budget process Archives

Perdue Proposes Overhaul of Washington’s Funding Process

November 27, 2018 |

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Latest News Tagged With: appropriations, budget process, continuing resolutions, funding process, national debt, shutdown

Sen. Perdue pushing overhaul of federal appropriations process
By Dave Williams, Atlanta Business Chronicle
November 27, 2018

U.S. Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., and two of his Republican colleagues are calling on Congress to reform the appropriations process to make sure the federal government is funded on time.

Perdue and GOP Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Joni Ernst of Iowa are introducing a plan to create specific deadlines for passing annual budget and appropriations bills. The proposal will be taken up by a bicameral, bipartisan committee formed last February to review the process and recommend changes.

“Washington is locked in a cycle of continuing resolutions and last-minute spending deals,” Perdue said. “To be successful, this joint select committee must create a politically neutral platform with specific milestones for completing funding and impose severe consequences if members of Congress don’t get the job done.”

Lawmakers returned to Washington this week for a two-week lame-duck session needing to reach a funding agreement with the White House by Dec. 7 or face a partial government shutdown. The key sticking point is President Donald Trump’s request for $5 billion for a border wall.

The 16-member Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform, which includes Perdue, has until the end of the year to agree on changes to the process and present them to the full Congress for a vote.

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Washington’s Funding Process Is Totally Broken

September 23, 2018 |

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Latest News, Latest Videos Tagged With: budget process, continuing resolution, funding process, national debt

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David Perdue Slams ‘Unacceptable’ Short-Term Spending Bill

September 20, 2018 |

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Latest News Tagged With: budget process, continuing resolution, funding process, national debt

Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) slammed the Senate’s “unacceptable” short-term continuing resolution (CR) on Tuesday. The CR would prevent President Donald Trump’s potential shutdown threat over partial border wall funding.

The Senate passed the continuing resolution with a vote tally of 93-7. Sens. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rand Paul (R-KY), David Perdue (R-GA), and Pat Toomey (R-PA) joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to vote against the $854 billion spending bill.

Sen. Perdue chided the CR in a statement on Tuesday, saying:

Here we go again. In typical Washington fashion, Congress has once again fallen short of completing its Constitutional responsibility. We had the opportunity to fully fund the government on time for the first time in 22 years. Congress has used over 180 continuing resolutions instead of getting it all done. We are going to walk past the deadline on September 30^th and fall into the same trap. This is unacceptable.

Senate Funding Progress Is Not A Permanent Solution

September 20, 2018 |

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Latest News Tagged With: border security, budget process, continuing resolution, debt, funding process

Senate funding progress is not a permanent solution
By U.S. Sen. David Perdue
September 19, 2018

In March, President Trump said he would never again sign another last-minute, massive spending bill. In May, a group of 16 Republican senators came together to say we were willing to work nights, weekends, and through the annual August recess to deliver results, specifically on confirmations and funding. This additional time created an opportunity for Congress to fully fund the government on time for the first time in 22 years.

Congress got close, but missed its chance.

Despite some progress, in typical Washington fashion, Congress has again found a way to fall short of fulfilling its constitutional responsibility. There is still time before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, but Congress has thrown in the towel. It has turned to another continuing resolution to keep the lights on until December. This is completely unacceptable.

Amazingly, some senators are patting themselves on the back for partially funding the federal government — but there is no reason to celebrate. In the real world, you are held accountable to complete the job. Working through August was never about spending more time in Washington. It was about confirming as many nominations as possible, due to Democratic obstruction, and funding the government. It’s that simple.

Since the Senate stayed in session this August, we successfully completed 90 percent of the funding bills for the first time in 22 years. This is a huge step forward, but we still didn’t get it all done. The Senate has completed and passed nine of the 12 appropriations bills in three tranches. Both chambers have been working diligently to sort out the differences in conference. The remaining funding is being held up due to controversy over border security.

Meanwhile, congressional leadership decided to roll the unfinished bills into a package tied to defense funding and call it a day until December. This is a total sleight of hand. It is caving to Senate Democrats who are doing everything they can to derail President Trump’s agenda, including funding for border security and the wall.

