Rep. Mark Pocan: Congress Has 'Demolished' Appropriations Process, Outsourced to Project 2025

Appropriations Process Criticized

• 🎯 Rep. Mark Pocan states the appropriations process is not just broken, but demolished.
• 💡 He argues Congress has fully outsourced the process to the authors of Project 2025, rendering the proceedings a form of "fantasy Congress."

Project 2025 Proposals

• ✂️ Pocan highlights specific proposed cuts from Project 2025, including a 44% reduction in IRS enforcement.
• 📉 Other proposed cuts target the FTC, which protects consumers, and the Small Business Administration (SBA) by 9%.
• 💰 He contrasts these cuts with a recent bill that increased the national debt, questioning the logic of the proposed reductions.

Impact on Congress and Small Businesses

• 🏛️ Pocan believes this outsourced process is disrespectful to members of Congress and undermines Article One of the Constitution, which grants Congress the power of the purse.
• 🛠️ He notes that proposed SBA staff reductions would have made it difficult for his recently sold business to navigate the loan process, showing disrespect to other small business owners.
• 📈 The proposal also drastically cuts funding for election security grants, from $400 million requested to only $15 million allocated.

Funding Increases and Time Waste

• 💰 In contrast to cuts, funding is proposed to increase for Doge (likely referring to a specific agency or program, though not explicitly defined in transcript), which Pocan sees as further undermining congressional allocations.
• ⏳ Pocan expresses frustration with the waste of time and lack of reality in the current process, stating he did not enter Congress to participate in "fantasy Congress."
• 🗣️ He concludes by stating that the process has "zero chance of reality" and is a significant waste of time for members.