[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 193 (Wednesday, November 3, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6134-H6136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 FISCAL STATE OF THE NATION RESOLUTION

  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 44) providing for a joint 
hearing of the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives 
and the Senate to receive a presentation from the Comptroller General 
of the United States regarding the audited financial statement of the 
executive branch, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 44

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This resolution may be cited as the ``Fiscal State of the 
     Nation Resolution''.

     SEC. 2. ANNUAL JOINT HEARING OF BUDGET COMMITTEES TO RECEIVE 
                   A PRESENTATION BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 45 days (excluding 
     Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) after the date on which the 
     Secretary of the Treasury submits to Congress the audited 
     financial statement required under paragraph (1) of section 
     331(e) of title 31, United States Code, on a date agreed upon 
     by the chairs of the Committees on the Budget of the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate (hereafter referred to as the 
     ``Budget Committees'') and the Comptroller General of the 
     United States, the Budget Committees shall hold a joint 
     hearing (hereafter referred to as the ``Joint Hearing'') to 
     receive a presentation from the Comptroller General reviewing 
     the findings of the audit required under paragraph (2) of 
     such section and providing, with respect to the information 
     included by the Secretary in the report accompanying such 
     audited financial statement, an analysis of the financial 
     position and condition of the Federal Government, including 
     financial measures (such as the net operating cost, income, 
     budget deficits, or budget surpluses) and sustainability 
     measures (such as the long-term fiscal projection or social 
     insurance projection) described in such report.
       (b) Presentation of Statement in Accordance With GAO 
     Strategies and Means.--The Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall ensure that the presentation at the Joint 
     Hearing is made in accordance with the Strategies and Means 
     of the Government Accountability Office, so that the 
     presentation will provide professional, objective, fact-
     based, nonpartisan, nonideological, fair, and balanced 
     information to the members attending the Joint Hearing.
       (c) Rules Applicable to Joint Hearing.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and 
     (3), the Joint Hearing shall be subject to rules agreed to by 
     the chairs of the Budget Committees.
       (2) Open hearing.--The Joint Hearing shall be open to the 
     public, including to radio, television, and still photography 
     coverage.
       (3) Attendance.--The Joint Hearing shall accommodate non-
     participatory attendance by any Senator and any Member of the 
     House of Representatives, including any Delegate or Resident 
     Commissioner to the Congress.
       (d) Effective Date.--The requirement under subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to any audited financial statement 
     submitted on or after the date of the enactment of this 
     resolution.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I don't have to tell you that these are partisan 
times. We don't often get to consider something that is supported by 
both Democrats on the Rules Committee and Republicans on the Rules 
Committee. Not only that, an idea that was also recommended by the 
truly bipartisan Select Committee on the Modernization of the Congress.
  That is what we have before us with H. Con. Res. 44, the Fiscal State 
of the Nation Resolution.
  This measure from Congresswoman Rice of New York is coming before us 
at an especially important time, a time that finds us discussing 
matters like the debt ceiling, government spending, transportation, and 
reconciliation legislation.
  It requires the director of the Government Accountability Office to 
deliver an annual address to a joint hearing of the House and Senate 
Budget Committees on the financial position and condition of the 
Federal Government.
  Members of the media would be able to cover the hearing so the 
American people and not just the Members of Congress can better 
understand the realities about what we face today; all with the goal, 
Madam Speaker, of promoting greater transparency surrounding our 
Nation's fiscal health. That way, we have more clarity as Congress 
makes spending decisions in the months and years ahead that will impact 
every single American.
  A companion measure has already been introduced in the United States 
Senate, since the House alone cannot tell our friends on the other side 
of the Capitol what to do; although, I must admit, sometimes I wish we 
could, Madam Speaker.
  There are more than 100 cosponsors of this resolution. As I said 
earlier, the Select Committee on the Modernization of the Congress has 
already recommended this concept in their final report of the 116th 
Congress. I think that is because of a simple reason: We all want to 
make the most informed spending decisions and develop the most sensible 
ways to combat our debt.
  You can't properly address these issues unless you fully understand 
them. With this resolution, through the work of the House and Senate 
Budget Committees, we can all better understand the fiscal reality that 
we face.
  Don't get me wrong, Madam Speaker, I am sure we will still have many 
debates on this floor about what to do in response. I sure as hell 
would never support anything that punishes the very Americans who can 
least afford it.
  For example, when we talk about fiscal health, I want us to 
acknowledge that America's tax code rewards wealth and power at the 
expense of working families. There has been a dramatic reduction in 
taxes paid by the very rich in this country over the last 60 years.
  So when some say all we need to do is cut, cut, cut, I have to say I 
get a little confused. I think cutting Medicare, privatizing Social 
Security, and slashing funding for important programs that help working 
families is an awful idea.
  Instead, I want those at the top to contribute their fair share and 
pay it

