Washington, D.C.— U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) released the following statement after voting in opposition to Democrats’ reckless $1.7 trillion fiscal year (FY) 2023 Omnibus Appropriations package.

Today, Congress passed a nearly $2 trillion Omnibus spending bill that continues the reckless fiscal policies of the last two years which have burdened American taxpayers with 40-year high inflation and a $30 trillion national debt.  

“To be sure, I support a number of key features of the legislation, including much needed investments in national defense, critical security assistance to Ukraine and Taiwan, a number of grants I helped to secure for my district, the Secure Act 2.0 which will enhance retirement savings, and a technical correction to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act that will clarify the congressional intent and constitutionality of the law I authored. 

“Nevertheless, I cannot in good conscience support a broken, rushed, end-of-year appropriations process, resulting in an inflationary spending blowout written largely by only a handful of lawmakers, behind closed doors, and with zero House Republican input.  This unpaid-for spending spree not only worsens the debt crisis we are handing down to future generations, it also reflects the misguided priorities of Washington, D.C., increasing funding for the IRS to harass law abiding Americans while effectively ignoring the illegal immigration crisis at our southern border.

“For these reasons, and many more, I voted against the Omnibus spending bill.”

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