[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 86 (Friday, June 26, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S7235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           A BIENNIAL BUDGET

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I would like to just mention again, as we 
enter into the real depth of appropriations, one of the things that we 
have talked about a great deal that I feel very strongly about, and I 
think we ought to think about as we do that, is a biennial budget.
  Each year in this institution we spend about half or more of our time 
dealing with appropriations, which leaves us very little time to do the 
other things that are very necessary--particularly oversight. Almost 
all legislative bodies in this country have biennial budgets, which 
gives an opportunity, first of all, for the agencies to have two years 
with which to know what their spending will be. Secondly, it allows the 
institution to have time to oversee the spending that is authorized.
  Rather than take more time to talk about it, I just raise the 
question again and urge the leadership to give some consideration to a 
biennial budget, where we would make a budget for two years and then 
have a chance for oversight, have a chance for the agencies to know 
what they are doing longer, and have a chance to do some of the other 
business that properly comes before this body.

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