12.19.19

Hoeven Statement on Passage of FY2020 Funding Legislation

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today issued the following statement after Congress passed legislation to fund the federal government for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2020.

“We worked to secure important priorities for North Dakota and the nation as part of this funding legislation, including $1.5 billion in disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers, strong support for our military, improved health care for veterans and flood protection for the Red River Valley,” Hoeven said. “The overall discretionary spending level is $90 billion below the discretionary spending level a decade ago. The bill also repealed health care taxes and extended important tax credits for biodiesel and short-line rail to grow our economy. 

“At the same time we need to do more to reduce both discretionary and mandatory spending and to address our debt and deficit. That means finding a way to get back to regular order and considering appropriations bills one at a time, which is the best way to find savings. 

“We have a strong economy right now due to the tax and regulatory relief we’ve passed, with unemployment at 3.5 percent, the lowest in five decades, and nominal wage growth at or above 3 percent for the past 16 months, the highest it’s been since the Great Recession. We need to continue to do more to build our economy and provide growth and opportunities for our people.” 

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