Another funding failure further exposes the underlying problems with the funding process used by Congress since 1974. It has only fully funded the government four times in the past 44 years. It has locked Washington in a cycle of continuing resolutions and last-minute spending deals. This week marked the 184th time Congress used a continuing resolution. Until politicians have the will to do something about this broken process, these funding lapses will continue.

There is a different way to deliver results. Over the last year, as a member of the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform, I have worked in a bipartisan, bicameral way with my colleagues to create a politically neutral platform that funds the government on time every year.

To be successful, this new funding process needs to include specific milestones for completing funding and appropriate consequences if Congress fails to meet those markers.

I came to the Senate to help tackle our national debt crisis. While the Senate has made significant progress on funding this year, permanent change will not happen unless we get serious. It will not happen if Congress refuses to hold itself accountable for failure. It will not happen if Congress continues to accept a broken funding process.

The Joint Select Committee is our last chance to fix this problem, but the window is closing. We have to hold ourselves accountable to the same standards of people in the real world and put a politically neutral platform in place that funds the government on time without the use of continuing resolutions or sweeping funding bills after the end of the fiscal year.

With the size of our national debt, we can no longer kick the can down the road, as Congress did again this year.

It’s Not About Canceling Recess. It’s About Delivering Results

June 6, 2018 |

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Latest News, Latest Videos Tagged With: budget process, funding, nominations, obstruction, recess, results

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Our Opportunity To Change Washington’s Broken Budget Process

February 9, 2018 |

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Latest News, Rapid Response Tagged With: budget process, national debt

The current budget process used by Congress will never work. Enacted in 1974, it was only worked the way it was intended four times in the past 44 years. As a result, our national debt has surpassed $20 trillion and is on track to grow another $10 trillion in the next decade.

Changing this failed budget process will not solve the national debt crisis, but we will not solve the debt crisis until we change the broken budget process. The plan the United States Senate passed today finally takes a real step towards doing so by establishing a committee that will work to change the budget process. This is our opportunity to finally get this done.

I’ve called for changing this broken budget process for years, and I’m not alone. Republicans and Democrats agree:

Senator Steve Daines (R-MT): “The biggest hurdle to balancing the budget are the very rules, the very process that guides this institution. They are broken…We came here not to accept the status quo but to reject it, and to change the way this country operates truly to save the future of our kids and our grandkids.”

Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD): “We have to begin the process of fixing this broken [budget] system and we need to begin now. In 2026, our country turns 250 years old. Wouldn’t it be a marvelous goal if by that time we not only had this process fixed, but it was actually working once again?”

Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA): “We can’t keep spending money we don’t have on things that aren’t necessary. Washington can’t even do the basic business of balancing our own budget…It might just take a complete overhaul of Washington’s ways to help us solve this problem.”

Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE): “Washington’s budget process is broken and everyone in Nebraska knows it. This has to change or there’s always going to be another cliff, another countdown, and another Washington-driven crisis.”

Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA): “Congress should also pass a fiscally responsible budget with a number of important reforms to the disastrous budget process.”

Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK): “A lot of us ran for office – a lot of us for the first time – because we saw what is going on with this budget process…We have all been working on this for months this is what we need to do to finally get ahold of these enormous budget challenges. I want to encourage all of my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, to join in this process to bring your ideas to fix what is clearly a broken process.”

Senator John Thune (R-SD): “Congress has the constitutional responsibility to fund the government, and when it comes to the current congressional budget process, I’m not a fan. It’s broken, and it needs to be reformed.”

Senator Bob Corker (R-TN): “We really don’t have a budget process. I mean to even call what we do a budget, per most human beings’ understanding of what a budget is, is obviously not realistic…We have to, in essence, get a process in place that actually works. It’s impossible for the process we have today to work. Today, is a perfect example of that, right?”

Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY): “I don’t get invited many places to speak because I talk about the budget process and it depresses people. But it’s about time that we got depressed over the budget and got some changes.”

