WASHINGTON, DC– Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) applauded the passage today of H.R. 5016, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2015, which brings new possibilities to Eastern Washington and provides annual funding for the Treasury Department, the Judiciary, the Small Business Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and several other agencies.

“Today, I voted to create better opportunities for American taxpayers, because men and women in Eastern Washington are tired of a federal government that works against them. By increasing transparency and accountability in numerous government agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), we are reducing government spending and streamlining government agencies to better work for the people of Eastern Washington. No person should be discriminated against because of his or her political beliefs, and this bill prevents the IRS from targeting individuals based on these beliefs. And by prohibiting the IRS from implementing Obamacare’s individual mandate, we are reining in this agency’s intrusive overreach into the lives of millions of Americans. The time is now to build a better life for all Americans and to restore trust in our government, and I hope my colleagues in the Senate will follow suit.”

The Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2015 is the seventh appropriations bill the House has passed since April, while the Senate has yet to pass a single one. It reduces IRS funding to a level sufficient for the agency to perform its core duties, including taxpayer services and the proper collection of funds, but will require the agency to streamline and make better use of its budget.

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