Congressional Committee.  This bill passed by a vote of 399-0.

Cut Congressional Budgets.  Congressman Forbes supported H.Res.22 mandating a reduction in Member’s Representational Allowances (MRA).  MRA’s are personal office budgets used to pay staff salaries, purchase office equipment, lease district offices, send constituent correspondence, and various other administrative expenses.  This bill passed by a vote of 408-13.

Supported a Balanced Budget Amendment.  Congressman Forbes became an original cosponsor of two resolutions (H.J.Res.1 and H.J.Res.2) proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.  He has been a cosponsor of this legislation in previous sessions of Congress.

Supported using unspent funds for deficit reduction. Congressman Forbes became a cosponsor of the Congressional Budget Accountability Act  (H.R.121), which proposes unspent funds from Congressional offices be used to reduce the deficit.

Opposed unrestrained federal funding.  Congressman Forbes opposed H.J.Res.101 to continue funding for the federal government through December 18th, 2010 at current levels.  The majority leadership in Congress failed to pass a budget for the fiscal year.

Reduced government waste.  Congressman Forbes supported the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 (S.1508), which works to cut down on wrongful payments made by government agencies.  This legislation improves upon a similar 2009 bill by creating more aggressive oversight and funding recovery processes.  This bill passed the House by a vote of 414-0.

Rescinded excess federal funds. Congressman Forbes supported the Surface Transportation Savings Act of 2010 (H.R.5604), which collects $107 million allocated to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Transit Authority. These funds went unused after states failed to meet eligibility requirements.  This bill passed the House by a vote of 402-0.

Opposed more deficit spending.  Congressman Forbes voted against the Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act (H.R.5618), which would increase the federal deficit by an estimated $34 billion. Instead, Congressman Forbes voted for an amendment that would pay for the extension of unemployment benefits by using unused stimulus funds.  H.R. 5618l passed the House by a vote of 270-153.  The amendment failed by a vote of 196-220.

Opposed new government bailouts.  Congressman Forbes voted against H.R.5297, which would create a new $32 billion bailout program for banks.  The legislation is meant to encourage lending to small businesses, but does not require banks to actually lend the money to businesses.  This bill passed the House by a vote of 241-182.

Opposed a European style value added tax (VAT).  Congressman Forbes joined 153 House members in signing a letter addressed to the President’s Debt Commission asking that it not consider a European-style Value Added Tax (VAT) as part of any recommendations to reduce our national debt.  Similar tax schemes common in European countries have proven insufficient to solve the current Europe debt crisis.  Such an approach could raise unemployment figures and lead to a similar failure in the U.S.  To read Congressman Forbes’ column on the VAT, click here.

Fought for a balanced budget.  Congressman Forbes joined the bipartisan Balanced Budget Amendment Caucus, which is dedicated to achieving passage of a resolution (H.J.Res.1) that would rein in out-of-control spending by instituting a Constitutional amendment to mandate that Congress not continue to increase our federal debt except under extraordinary circumstances and with three-fifths approval by each house of Congress.

Opposed spending millions of taxpayer dollars on fish monitoring. Congressman Forbes voted to oppose the Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Improvement Act of 2010 (H.R.2288), which would spend millions of taxpayer dollars on fish population monitoring, fish stocking, and the control of non-native fish, among other things, in the Upper Colorado River and San Juan River.  This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 264-122.

Voted against duplicative government spending. Congressman Forbes voted to oppose the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (H.R.5325), which would cost $48 billion in taxpayer money to fund existing science programs and created several new government programs.  In addition, several key cost-reducing amendments were not included in the final version of the legislation.  This bill was did not achieve the necessary 2/3 votes for passage and failed by a vote of 261-148.

Supported a fiscally responsible economic recovery plan. Congressman Forbes agreed to cosponsor legislation (H.R.5029) that would terminate the TARP program, repeal the remaining “stimulus” spending, and usher in several tax decreases by reducing the payroll tax in half for 2010, eliminating the capital gains tax, reducing the corporate tax rate to 12.5%, and permanently eliminating the death tax.

Supported responsible federal spending. Congressman Forbes supported an amendment to the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act (H.R.5116), to prevent federal employees who have been disciplined for viewing pornography at work from receiving salaries. The amendment would also lower the bill’s spending back to 2010 levels from the proposed increase.  This amendment passed the House by vote of 292-126.

Cut government spending by 40%.  Congressman Forbes has introduced legislation, the Tighten Washington’s Belt Act of 2010, to cut government spending by 10% each year until Fiscal Year 2015. Read Congressman Forbes’ recent column with details on the bill here.  

Opposed an increase to the debt limit.  Congressman Forbes voted to oppose the rule for  H. J. Res. 45, which would increase the federal debt limit by $1.9 trillion, from $12.4 trillion to $14.3 trillion.  The 15.3% increase would be the largest amount of a one-time debt limit increase in history.  Ten years ago, the total U.S. national debt was $7 trillion. This year the total debt will be $14 trillion. In the past decade, the U.S. has accumulated as much debt as was accumulated in our nation’s previous 211 years of existence. The measure passed the House by a vote of 217-212.
 

