[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 166 (Wednesday, November 20, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H7260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE NATION'S BROKEN BUDGET

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Ribble) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RIBBLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss our Nation's broken 
budget process and ways we can begin to fix it.
  The government shutdown is caused by the broken budget process. 
Funding our government with continuing resolutions is caused by a 
broken budget process. If we fix this, we could get away from this type 
of management of the taxpayer dollars.
  Every year, Congress is required by law to pass a budget resolution. 
Every year, it is required to pass 12 appropriation bills by October 1, 
the start of the fiscal year. Yet, since 2001, Congress has managed to 
enact only 8.3 percent of our required appropriation bills on time. In 
the past 8 election years, Congress has failed to pass a budget 
resolution a full 75 percent of the time.
  The Washington Post recently did an article about this process. It 
showed that this broken process allows Federal departments and agencies 
to develop a use-it-or-lose-it mentality. A full 20 percent of all 
Federal spending and contracting happens in the last month of the 
fiscal year. Look at how it spikes. It is not just one time. It did it 
in 2010, 2011, and 2012. The spending happens in the last month of the 
year and, in particular, the very last week of the year. This is true 
about contracting, as well. There were 156,000 contracts, 154,000 
contracts, 149,000 contracts all done in the last few weeks of each 
budget year.
  This use-it-or-lose-it mentality is costing the taxpayers millions of 
dollars. We must begin to fix this broken process, and that is why I 
have introduced the Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act of 
2013. Overnight, it would cut this in half.
  A biennial budgeting system, like the one my legislation creates, 
allows Congress to set budget and spending priorities in the first year 
and then do real oversight in the second year. This will allow Congress 
to better understand how the Federal Government is spending taxpayer 
money and be better equipped to make spending decisions in the future.
  This biennial budgeting process has strong bipartisan support with 
110 cosponsors so far. They range from the most progressive Member of 
Congress to the most conservative, painting a broad picture of support 
from Members of Congress and the Americans that they represent.
  Here is a list of groups within Congress that have multiple Members 
supporting the legislation: the House Budget Committee, the Republican 
Study Committee, the Tuesday Group, the Blue Dog Democrats, the New 
Democratic Coalition, the Progressive Caucus, a broad cross-section of 
the Congress and the people that they are here to represent.
  Not only that, every President since Ronald Reagan has supported 
biennial budgeting. Here is a quote from Jack Lew, the former OMB 
Director and White House Chief of Staff, our Nation's current Secretary 
of the Treasury:

       The 2-year system is a good idea. The 1-year budget process 
     gives both the administration and Congress little time to 
     focus on implementing the programs.

  It is time that we begin to address the serious nature of not 
managing the taxpayer dollars in following the requirements of the law. 
We need to fix this broken process this year. It is time to do it.
  Mr. Speaker, if the past few months have taught us anything, it is 
that our current budget process isn't working. It is time to create a 
system that will help us budget responsibly, foster greater certainty 
in the U.S. economy, and save taxpayer dollars. We can do it in 
bipartisan fashion.
  I urge all Members of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 1869 today and help 
us govern again.

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