Search for...
Follow @ontheissuesorg
OnTheIssuesLogo

Bill Flores on Budget & Economy

 


Voted YES on terminating the Home Affordable mortgage Program.

Congressional Summary: Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to terminate providing new mortgage modification assistance under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), except with respect to existing obligations on behalf of homeowners already extended an offer to participate in the program.

Proponent's Argument for voting Yes:
[Rep. Biggert, R-IL]: The HAMP Termination Act would put an end to the poster child for failed Federal foreclosure programs. The program has languished for 2 years, hurt hundreds of thousands of homeowners, and must come to an end. This bill would save $1.4 billion over 10 years. To date, the HAMP program has already consumed $840 million of the more than $30 billion of TARP funds that were set aside for the program. For this extraordinary investment, the administration predicted that 3 to 4 million homeowners would receive help. HAMP has hurt more homeowners than it has helped. The program has completed about 540,000 mortgage modifications. Another 740,000 unlucky homeowners had their modifications cancelled.

Opponent's Argument for voting No:
[Rep. Capuano, D-MA]: This is a program that I'm the first to admit has not lived up to what our hopes were. This program we had hoped would help several million people. Thus far we've only helped about 550,000 people. But to simply repeal all of these programs is to walk away from individual homeowners, walk away from neighborhoods. I'm not going to defend every single aspect of this program, and I am happy to work with anyone to make it better, to help more people to keep their homes, & keep their families together. To simply walk away without offering an alternative means we don't care; this Congress doesn't care if you lose your home, period. Now, I understand if that makes me a bleeding-heart liberal according to some people, so be it.

Reference: The HAMP Termination Act; Bill H.839 ; vote number 11-HV198 on Mar 29, 2011

Demand a Balanced Budget amendment.

Flores signed the Contract From America

The Contract from America, clause 3. Demand a Balanced Budget:

Begin the Constitutional amendment process to require a balanced budget with a two-thirds majority needed for any tax hike.

Source: The Contract From America 10-CFA03 on Jul 8, 2010

Limit federal spending growth to per-capita inflation rate.

Flores signed the Contract From America

The Contract from America, clause 6. End Runaway Government Spending:

Impose a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of the inflation rate plus the percentage of population growth.

Source: The Contract From America 10-CFA06 on Jul 8, 2010

Member of House Budget Committee.

Flores is a member of the House Budget Committee

The U.S. House Committee on the Budget's responsibilities include legislative oversight of the federal budget process, reviewing all bills and resolutions on the budget, and monitoring agencies and programs funded outside of the budgetary process. The primary responsibility of the Budget Committee is the drafting and preparation of the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget, commonly referred to as the "budget resolution." This resolution sets the aggregate levels of spending and revenue that is expected to occur in a given fiscal year. Hence each session of Congress, a budget resolution by law must be enacted by April 15.

Source: U.S. House of Representatives website, www.house.gov 11-HC-Bud on Feb 3, 2011

Require a balanced budget, by Constitutional amendment.

Flores co-sponsored Balanced Budget Amendment

JOINT RESOLUTION: Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives, That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid when ratified by the legislatures of 3/4ths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification:
  1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year, unless 3/5ths of each House of Congress shall provide for a specific excess by a rollcall vote.
  2. The limit on the debt of the United States held by the public shall not be increased, unless 3/5ths of each House shall provide for such an increase by a rollcall vote.
  3. Prior to each fiscal year, the President shall transmit to the Congress a proposed budget in which total outlays do not exceed total receipts.
  4. No bill to increase revenue shall become law unless approved by a majority of each House by a rollcall vote.
  5. The Congress may waive the provisions of this article for any fiscal year in which a declaration of war is in effect; or when the United States is engaged in military conflict which causes an imminent and serious military threat to national security and is so declared by a joint resolution.
Source: H.J.RES.2 11-HJR02 on Jan 5, 2011

Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the US Constitution.

Flores signed Balanced Budget Amendment

RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (2/3rds of each House concurring therein), That the article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of 3/4ths of the several States within 7 years after the date of its submission for ratification.