[[Page H6135]]

forward so everyone else can access the opportunities and possibilities 
they get to enjoy.
  Let me also say, taking on big problems will cost money. But in the 
long run, the consequences of an action oftentimes will be more 
expensive. Hunger is an issue that I deeply care about. It is estimated 
to cost Americans over $160 billions every year in lost productivity 
and poor healthcare outcomes.
  In contrast, it would cost us just a fraction of that number to 
completely end hunger in America. By investing in solutions up front, 
we can often save a boatload of money and pass on those savings to the 
American taxpayer.

                              {time}  1245

  Now, many Members on my side feel the same way. But I get it. Many of 
my Republican friends probably view things differently. We can have 
those debates here on the floor and in the relevant committees. But 
because of this resolution, hopefully, Democrats and Republicans and 
Members of the House and Senate would at least be dealing with the same 
set of facts.
  John Adams called facts stubborn things, and I have to tell you, 
Madam Speaker, he was absolutely right. But sometimes, it can feel like 
each side uses different statistics to talk past each other.
  This measure will, hopefully, help ground our discussions about 
fiscal policy, so I urge all of my colleagues to join with the more 
than 100 Members of this body who support this resolution and with the 
Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, which recommended 
this idea.
  Let's allow Members of the House and Senate to hear directly from the 
GAO so that we can follow the facts and make better informed decisions 
about our Nation's bottom line.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, H. Con. Res. 44 provides for an annual joint hearing 
of the House and Senate Budget Committees to hear a presentation by the 
Comptroller General of the United States reviewing the findings of the 
audited financial statement of the Federal Government.
  I serve both on the House Budget and the House Rules Committees, and 
I am an original cosponsor of this legislation. It is long past time 
for the congressional Budget Committees to hear from the Comptroller 
General, who is the head of the Government Accountability Office. This 
should be done on an annual basis about the fiscal state of our Nation.
  We already hear annually from the executive branch through the head 
of the Office of Management and Budget. To complement this information, 
we should also hear an unvarnished, nonpolitical perspective from the 
head of Congress' legislative support agency about the many factors 
contributing to the Nation's debt and deficit in order to develop sound 
fiscal policies and meet our long-term debt and deficit reduction 
goals.
  Unfortunately, we are in the middle of a spending crisis, with well 
over $1 trillion in taxpayer money spent largely on partisan 
priorities, and the bad news is there is more on the way. The financial 
effect of this spending on the Federal Government's balance sheet may 
not be fully realized for several years. It is imperative that we keep 
close tabs on how our revenues, spending, and debt level are faring.
  Congress receives information piecemeal from the executive branch and 
from the legislative support agencies, so we should have a 
comprehensive, data-driven analysis and presentation to ensure that our 
fiscal policies are, in fact, working to ensure the financial health of 
our Nation, not just in the next 2-year cycle, but for decades into the 
future as well.
  While the legislation before us today was introduced by my Democratic 
colleague from New York (Miss Rice), it is rooted in the Joint Select 
Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform from the 115th 
Congress chaired by my colleague from Arkansas (Mr. Womack).
  This is clearly not a partisan issue, as the legislation has more 
than 100 cosponsors from both parties. Financial success and longevity 
begin years before they are realized. We must not be reckless with our 
Nation's financial future now, and the best way to ensure that is to 
enact the Fiscal State of the Nation Resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 44, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from the State of Washington (Mr. Kilmer), who is the 
distinguished chairman of the Select Committee on the Modernization of 
Congress.
  Mr. KILMER. Madam Speaker, I thank Chair McGovern for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I am going to start with a bit of an embarrassing 
admission. For a number of years, I avoided stepping on a scale because 
I was about 90 pounds heavier than I am now. Madam Speaker, eventually, 
I figured out that you can't really get a handle on things by ignoring 
them. So, occasionally, you have to step on that scale, and that is 
really the ethic that this bill embraces.
  It simply says that if we are going to get a handle on our long-term 
fiscal challenges and have an economy that works better for everyone, 
then we have to occasionally hear a clear statement of how we are doing 
and a clear statement of the Nation's financial realities from a 
nonpartisan, unbiased source. That is what a fiscal state of the Nation 
address would do.
  As the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress looked at 
proposals to improve the budget and appropriations process in the 116th 
Congress, all 12 members of the committee unanimously recommended this 
as an important reform. I would acknowledge that there was great 
bipartisan and bicameral support for this notion as part of the Joint 
Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform as well.
  The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress believed that 
providing Members of Congress with access to nonpartisan information 
about the many factors contributing to the Nation's fiscal challenges 
would allow Congress to develop sound fiscal policies and meet the 
long-term needs of our Nation. In its final report from the 116th 
Congress, the committee noted that a fiscal state of the Nation address 
would also encourage communication between the executive and 
legislative branches and improve the ability for all parties involved 
in the budget and appropriations process to make decisions based on a 
common set of facts. That is why this bill has such strong bipartisan 
support.
  I want to congratulate Congresswoman Rice and Congressman Barr for 
their progress on this effort. I encourage my colleagues on both sides 
of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans, to support this bill.

  Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Smith), who is the respected ranking member of the House 
Committee on the Budget.
  Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman 
from Texas for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, this resolution about the fiscal state of the Nation 
is an important step in the right direction. Now more than ever, 
Congress needs to take an honest look at government spending and the 
role it is playing in this inflation crisis.
  All across America, families are struggling. Consumer prices rose 5.4 
percent in September year over year. Inflation is on pace to hit the 
highest level in 40 years, and the Congressional Budget Office has 
confirmed that inflation has eroded the purchasing power of families.
  Is it any wonder now that only 35 percent of Americans say that the 
economy is good? I will note that is just a bit smaller than the 37 
percent of Americans who believe that President Joe Biden is competent 
as President.
  Make no mistake, the high prices Americans are paying at the grocery 
store and at the gas pump are a direct result of the Democrats' 
reckless spending agenda. So it is a little laughable that my Democrat 
colleagues would bring up this resolution now when for the last 9 
months they have rammed through trillions in new spending and debt. As 
we speak, they are trying to pass the largest tax-and-spending bill in 
the history--in the history--of our country without even a score from 
the Congressional Budget Office.

[[Page H6136]]

  Here is a tip: Be honest with the American people about the price tag 
of your agenda and the higher prices that will be inflicted. Then a 
hearing on the state of our Nation's fiscal health will be much more 
successful.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I would just say to the gentleman I 
would hate to hear what he would say if he actually opposed the bill. 
But the bottom line is the bills that we are trying to move through 
this Chamber right now that would be transformational are fully paid 
for. I just can't be lectured by anybody who advocated for a tax cut 
bill that benefited mostly the wealthy and well-off in this country 
that was not paid for at all and that added $2 trillion right to our 
debt. So spare me the lectures.
  I reserve the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.
  Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Womack) in order to continue the lectures, and who is a 
valuable member of the Appropriations Committee.
  Mr. WOMACK. Madam Speaker, my thanks to my colleague from Texas for 
giving me the opportunity to speak on this very important subject.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, though I have to 
admit that it is easy to be somewhat pessimistic about its potential 
effectiveness. But I am willing to try anything--anything--that might 
work in elevating the Nation's debt situation in the minds of the 
people we all represent.
  The people I represent in Arkansas don't have a choice but to balance 
their checkbooks, and if they can't, then they are limited in how much 
they can borrow and for what. Sadly, the Federal Government doesn't 
play by the same rules.
  Madam Speaker, we are $29 trillion in debt. We have budget deficits 
as far as the eyes can see. We are mortgaging the futures of our kids 
and our grandkids. And it is painfully obvious to me that the governing 
majority doesn't really care much about deficits and debt. But Third 
District Arkansans do.
  I had the honor of co-chairing a joint select committee in 2018 that 
tried to address the budget and appropriations process that has tripped 
up the Congress every year since I have been here, and to think that we 
are only funded through the third day of December, with no assurance of 
a full year's appropriation by then, something has to be done.
  A fiscal state of the Union is one of the recommendations that came 
from our joint select committee, but I will remind everyone that we 
need three more--count them, three more--Democrat votes to move those 
recommendations. And four, Madam Speaker, four Democrats voted 
``present.''
  So forgive me if I don't sound terribly optimistic that Congress will 
get its act together. But maybe, just maybe, something like this will 
