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Hern Slams Proposed Spending Increases For Climate Change, Education, Family Planning, More

U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) speaks in support of his amendments to a spending bill on Tuesday.

Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) on Tuesday called for a 20% reduction in proposed spending increases in House Democrats' "minibus" spending package, lambasting what he called several "massive" increases to various federal agencies.

"The Department of Energy will be increased by 7.6%," Hern said on the House floor Tuesday. "The Department of Interior’s budget is being expanded by 19%. Department of Labor by 17.6%, with $4.2 billion to bolster Biden’s unemployment programs preventing people from returning to work. HHS gets a 23% expansion, including $110 million to research the health impacts of climate change and $400 million in title 10 funding, which Planned Parenthood is now eligible for since Democrats are eliminating the Hyde Amendment. The Department of Education will receive a staggering 40% increase in funding, and it just gets worse from there."

Hern's proposed amendments to cut 20% from the six non-military sections of the seven-section package were considered "en bloc" and rejected by a vote of 154-264.

"When Oklahomans lose their jobs, Democrats will be to blame," Hern said. "When American job creation and wage growth halts, Democrats will be to blame."

Hern said last week he believes President Biden and the Democratic Party are actively working to purposefully keep low- and no-income Americans in poverty.

Chris joined Public Radio Tulsa as a news anchor and reporter in April 2020. He’s a graduate of Hunter College and the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, both at the City University of New York.
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