There is a lot to be upset about in the new 1603 page "CRomnibus" released late last night, much of which we probably haven't even noticed yet.
But Campaign for Liberty scored some important victories in specifically what was not included in the bill.
First, there was no policy rider for an unconstitutional ban on Internet gambling.
And the Internet Tax Freedom Act is extended until late-2015 without the so-called "Marketplace Fairness Act," or National Internet Tax Mandate as it ought to be called.
As C4L Members know, stopping Congress from implementing the National Internet Tax Mandate was a high priority for C4L this Congress, so a huge thanks go out to all of our members who took action on this over the past two years!
But as always with Congress, we must remain vigilant! Until the legislature adjourns sine die (Latin for "without day" meaning the current Congress has come to a close), there is still a possibility for a last minute sneak attack on these issues.
Another win for C4L came with language explicitly prohibiting the ObamaCare Insurance Bailout (pg. 892), which C4L recently signed a coalition letter with other groups encouraging Congress to prohibit taxpayer funds from being used to bail out insurance companies who have chosen to participate in ObamaCare.
Unfortunately, as often happens with 1600+ page bills, hashed out behind closed doors, there is plenty to be upset with Congress for.
The bill extends funding for the Export-Import Bank until September 2016. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation is funded until 2017, with the funds made available until 2025. The "Overseas Contingency Operations" slush fund remains quite slushy with funds between $64 & 73 billion, depending on whether you're using House or Senate math to calculate the funds made available. The Massie-Lofgren Amendment forbidding warrantless surveillance of American's electronic communications and denying funding for "backdoor" surveillance was stripped from the funding bill, despite having passed with a veto proof majority 293-123 in June of this year.
These are just some of the key points on items Campaign for Liberty has worked on this Congress, that our staff has noted this far in picking through this monstrosity.
As usual with 1600+ page bills introduced barely 48 hours before it will be voted on in the House, how many members of Congress do you think will have gone through the entire bill and understand what they're voting on?
All the more reason for Congress to go through the normal appropriations process throughout the year, allowing for amendments by members of Congress, rather than funding the government through continuing resolutions and omnibus spending bills.
Or maybe it's time for Congress to pass Senator Rand Paul's "Read the Bills Act," S. 1665.
Despite the positives for us with regards to what is not in the "CRomnibus," C4L is urging a "No" vote on the legislation. Call your representative and senators today at 202-224-3121 and urge them to oppose this bloated spending bill.
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PDFTags: Obamacare, NSA, Internet Sales Tax, National Internet Tax Mandate, Massie, Ex-IM Bank, Appropriations, Internet Gambling, Internet Freedom, Lofgren, cromnibus, Internet Tax Freedom, Export-Import, OCO slush fund, risk corridors