Schilling Opposes Legislative Branch Spending Bill

Washington, DC - Congressman Bobby Schilling (IL-17) released the following statement after voting against H.R. 5882, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 2013:

"This House has changed the conversation in Washington from 'how much can we spend?' to 'how much can we save?,' but we can't let up.   As our national debt speeds toward $16 trillion, every dollar we can save counts.

"My parents taught me to lead by example, which is why I rejected the Congressional pension, any Congressional pay raises, and brought my own health care to Washington.  The House also voted to lead by example and reduce our own office budgets by 5 percent in 2011 and 6.4 percent in 2012.  On top of that I still managed to return $110,000 - an additional 8 percent - of my 2011 budget to taxpayers, and expect to return a portion of my 2012 budget to taxpayers at the end of this year as well.  Today's legislative branch spending bill however, doesn't cut our office budgets further, instead keeping it level from last year.  Simply put, I believe today's bill could have and should have gone further. 

"For years, Congress voted to increase their own office budgets, but this Congress has stopped that trend while still proving you can provide strong constituent services.  We have four offices in our area so you can conveniently keep in close contact with us, and host regular mobile office hours throughout the district so folks don't have to drive long distances to have their concerns addressed or their questions answered.  We have also hosted roundtables with business leaders and health care professionals throughout our area, forums to help our veterans get information on benefits available to them, and had both Democrat and Republican Members of Congress choose to visit our area for field hearings to see the national treasures we have here in our own backyard.

"My staff and I stay in close contact with folks and provide them with high-quality constituent services while reducing our overall expenses, doing more with less, and remaining mindful of taxpayer dollars.  This sort of service hasn't happened in our area for a long time.  I will continue leading by example, providing high-quality yet fiscally responsible constituent services, and working to save the American dream for our kids and grandkids."