Opinion - Congress can't just hand over the checkbook to the executive branch
At a recent House Appropriations Committee markup, something happened that should alarm every American, especially those who believe in accountability.
I introduced a simple amendment. All it said was that Congress, not the president, decides how taxpayer money is spent. That is not a radical idea. It is in the Constitution. It is our job.
So I asked my Republican colleagues: Are we a co-equal branch of government? Do we still control how money gets spent?
Their answer was no. They voted against the amendment.
Just imagine that. Members of Congress voting to give up the very job they were elected to do.
The Appropriations Committee exists to decide how your tax dollars are used. That has been the job of Congress since the beginning of the republic. It is written into Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution. Since 1974, federal law has made it even clearer. Congress decides where the money goes. Not the president. Not unelected officials. Congress.
Past presidents, even when they disagreed with Congress, recognized that spending decisions had to come from lawmakers. They did not always like it, but they respected it.
What we are seeing now is different. President Trump's team is saying they can simply cancel funding that Congress already approved. That is new. That is dangerous. That is illegal.
That is why I offered the amendment. It was not a stunt. It was not partisan. It was a reminder of what we were sent here to do.
If Congress does not stand up now, we may never get this responsibility back. We manage $2 trillion a year. If we do not do our jobs, someone else will. And that someone will not be elected or accountable to the people.
So I ask my Republican colleagues. What are you afraid of? When you vote to give up your job, you are not just weakening Congress. You are letting down the roughly 750,000 people you swore to represent. And for what? Political loyalty? Fear?
I think about the generations of lawmakers who served on the House Appropriations Committee. Republicans and Democrats alike understood the weight of their responsibility. They did not walk away from it. They defended it.
That is what I am doing now. Because this is not about party. It is about whether the House of Representatives still represents the people. Or whether we have become irrelevant.
We must remember our role before it's too late.
Mike Levin represents California's 49th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
23 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Centrist Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska won't seek reelection
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican who represents Nebraska's second district with its so-called 'blue dot' that includes many progressive voters around Omaha, will not seek reelection. That's according to a person familiar with his plans and granted anonymity to discuss them Friday. Bacon is known as an independent-minded Air Force veteran who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and has been at the center of many debates in Congress. He has also been chairman of the conservative-centrist Republican Main Street Caucus in the House.
Los Angeles Times
26 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
California closes $12-billion deficit by cutting back immigrants' access to healthcare
SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed on Friday a budget that pares back a number of progressive priorities, including a landmark healthcare expansion for low-income adult immigrants without legal status, to close a $12-billion deficit. It's the third year in a row the nation's most populous state has been forced to slash funding or stop some of the programs championed by Democratic leaders. Lawmakers passed the budget earlier in the day following an agreement of a $321-billion spending plan between Newsom and Democratic leaders. But the whole budget will be void if lawmakers don't send him legislation to make it easier to build housing by Monday. The budget avoids some of the most devastating cuts to essential safety net programs, state leaders said. They mostly relied on using state savings, borrowing from special funds and delaying payments to plug the budget hole. 'It's balanced, it maintains substantial reserves, and it's focused on supporting Californians,' Newsom said in a statement about the budget. California also faces potential federal cuts to healthcare programs and broad economic uncertainty that could force even deeper cuts. Newsom in May estimated that federal policies — including on tariffs and immigration enforcement — could reduce state tax revenue by $16 billion. 'We've had to make some tough decisions,' Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire said Friday. 'I know we're not going to please everyone, but we're doing this without any new taxes on everyday Californians.' Republican lawmakers said they were left out of budget negotiations. They also criticized Democrats for not doing enough to address future deficits, which could range between $17 billion to $24 billion annually. 'We're increasing borrowing, we're taking away from the rainy day fund, and we're not reducing our spending,' said Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland prior to the vote. 'And this budget also does nothing about affordability in California.' Here's a look at spending in key areas: Under the budget deal, California will stop enrolling new adult patients without legal status in its state-funded healthcare program for low-income people starting 2026. The state will also implement a $30 monthly premium July 2027 for immigrants remaining on the program, including some with legal status. The premiums would apply to adults under 60 years old. The changes to the program, known as Medi-Cal, are a scaled-back version of Newsom's proposal in May. Still, it's a major blow to an ambitious program started last year to help the state inch closer to a goal of universal healthcare. Democratic state Sen. María Elena Durazo broke with her party and voted 'no' on the healthcare changes, calling them a betrayal of immigrant communities. The deal also removes $78 million in funding for mental health phone lines, including a program that served 100,000 people annually. It will eliminate funding that helps pay for dental services for low-income people in 2026 and delay implementation of legislation requiring health insurance to cover fertility services by six months to 2026. But lawmakers also successfully pushed back on several proposed cuts from Newsom that they called 'draconian.' The deal secures funding for a program providing in-home domestic and personal care services for some low-income residents and Californians with disabilities. It also avoids cuts to Planned Parenthood. Lawmakers agreed to let the state tap $1 billion from its cap-and-trade program to fund state firefighting efforts. The cap-and-trade program is a market-based system aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Companies have to buy credits to pollute, and that money goes into a fund lawmakers are supposed to tap for climate-related spending. Newsom wanted to reauthorize the program through 2045, with a guarantee that $1 billion would annually go to the state's long-delayed high-speed rail project. The budget doesn't make that commitment, as lawmakers wanted to hash out spending plans outside of the budget process. The rail project currently receives 25% of the cap-and-trade proceeds, which is roughly $1 billion annually depending on the year. Legislative leaders also approved funding to help transition part-time firefighters into full-time positions. Many state firefighters only work nine months each year, which lawmakers said harms the state's ability to prevent and fight wildfires. The deal includes $10 million to increase the daily wage for incarcerated firefighters, who earn $5.80 to $10.24 a day currently. The budget agreement will provide $80 million to help implement a tough-on-crime initiative voters overwhelmingly approved last year. The measure makes shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders, increases penalties for some drug charges and gives judges the authority to order people with multiple drug charges into treatment. Most of the fund, $50 million, will help counties build more behavioral health beds. Probation officers will get $15 million for pretrial services and courts will receive $20 million to support increased caseloads. Advocates of the measure — including sheriffs, district attorneys and probation officers — said that's not enough money. Some have estimated it would take around $400 million for the first year of the program. Newsom and lawmakers agreed to raise the state's film tax credit from $330 million to $750 million annually to boost Hollywood. The program, a priority for Newsom, will start this year and expire in 2030. The budget provides $10 million to help support immigration legal services, including deportation defense. But cities and counties won't see new funding to help them address homelessness next year, which local leaders said could lead to the loss of thousands of shelter beds. The budget also doesn't act on Newsom's proposal to streamline a project to create a massive underground tunnel to reroute a big part of the state's water supply. Nguyễn writes for the Associated Press.
Associated Press
30 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Centrist Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska won't seek reelection
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, a centrist Republican who represents Nebraska's second district with its so-called 'blue dot' that includes many progressive voters around Omaha, will not seek reelection. That's according to a person familiar with his plans and granted anonymity to discuss them Friday. Bacon is known as an independent-minded Air Force veteran who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and has been at the center of many debates in Congress. He has also been chairman of the conservative-centrist Republican Main Street Caucus in the House. First elected in 2016, he won reelection in 2024, is expected to finish his term. Punchbowl News was first to report Bacon's expected decision.
