In keeping with his commitment to cut spending and reduce burdens on hard-working taxpayers, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) is authoring two amendments to the continuing budget resolution that would save Americans an additional $38 million.  

The first amendment would prohibit funding for the $25 million Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study (MRAPS) that has already cost Americans $7.6 million. Luetkemeyer and 14 of his congressional colleagues sent a letter to House and Senate appropriators last month noting that MRAPS is redundant because just seven years ago the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed a comprehensive, 17-year, $35 million study. The second amendment would save taxpayers money by prohibiting the United States from contributing to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organization fraught with waste and engaged in dubious science; the President requested $13 million in his 2012 budget to fund U.S. contributions to the IPCC.

“The American taxpayers sent a loud message last year that we must get spending under control and begin to bring down our nation’s deficit and debt. The amendments I am offering will help do that by saving taxpayers an additional $38 million,” Luetkemeyer said. “I will continue to look for more spending cuts as the House begins the process for the fiscal year 2012 budget because if American families are doing more with less, then the government should too.”  

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