Rep. Peters Slams Reckless Republican Spending Bill

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-50) joined the full House Budget Committee for a markup of House Republicans' Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2027, their third reconciliation package of the 119th Congress. 

The $95 billion proposal includes $73 billion for the war in Iran and Department of Defense, $12 billion in farm aid, and $10 billion for election grants to states tied to the SAVE Act. Meanwhile, estimates from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget project another $100 billion in new debt from this bill. Rep. Peters voted no. 

"This Republican majority came to Congress promising fiscal responsibility. They said they cared about the deficit. But given the choice between governing responsibly and passing another bill that makes the debt worse, it seems like they are gearing up to make the wrong decision yet again,” Rep. Peters said. “Adding $100 billion to the national debt while asking Congress to pay for Trump’s reckless war in Iran, without Congressional approval, is the opposite of fiscal responsibility. That's compulsive borrowing, three times in less than two years.”  

One year ago, the Republican majority passed their first reconciliation bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill adds more than $4.5 trillion in new debt. Then, following a months-long shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, Republicans pushed through another reconciliation package that gave another $70 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 

During the markup, Republicans also struck down an amendment offered by Rep. Peters that would have established common-sense guardrails and accountability standards for ICE and CBP, to help ensure taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abusive, unaccountable, or unconstitutional immigration enforcement practices. 

"ICE has a $220 billion stockpile, yet its agents still aren't held to the basic standards of conduct every state and local police officer in this country must meet,” Rep. Peters continued. “They operate without accountability, wear masks, and use military-grade equipment while ripping families apart. Families in San Diego and across the country are living in fear because of ICE's poor training and non-existent standards, and it's clear Republicans have no interest in reform." 

Rep. Peters has been a longtime advocate for fiscal responsibility. He co-chairs the Bipartisan Fiscal Forum in Congress and leads several bills to reform how Congress tackles the national debt limit and reduce the federal budget deficit. 

Watch the full House Budget Committee markup here.

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