This Week in Congress

While the House is on a five-week August recess, the Senate is in session most of this month.

The main Senate business is nominations. The Senate will also continue working on the “omnibus” appropriations bill that combines funding for the Interior Department, EPA, and Financial Services. You can read more about that bill here.

The Senate will also be considering the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Conference Report. You can read about the conference report here.

Last week, the Senate rejected an amendment by Senator Rand Paul cutting each program funded in the bill by 11.39%. At a time when the national debt is over $21 trillion dollars, it is shameful and pathetic that only 25 senators voted for Senator Paul’s amendment. Even more pathetic is the fact that a majority of Republicans voted against Senator Paul. So much for the party of fiscal responsibility. You can see the vote here. Read Campaign for Liberty Chairman Ron Paul’s statement on the dangers of overspending here.

Last week, the House passed the conference report on the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of  359-54. Only five Republicans voted no:

Justin Amash (MI-03)

Ken Buck (CO-04)

Jimmy Duncan (TN-02)

Morgan Griffith (VA-09)

Thomas Massie (KY-04)