[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 17 (Thursday, February 2, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E119-E120]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONEST BUDGET ACT OF 2012

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARTHA ROBY

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 2, 2012

  Mrs. ROBY. Mr. Speaker, Americans deserve a genuine and predictable 
government that shoots straight. As Thomas Jefferson wrote, ``The whole 
art of government consists in the art of being honest.'' How can the 
people hold their representative accountable when Congress and their 
President distort the basic facts?
  Many of my colleagues and I are dismayed by the dysfunction in the 
process. We've seen firsthand the insider tricks and schemes used to 
distort the budget and hide new spending. We've learned that these 
loopholes are deeply

[[Page E120]]

engrained in the rules of Congress, and that both Republicans and 
Democrats are guilty of exploiting them.
  The American people have a right to expect accountability, honesty, 
and transparency from their government. But every year, Washington 
relies on a series of budget gimmicks and accounting tricks to conceal 
or enable deficit spending. With our nation's gross debt over $15 
trillion--as large as our entire economy--Washington must drop the 
budget games and commit to honest budget practices.
  We--as the freshman class--were sent to DC to do things differently 
and to assist on honest and transparent government.
  That's why earlier this week, I, along with 28 of my colleagues, 
introduced the Honest Budget Act of 2012--an important step to change 
the way Washington works and instill integrity to the budget process.
  This legislation is designed to root out the budget gimmicks most 
commonly used by politicians to hide the truth, confuse the public, and 
run up the national debt.
  Last year, Senator Jeff Sessions from Alabama introduced in the 
Senate similar legislation to strengthen the Senate's rules against 
budget trickery. Numerous conservative groups have endorsed Sessions' 
bill, including the Heritage Foundation, Americans for Tax Reform, and 
Citizens Against Government Waste.
  The House legislation expands this bill with similar rules in the 
House of Representatives to addresses nine specific budget gimmicks 
that, since 2005, have cost taxpayers more than $350 billion and have 
consistently added to the burgeoning national debt. For example, the 
legislation makes it more difficult to pass appropriation bills without 
first approving a budget. No longer will the Senate be allowed to 
operate without a budget as it has for more than 1000 days. It tightens 
rules about using ``emergency designations'' and ``disaster 
designations'' to justify off-budget spending. It reveals both the real 
cost and the real commitment on what the federal government is 
spending. The bill prevents Congress from relying on phony rescissions, 
or claiming savings unless the savings are real and genuine. Money that 
was never going to be spent cannot later be claimed as ``savings''. 
That's common sense.
  A budget is a plan for the nation's future and an annual financial 
report to the stockholders of the company--in this case, the American 
people. We deserve the truth. Mr. Speaker, given what I have witnessed 
over the last year, the only way to guarantee the truth is to 
specifically root out and end the gimmicks that so often obscure it.
  We are all keenly aware that the number one issue facing America 
today is jobs. We must continue to do all that we can here in 
Washington to create an environment that fosters job growth, and we 
will continue to do that. But we cannot overlook the fact that 
Washington spends money it does not have. Certainly, this reckless 
spending spree has contributed greatly towards our downward economy.
  The American people deserve a budget system that is accountable, 
predictable, and real. Regardless of party, Congress and the 
Administration have not always been up-front with their numbers. It is 
important that we instill integrity back to our budget. The President 
is expected to present Congress with his budget for Fiscal Year 2013. 
We have a responsibility to our constituents to ensure that the final 
budget is accurate and any savings included are real savings.
  In many respects, the Honest Budget Act of 2012 embodies the spirit 
of transparency and accountability that unites my freshman class. The 
bill is a rallying point for those who truly want to put an end to the 
tricks, gimmicks and empty promises, and for all who believe that the 
American people deserve a government that they can trust. I look 
forward to work with my colleagues to see this become reality.

                          ____________________