WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) issued the following statement on President Bush’s $7.1 billion supplemental request for influenza preparedness and response:
“President Bush has sent a new supplemental request to Congress asking for funding to prepare for a potential outbreak of avian flu. While I am not yet convinced a supplemental is necessary, I applaud the administration’s foresight on this issue.
“It is the responsibility of Congress to live by the budgets we pass each year. I will continue my efforts of offset all supplemental requests dollar-for-dollar – with rare exceptions. We can and should budget for disasters, especially those which are foreseen, as is the case of a possible disease outbreak.”
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Congressman Hensarling is Chairman of the Republican Study Committee’s (RSC) Budget and Spending Taskforce and a member of the House Budget Committee.