Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Chair of the House Republican Conference, released the following statement after the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the country’s largest nonpartisan, voluntary organization of state legislators, released a model resolution in support of ending unauthorized federal spending.

“In the People’s House, restoring the voice of every man, woman and child in this country is a top priority,” said McMorris Rodgers. “For far too long, our carefully crafted balance of powers has been off-kilter, and the American people’s voice hasn’t been heard. One of the core causes is a legacy of unauthorized spending in the federal government. Too much of the government is on autopilot, and without the ability to review, rethink, or possibly eliminate government programs, it will continue to grow out of control.

“We are called to serve those we represent, and eliminating unauthorized spending is just one step to restoring the people’s power in representative government. I’m grateful for ALEC showing leadership on this important issue and I urge all state legislatures to take up this resolution.”

Note: On March 14, 2016, McMorris Rodgers introduced H.R. 4730, The Unauthorized Spending Accountability (USA) Act of 2016, which puts all unauthorized programs on a pathway to sunset in 3 years and requires any new authorizations or reauthorizations to include a sunset clause. This means every government program will be routinely scrutinized and updated by the People’s representatives.