Senator James Lankford (R-OK): “The budget process is out of control and must be dramatically reformed. Agencies cannot plan, business leaders cannot forecast expenses for the next year and the economy is grinding to a halt. To achieve a better budget product, we must have a better budget process.”

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): “Only four times in the past 43 years has this budget process actually funded the federal government. Finding common ground to develop a real budget should be a bipartisan effort, and that’s why we’re fighting to fix it.”

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA): “It’s clear that Congress’ current budgeting and appropriations process is broken.”

Senator Angus King (I-ME): “For 20 years, Congress hasn’t had a budget on time. Instead, we’ve opted to kick difficult decisions a little bit further down the road through continuing resolutions, leaving important priorities unfinished.”

Senator Gary Peters (D-MI): “Our broken budget process needlessly shortchanges the effectiveness of federal programs through a never-ending cycle of short-term continuing resolutions and omnibus spending bills that create budget crises and keep the Government perpetually at the edge of a shutdown.”

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD): “Going from C.R. to C.R… results in wasteful spending at the Defense Department and has negative consequences for our defense.”

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH): “We cannot continue limping along from one budget to the next – that’s no way to run our government.”

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT): “Enough is enough. We cannot continue to run a $4 trillion government on a month to month basis.”

Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD): “Our concern is we need a budget for the country. We are now four months into the fiscal year and we’ve been told by [government agencies] they cannot continue working with continuing resolutions, they have to have a budget in order for our country to function and there was no end in sight.”

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA): “Our current budget process is broken. Time and time again Congress resorts to passing continuing resolutions and omnibus bills at the last minute instead of properly examining and debating our federal spending.”

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Let’s Make Congress Work Again

February 7, 2018 |

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Latest News Tagged With: budget process, crisis, national debt, spending

Let’s Make Congress Work Again
The Hill
By U.S. Sen. David Perdue (R-GA)

In contrast to our current economic rebound, the United States debt is past the tipping point of a financial crisis. This should not come as a surprise.

Even though we are five months into the 2018 fiscal year, Congress has not funded the federal government for this year. Even after this week, Washington still may not get the job done.

Our national debt is over $20 trillion. We are on track to add another $10 trillion of debt over the next decade. The single biggest cause of our debt crisis is the funding mechanism used by Congress. It does not work, and Congress cannot fulfill its Constitutional obligations.

Enacted in 1974, the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act, has only worked four times in 44 years. Since then, Washington has resorted to over 180 continuing resolutions and 19 government shutdowns, including one last month.

Why does this keep happening? The budget process has completely broken down. It will never work as designed and it needs to be changed.

Today, the Congressional budget process consists of three steps: the budget, authorizations, and appropriations. However, the budget resolution is not a law.

Therefore, the majority party uses the budget as a political statement about how the government should spend its money. The minority party then revolts during the authorizations and appropriations processes. As a result, hundreds of billions in expired authorizations still received funding.

Ultimately, Congress is supposed to pass 12 appropriations bills each year, but its average over the last 44 years is an embarrassing 2.5 annually. This grinds Congress to a halt.

Additionally, the current budget process only deals with 25 percent of the $4 trillion the federal government spends. This is primarily for the military, VA, and other discretionary domestic programs. The other 75 percent is Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, federal employee pensions, and interest on the national debt.

We have seen Washington lurch from one deadline to the next instead of actually debating policy changes and setting spending levels. What’s worse, lawmakers don’t bear the brunt of these missed deadlines. Instead, the consequences are felt by those who rely on government functions—including our women and men in the military.

Right now, we are funding the federal government on borrowed time with a continuing resolution that expires this Friday. Unless Congress passes another continuing resolution or spending package by then, we may face a similar fate as last month.

Before shutting the government down, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) himself said shutdowns are “governmental chaos.” We need more certainty, not more chaos coming from Washington.

The good news is there is a growing realization from both parties that the current budget process is not working and it must be fixed.

Last year, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and I introduced an amendment acknowledging that the budget process is broken. It got a vote, and the entire United States Senate agreed.

