WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator John Boozman released the following statement after voting against the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016.  

“This is a setback to efforts to control federal spending. This $1.1 trillion bill grows the federal government and busts the budget caps with $50 billion in new spending. This bill does little to provide regulatory relief for Arkansas farmers, small businesses and community banks, while continuing to fund the worst of the Obama administration’s overreach. 

“There are a number of provisions in the bill that I support because they will help Arkansans, including the repeal of Country-of-Origin-Labeling (COOL), funding for the Delta Regional Authority and delaying the implementation of Obamacare’s taxes. The bill also permanently extends Section 179 of the tax code, extends bonus depreciation for five years and includes the Timber Revitalization and Economic Enhancement (TREE) Act. These provisions will provide certainty and incentivize small businesses to make investments and expand.  

“Unfortunately, the irresponsible spending outweighs the good in the bill. The Senate Committee on Appropriations passed all 12 appropriations bills for the first time since 2009. Senate-passage of these bills and the return to regular order and open and transparent debate is the path to fiscal responsibility that we must follow to show taxpayers we are serious about reining in federal spending.”