James Sensenbrenner, November 18, 2005

There is much to be said about taking responsibility for one’s actions. As a parent, I certainly expect that of my children, and as a Member of Congress, I often find myself at odds with some of my colleagues who forego responsibility and accountability when voting on legislation in exchange for grand speeches that pander to the media. Whether referring to a person’s character, or an entity such as the US Congress, which is in charge of Americans’ hard earned money, the principle of accountability applies equally. Earlier today, Congress displayed an understanding of this principle by passing HR 4241, the Deficit Reduction Act, with my strong support.

This important piece of legislation, which controls spending and reduces our budget deficit, is long-overdue. To put it mildly, we have had an expensive year. In addition to fighting the War on Terror, defending the homeland, and meeting our commitments to domestic programs, our nation has been hit by natural disasters that have taken their toll physically, emotionally and financially. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita imposed huge costs on our nation, and the threat of Bird Flu may lead to even more expenses.

I supported the initial $10 billion emergency supplemental appropriation Congress passed to allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to continue operations after Hurricane Katrina. But when Congress passed the behemoth $52 billion dollar bill which essentially provided FEMA with a blank check, I voted against this irresponsible legislation because I was unconvinced that the money would go where it was most needed. Unfortunately, recent media reports about people using their $2,000 stipends to purchase alcohol, purses, and lap dances seem to indicate that my reservations were justified. Spurred by these examples of abuse, along with a first-hand recounting of events by a 5th District constituent who volunteered in the relief efforts, I recently wrote to FEMA Director David Paulison to express my concern over the continued inadequacy of FEMA’s response to Hurricane Katrina.

Partially as a result of these unforeseen natural disasters, and bad spending bills laden with Members’ special pork projects, Congress had to re-evaluate its pocketbook and make some decisions about its spending priorities. Just like any household that is faced with disaster or an unexpected financial burden due to a poor spending decision, Congress too needed to sit down and make some tough decisions about what to trim in order to operate within its means. The result of this evaluation was the Deficit Reduction Act, which, though not perfect, is certainly a step in the right direction, and I hope to see more bills like this in the future.

Congressman James Sensenbrenner, a Republican, represents the Fifth Congressional District of Wisconsin. He serves as chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary. The Fifth District of Wisconsin forms an arc surrounding Milwaukee to the North and West, and includes parts of Jefferson, Milwaukee and Waukesha counties, and all of Ozaukee and Washington counties.