The voices are getting louder. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), another business guy in the United States Senate, said, “it’s impossible for the process we have today to work.”

Even Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) recently said, “Enough is enough. We cannot continue to run a $4 trillion government on a month-to-month basis. We need an annual budget.”

The time to act is now. Let’s make Congress work again. Let’s change the failed funding process so Washington can deal with our national debt once and for all.

The Ridiculous #SchumerShutdown

January 21, 2018 |

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Latest News Tagged With: #SchumerShutdown, budget process, DACA, immigration, shutdown

The #SchumerShutdown is absolutely ridiculous. It is completely irresponsible for Senate Democrats to use government funding as a bargaining tool. Democrats have created a false crisis by trying to tie illegal immigration to funding the federal government.

These are two totally different issues and should be handled separately. Ever since I was sworn into the United States Senate, I have been focused on fixing the budgeting process. Only 4 times in the past 43 years has the current budget process funded the federal government on time. These repeated failures have manifested into a pattern of short-term funding patches, continuing resolutions, that hurt our military. This short-term mentality in Washington has to stop.

Clearly, Congress’ funding mechanism does not work and will never work. We are doomed to repeat this cycle of fiscal irresponsibility until Congress reworks this budget process to successfully meet its Constitutional responsibility of funding the federal government.

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It’s Time to Pull the Plug on August Recess

June 28, 2017 |

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Latest News Tagged With: August recess, budget process, health care, Obamacare, tax reform

By Senator David Perdue

The United States Senate has just 35 working days until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, and that’s assuming Mondays and Fridays are indeed used for deliberation.

One thing is totally clear: There isn’t time to deal with the issues that demand immediate attention.

The only appropriate response is to cancel, or heavily truncate, the annual August recess that turns the United States Capitol into a ghost town.

Last year, voters handed Republicans a Senate majority, a House majority, and the White House. They gave us a probationary period to turn the conservative policies we champion into actual results.

The expectations are high and we’ve made some progress. We’ve confirmed Justice Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court and we’ve taken on the boldest rollback of federal regulations since President Ronald Reagan was in office.

We’ve gotten President Donald Trump’s Cabinet in place and made some headway on health care, but all of this consumed the first half of the year.

The American people are expecting us to get much more done. Five imperatives must be accomplished in short order.

First, we have to complete the work on the first phase of repealing Obamacare and fixing our health care system.

Second, we have to pass a budget resolution that will work within the reconciliation process for changing the tax code.

Third, we have to use the appropriations process to fund the federal government by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.

Fourth, we have to deal with our debt limit. The Treasury Department has used extraordinary measures to buy time since the national debt hit its limit of $19.8 trillion in March.

Fifth, we have to finally act on our once-in-a-generation opportunity to change our archaic tax code, but we will only be able to do so if we don’t get stuck on the first four priorities.

All five of these priorities are unique and present their own challenges. For example, the current budget and appropriations process is broken. It has worked the way it was intended just four times in the past 43 years since the Budget Act of 1974.

This year, however, the stakes are much higher.

The opportunity to change our archaic tax code is hanging in the balance. Markets are already anticipating regulatory relief and additional changes to the tax code that will make us more competitive with the rest of the world.

Failure to deliver could cause uncertainty in financial markets and erode the budding confidence among consumers and CEOs. It’s imperative that we act on tax changes this year to realize the full economic impact.

Every single delay, both expected and unexpected, will damage our chances of success. If we haven’t made meaningful progress on these priorities by the end of July, then we should pull the plug on the August recess.

The norms of Washington—including a monthlong recess—must never stand in the way of our efforts to act on the people’s priorities.

Making America great again requires a substantive time commitment. It requires prioritizing national interest over self-interest. It requires a willingness to work through the weekends and make sacrifices when necessary.

Change is never easy, but the millions of Americans who placed their confidence in our leadership are expecting our full and best effort. Failure is not an option.

The president and his administration have accepted this challenge and are moving at business pace to see it through. It’s time the Senate does the same.