The following statement is from Ms. Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, in response to a joint letter from seven fiscally conservative groups to the House Rules Committee.

Dear Representative,

Yesterday, seven fiscally conservative groups sent the attached letter to the Rules Committee urging the Buck/Huffman/Norman amendment be made in order.

Their proposal would amend Section 8127 of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Department of Defense Appropriations bill and strike elements of that provision that would effectively force the Pentagon to ship coal across the Atlantic Ocean to fuel a particular military facility in Germany. Our position is the Pentagon should be allowed to determine how to meet their energy needs in the most cost-effective and secure manner and not micromanaged at one facility.

The fiscally conservative/pro-taxpayer groups who joined in this effort are: Americans for Tax Reform, Campaign for Liberty, Coalition to Reduce Spending, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, National Taxpayers Union, Taxpayers for Common Sense, and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance.

The Rules Committee made this amendment in order and it will be debated on the Floor. We urge you to vote for the Buck/Huffman/Norman amendment. To do so is to vote for fiscally conservative values and against the continuation of another outdated government subsidy.

Sincerely,

Ryan Alexander, President