This article shall take effect beginning with the later of the second fiscal year beginning after its ratification or the first fiscal year beginning after December 31, 2016.

Source: H.J.Res.2 11-HJRES2 on Jan 5, 2011

Ban roadway signs indicating Recovery Act funding.

Flores co-sponsored End the Stimulus Advertisement Act

Prohibits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for physical signage indicating that a project is funded by such Act.

Under appropriations for FY2012 and FY2013, the total amount available for administrative expenses of an affected agency shall be the amount that would otherwise be available, reduced by 50% of the amount reported to have been expended before the enactment of this Act for such signage.

Requires the head of each affected agency to deposit such reduction amount in the general fund of the Treasury for purposes of deficit reduction.

Source: H.R.389 11-HR0389 on Jan 20, 2011

Supports the Cut-Cap-and-Balance Pledge.

Flores signed the Cut-Cap-and-Balance Pledge to limit government

[The Cut-Cap-and-Balance Pledge is sponsored by a coalition of several hundred Tea Party, limited-government, and conservative organizations].

Despite our nation's staggering $14.4 trillion debt, there are many Members of the U.S. House and Senate who want to raise our nation's debt limit without making permanent reforms in our fiscal policies. We believe that this is a fiscally irresponsible position that would place America on the Road to Ruin. At the same time, we believe that the current debate over raising the debt limit provides a historic opportunity to focus public attention, and then public policy, on a path to a balanced budget and paying down our debt.

We believe that the "Cut, Cap, Balance" plan for substantial spending cuts in FY 2012, a statutory spending cap, and Congressional passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution is the minimum necessary precondition to raising the debt limit. The ultimate goal is to get us back to a point where increases in the debt limit are no longer necessary. If you agree, take the Cut, Cap, Balance Pledge!

    I pledge to urge my Senators and Member of the House of Representatives to oppose any debt limit increase unless all three of the following conditions have been met:
  1. Cut: Substantial cuts in spending that will reduce the deficit next year and thereafter.
  2. Cap: Enforceable spending caps that will put federal spending on a path to a balanced budget.
  3. Balance: Congressional passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution -- but only if it includes both a spending limitation and a super-majority for raising taxes, in addition to balancing revenues and expenses.
Source: Cut-Cap-and-Balance Pledge 12-CCB on Jan 1, 2012

Disapprove of increasing the debt limit.

Flores co-sponsored Joint Resolution on Debt Limit

Congressional Summary:JOINT RESOLUTION: Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives: That Congress disapproves of the President's exercise of authority to increase the debt limit, as submitted on Jan. 12, 2012.

Congressional Vote:Vote #4 in the House: 239 Yeas; 176 Nays; Senate declined to vote on the Resolution.

OnTheIssues Explanation: On Jan. 12, 2012, Pres. Obama notified Congress of his intent to raise the nation's debt ceiling by $1.2 trillion, two weeks after he had postponed the request to give lawmakers more time to consider the action. Congress then had 15 days to say no before the debt ceiling is automatically raised from $15.2 trillion to $16.4 trillion. Hence the debt ceiling was increased.

In Aug. 2011, the US government was nearly shut down by an impasse over raising the debt ceiling; under an agreement reached then, the President could raise the debt limit in three increments while also implementing $2.4 trillion in budget cuts. The agreement also gave Congress the option of voting to block each of the debt-ceiling increases by passing a "resolution of disapproval." The House disapproved; the Senate, by declining to vote in the 15-day window, killed the Resolution. Even if the resolution were passed, Pres. Obama could veto it; which could be overridden by a 2/3 majority in the House and Senate. The House vote only had 57% approval, not enough for the 67% override requirement, so the Senate vote became moot. The same set of actions occurred in Sept. 2011 for the first debt ceiling increase.

Source: HJRes.98/SJRes34 12-HJR98 on Jan 13, 2012

Audit the Federal Reserve & its actions on mortgage loans.

Flores co-sponsored Federal Reserve Transparency Act

The Federal Reserve Transparency Act directs: