Ander Crenshaw: Bill Helps Mayport, Will 'Hold the Line on Spending'

U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., the chairman of the House Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, voted to support the 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill which passed the U.S. House on Wednesday. Crenshaw pointed toward the bills inclusion of funds to help three cruisers based in Mayport on the First Coast.

Tough choices are part of the job on Capitol Hill, but I will not sacrifice ships that still have years of life left in them for short-term budget cuts, Crenshaw said. These ships are a critical part of our fleet and are needed to accomplish all of the national security missions asked of our Navy. Passage of the 2014 Omnibus includes funding for three Mayport-based cruisers, underscoring Congresss commitment to a strong defense and Northeast Floridas role as an anchor to our national security, said Crenshaw. Under the agreement, the USS Gettysburg (CG-64), the USS Hue City (CG-66), and the USS Vicksburg (CG-69) will continue to sail proudly, and the sailors that serve on them will continue to be a part of the Mayport community.

The First Coast congressman also found other aspects of the omnibus bill to praise.

Congress took a major step today to hold the line on spending, Crenshaw insisted. We passed a bill that cuts big-government programs, refuses to rely on tax increases and protects national security from devastating defense cuts. Our most basic responsibility is to fund government operations: this bill accomplishes that goal.

As chairman of the subcommittee that funds the Internal Revenue Service, I made sure that Obamacare receives no additional funds from the IRS, he added. We also prohibit this agency from using funds to target groups based on political belief a practice that has no place in a free society.

For the fourth year in a row, Congress has cut discretionary spending -- a real accomplishment that has not happened since the Korean War, Crenshaw said in conclusion. We are serious about changing Washingtons culture of spending to a culture of saving and have matched words with action.