Limited the national debt.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored H.R. 4262, which would require a two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and Senate to raise the national debt level. Currently, the national debt can be raised automatically in the joint budget resolution without facing a direct vote or by a simple majority. This legislation will make new debt increases more difficult. 

Supported the President’s veto of a supplemental spending bill. Congressman Forbes voted to sustain the President’s veto of a short term Department of Defense spending bill, H.J.Res.64. The stopgap spending bill was deemed unnecessary after a more long-term Department of Defense spending bill had since been enacted covering all programs in H.J.Res.64. This resolution was defeated in support of the veto by a vote of 143-245.

Opposed increasing the national debt limit.  Congressman Forbes opposed H.R. 4314, which increased the national debt limit by $300 billion, from $12.104 trillion to $12.394 trillion.  The statutory national debt limit sets the legal ceiling for how much money the federal government may borrow.  Since January 2007, the nation's debt has increased by 39 percent, from $8.7 trillion to $12 trillion, and last year, 43 cents of every federal dollar spent had to be borrowed by the government. The legislation passed by a vote of 218-214.

Opposed $447-billion in federal spending.  Congressman Forbes voted against the conference report on H.R. 3288, the Fiscal Year 2010 Omnibus Spending bill that funds six departments of the federal government. The bill increased spending by $50 billion over last year's budget, and increased the base funding for the departments by 12 percent at a time when American families are being forced to cut back.  The legislation passed by a vote of 221-202. 

Restored fiscal responsibility in Washington. Congressman Forbes voted in favor of repealing the Troubled Asset Relief bailout program (TARP), and directing any unspent or new bailout towards reducing the national debt. House Majority leadership proposed an increase of the national debt limit this week as a result of increased government spending. The Motion failed by a vote of 190-232.

Opposed making the TARP bailout permanent. Congressman Forbes voted against H.R. 4173, which would extend TARP by establishing a permanent bailout fund, creating a new powerful bureaucracy called the Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA), and restricting the flow of credit to businesses at a time when unemployment is over 10% nationally.  This legislation passed by a vote of 223-202.

Opposed excessive government spending.  Congressman Forbes voted against the final version of H.R. 2997, which funded agriculture and other programs at a level 12% higher than last year. The Congressional Budget Office announced last week that the federal budget shortfall for last year was the largest in history, at $1.4 trillion – three times the record set last year in 2008 of $459 billion.  The bill passed the House by a vote of 263-162. 

Reined in government spending.  Congressman Forbes opposed excessive spending by voting against the annual spending bill that funds the legislative branch. H.R. 2918 provides a six percent increase over last year's spending for congressional operations while the economy continues to struggle.  This bill passed by a vote of 217-190.

Opposed expansions of the federal government and excessive government spending. Congressman Forbes opposed H.R. 1018, the Restore Our American Mustangs Act. Among other things, this bill would establish a horse census every two years, provide "enhanced contraception" and birth control for horses, and mandate that government bureaucrats perform home inspections before Americans can adopt these animals. While the national debt is skyrocketing and unemployment is nearing double digits, this bill creates a $700 million wild horse and burro program. Congressman Forbes supported a substitute amendment which would have solely made it illegal to sell wild horses and burros for processing into commercial products and would have cost $2.5 million over five years. The bill passed the House by a vote of 239-185. 

Voted to control government spending by including annual federal spending under pay-go rules. Congressman Forbes supported an amendment to H.R. 2920 that would would base federal spending on a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It would cap total government spending at 21.7% of gross domestic product by 2015. The amendment failed in the House by a vote of 169 – 259. For more information on Congressman Forbes' work to control government spending, click here.

Voted against the statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2009. “Pay-Go” is a term used to describe a rule in Congress that requires any new spending and tax cuts to be offset by cuts or revenues somewhere else in the budget. This pay-go bill contained so many loopholes that it is ineffective. For example, H.R. 2920 exempts all discretionary spending from pay-go rules, which makes up 40% of all government spending.  Rising discretionary spending is one of the major reasons we are facing a massive federal deficit. Furthermore, some of the biggest spending proposals, such as the bailout and stimulus packages, would be exempt from pay-go altogether under this new bill.  H.R. 2920 passed the House by a vote of 265-166.  

 
Voted against increasing federal spending. Congressman Forbes voted against H.R. 3288, which contained a 20% increase in spending, or $11.1 billion, over last year’s level for transportation, housing and urban development programs. Since 2007, the nation’s deficit has exploded by more than ten-fold, from $162 billion in FY 2007 to $1.8 trillion in FY 2009. Over that same period, funding for programs within this bill has increased 146%.  This bill passed by a vote of 256-168.

Voted against excessive government spending. Congressman Forbes voted against H.R. 3293, which contained a 7% increase in spending, or $11.1 billion, over last year’s level for federal labor, health and human services, and education programs.  The bill also removes the ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs in the United States.  The bill passed the House by a vote of 264-153.