During the Senate Budget Committee’s fourth hearing on the broken budget process, Chairman Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., today said that fixing the budget will help put the nation on a better path by providing more predictability, transparency, and accountability to spending by the federal government.
“Both parties agree that our budget process is broken, and now is the time to fix it,” Chairman Enzi said. “Instead of the current budget, which is designed to fail both Congress and the public, it is time to put forth a process that is designed to succeed. In theory, it should serve as a fiscal blueprint that coordinates revenues and spending and connects congressional priorities and committees. And it’s the only tool that Congress has to control runaway mandatory spending.”
Enzi noted that current spending decisions by government are fragmented across multiple committees and federal agencies, preventing Congress from reviewing past spending decisions after the funds have been allocated. He said the dysfunctional annual spending and budget process creates uncertainty that negatively affects agencies, businesses, and individuals. Enzi said the federal government’s budget should be a long-term, enforceable plan that provides predictability, transparency, and accountability. He noted that the limits established by the spending blueprint should be enforceable, which will help ensure that tax and spending measures passed by Congress will actually adhere to the budget.
“The election means no one knows who will win the presidency or control Congress. This is an opportunity to work together now to fix budget process,” Enzi said. “This is one of the most important challenges facing our country because mandatory spending is literally surging out of control, driving future deficits and debt to unsustainable levels. By working together to fix the budget process, we can help put our nation on not just another path, but a better path.”