force a rational discussion before we have what is coming: a sovereign 
debt crisis.
  So, I am willing to try, and I encourage my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I would just remind the gentleman this is a bipartisan 
bill put forward by a bipartisan commission, and I am glad to hear him 
talking about the debt. I wish some of my colleagues would have talked 
about it when they controlled the House and the White House, but the 
debt that we are talking about was accumulated by Republican Presidents 
and Republican Congresses and Democratic Presidents and Democratic 
Congresses.

  President Biden has only been in office 9 months, and the spending 
that he is proposing is to be fully paid for, with a recognition that 
we do not want to see an increase in our deficits and our debt.
  But this is a bipartisan moment, and we should celebrate it. But 
maybe I am sounding a little eccentric when I say that.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  So, Madam Speaker, in closing, this legislation will provide the 
congressional Budget Committees with an unbiased, analytical 
understanding of the audited financial statement of the Federal 
Government.
  We know problems remain in completing this audit, as the Department 
of Defense has yet to receive a full financial audit opinion. To ensure 
that this statutorily required audit is achieved and to gain a 
comprehensive understanding of the financial health of the Federal 
Government, we certainly must pass the Fiscal State of the Nation 
Resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I urge support of the resolution, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, this is a bipartisan resolution. It was presented to 
us by a bipartisan select committee. I think we should all appreciate 
this particular moment.
  It is about making sure that Congress is provided a presentation of 
the facts about our Nation's fiscal health as we make decisions that 
will impact America's bottom line. Democrats and Republicans could then 
fight it out over the next steps. We have different priorities and 
different values on a lot of things.

                              {time}  1300

  But there should be no disagreement about this resolution right now. 
And, surely, even in this day and age, we can all still agree on the 
need to get the facts in the light of day for us and the people who we 
represent.
  Again, I want to thank Congresswoman Rice from New York for her 
leadership on this issue, and I want to thank my colleague on the Rules 
Committee Congressman Burgess for cosponsoring this legislation. There 
should be no controversy over this.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Miss RICE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my 
legislation, H. Con. Res. 44, the Fiscal State of the Nation 
resolution.
  This resolution would require the Comptroller General of the United 
States to present an annual report on the fiscal health of the federal 
government to a joint hearing of the House and Senate Budget 
Committees, open to ALL members of Congress.
  This nonpartisan presentation will offer an objective analysis of the 
nation's finances and allow Congress to demonstrate to the public that 
we are serious about improving our fiscal decision-making.
  As we finalize historic investments to rebuild our infrastructure and 
help families and small businesses recover from this pandemic, it is 
more important than ever that we act as responsible stewards of the 
American people's tax dollars.
  Every lawmaker, citizen, and media outlet should be able to reference 
a single, unbiased source when discussing the current and future fiscal 
health of our country. And the Fiscal State of the Nation would provide 
that valuable information with transparency and accuracy.
  I'm incredibly proud this bipartisan resolution has garnered over 100 
cosponsors, almost evenly split between Democratic and Republican 
members.
  I'd like to thank my friend, Representative Andy Barr from Kentucky, 
for co-leading this legislation with me, and I urge its swift passage 
on the Floor today.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 44, as 
amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as amended, was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________