[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 200 (Wednesday, December 19, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H10321-H10322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    BUDGET PROCESS, FISCAL YEAR 2019

  (Mr. WOMACK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage all of us to stay 
committed to reforming the Federal budget and appropriations process.
  Here we are, operating under a continuing resolution and scrambling 
to adopt another, our third of fiscal year 2019 alone. Despite good 
work being done to fund 5 of the 12 annual appropriations bills, after 
2\1/2\ months and two continuing resolutions, our work remains 
unfinished.
  Mr. Speaker, the power of the purse is the most important 
constitutional responsibility granted to Congress, yet we have 
regularly and repeatedly ceded our duty to fulfill this essential role. 
It is unacceptable, and it is clear that the Federal budget and 
appropriations process is broken. The American people deserve better.
  As you know, the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations 
Process Reform laid the groundwork for bipartisan, bicameral reform 
this past year. Our proposal began taking steps in the right direction 
to improve the process. While our efforts were unsuccessful, where we 
stand today highlights just how desperately our work was needed. It, 
Mr. Speaker, is now more necessary than ever.
  I will continue to champion budget process reform and the ideas put 
forth by the joint select committee next year. Today, I sent a Dear 
Colleague letter outlining our year of work, which I include in the 
Record.
  I encourage all Members to review it and join me in this essential 
effort. We owe the American people this process. Let's fix this.
       Dear Colleague: In the Second Session of the 115th 
     Congress, I was honored to Co-Chair the Joint Select 
     Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. As 
     members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Article I 
     entrusts in each of us the power of the purse. This is an 
     awesome responsibility that I, and I know each of you, take 
     very seriously. We owe it to the American people to have a 
     process that works, and that was the goal of the Joint Select 
     Committee--to produce recommendations to reform the federal 
     budget and appropriations process.
       As you know, our Joint Select Committee produced a 
     bipartisan, bicameral consensus package of reforms in advance 
     of our statutory deadline of November 30, 2018. During our 
     markup, amendments were subjected to a supermajority 
     threshold to ensure those that passed reflected a true 
     consensus of the panel. Some amendments passed unanimously. 
     During the final debate on the bill, many members indicated 
     that they had no objection to the package's underlying 
     reforms. However, the bill and report developed over many 
     months of hard work failed to secure the necessary 
     supermajority of votes to pass under our Joint Select 
     Committee's rules.
       Despite the unfortunate outcome of the Joint Select 
     Committee's work, there is no refuting that the federal 
     budget process is broken. It is vital that Congress continues 
     these efforts to reform the budget and appropriations process 
     this year, next year, and in the years beyond. I have 
     assembled in this Budget Committee print all the relevant 
     materials to this year's work. I urge all Members to review 
     this information. In this Committee print, you will find:
       The report of the Joint Select Committee on Budget and 
     Appropriations Process Reform;
       The Co-chair's mark, as amended, and voted on, by the Joint 
     Select Committee;
       The votes of the Joint Select Committee;
       Hearing transcripts of the Joint Select Committee's five 
     public hearings; Congressional Budget Office briefing 
     materials prepared for the Joint Select Committee;
       Congressional Research Service briefing materials prepared 
     for the Joint Select Committee;
       H.R. 7191--a bill introduced in the House by myself and 
     Representative Yarmuth, a Joint Select Committee Member and 
     Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee; and
       The press release to accompany the introduction of H.R. 
     7191.
       It is my sincere hope that this important work will 
     continue in the 116th Congress on a bipartisan and bicameral 
     basis. I believe Members of Congress, Executive Branch 
     officials, outside budget experts and academics, as well as 
     engaged citizens, will find this material useful for future 
     reform efforts.
       I would like to thank the Members of the Joint Select 
     Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform, our 
     hardworking staffs, particularly Dan Keniry, David Reich, and 
     Mary Popadiuk, as well as the House Rules Committee staff, 
     Bob Weinhagen and Tom Cassidy in the Office of Legislative 
     Counsel, budget experts at the Congressional Research Service 
     and the Congressional Budget Office--particularly Mark Hadley 
     and Teri Gullo--and House Parliamentarian Tom Wickham and his 
     office, for the year of dedication.
       If you have any questions or would like additional 
     information, please contact Dan Keniry, Staff Director of the 
     House Budget

[[Page H10322]]

     Committee or Mary Popadiuk, General Counsel of the House 
     Budget Committee.
                                                     Steve Womack,
     Chairman, Committee on the Budget.

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