[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 38 (Monday, March 6, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S1603]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
15OTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I would like to bring attention to an
important anniversary in the history of the U.S. 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.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today we celebrate the 150th anniversary of
the Senate Appropriations Committee. Established on March 6, 1867, its
powers are rooted in article I, section 9 of our Constitution, which
states, ``No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence
of appropriations made by law.'' The founders of our country recognized
the power of the purse as one of the most important tools Congress has
to ensure our system of checks and balance and to conduct oversight of
the Executive and Judicial branch, but it is much more than that. The
Appropriations Committee is also where we translate the priorities of a
nation into the realities of the people.
Our country is not a business, where we allocate resources only
according to the bottom line. We do not invest in order to make a
profit, or a one-for-one dollar in return. We invest in those areas
where it is uniquely right for government to take the lead. We invest
in the areas that make a difference in the everyday lives of Americans
and that help build the foundations of our country and our economy--
infrastructure, national security, our environment, education, health
care. The Appropriations Committee is where we fund nutrition programs
to ensure that children do not have to sit through class hungry and
remain healthy so they can develop and grow. It is where we allocate
the resources to clean our lakes and our streams and make investments
in growing our communities and promoting jobs. It is where we invest in
research to cure cancer. It is where we can define who we are as
country.
I have been a member of this Committee for almost my entire tenure in
the Senate, and just a few short months ago, I became vice chair. I am
proud to serve on this committee, and I feel honored to join in the
ranks of its leaders. Today I am glad to join you all in celebrating
150 years of an institution that is at the foundation of the Senate. I
look forward to working with my friend Chairman Cochran in continuing
the long and bipartisan history of the Appropriations Committee in the
months and years ahead.
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