Wichita Standard

Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas has expressed his disapproval following the passage of H.R. 6363, known as the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act. The legislation, which aims to maintain spending at fiscal year 2023 levels, was approved by a vote of 336-95.

In a statement released after the vote, Rep. Estes criticized the bill for not sufficiently addressing the national debt or reducing spending in line with previously agreed terms in the Fiscal Responsibility Act. "The two-step CR will avoid another bloated omnibus spending bill at Christmastime," he stated, "but it unfortunately doesn't go far enough to address our $33.6 trillion debt and doesn't even reduce spending to previously agreed levels in the Fiscal Responsibility Act."

He further emphasized the financial challenges facing the country, noting that "2023 is a tipping point – we now borrow one out of every five dollars that we spend." Rep. Estes called for an end to governing through continuing resolutions and expressed his intention to collaborate with Speaker Johnson on passing appropriations bills for the current fiscal year. He highlighted his goal of returning to regular order in 2024 to curb government expenditure and tackle inflation affecting families in Kansas.