We must get our nation’s fiscal house in order and work to address our debt and deficit – or else we will continue to push the problems of today onto our children and grandchildren. The longer we fail to address our nation’s spending problem, the harder it becomes to solve the problem of our country’s crippling debt, which now stands at over $30 trillion
We absolutely must take tangible steps to reduce our deficit and debt. While we can certainly start with eliminating duplicative programs, wasteful spending, and fraud, if we don’t address the broken budget and appropriations system producing these spending deals, we won’t ever solve this problem. We need to know where our money is going and work through our funding packages in a responsible, thoughtful, and deliberate way through regular order – not rushed through at the last minute. Returning to regular order—moving spending bills through the committee process where we read, debate, and vote on them — will go a long way towards bringing transparency back to the budget and appropriations process. However, this requires holding Members of Congress accountable. I authored three bills to achieve this:
Stay on Schedule (S.O.S) Resolution – would force Speaker Pelosi to keep Congress in town until all 12 appropriations bills are passed, instead of adjourning for the August recess.
No Budget, No Pay Act – would serve as an enforcement measure to hold members of Congress accountable for their actions. It is the legal obligation of Congress to pass a budget, and member pay should be withheld until that job is done.
Inaction Has Consequences Act – would hold Congress Members’ salaries if we do not pass the twelve regular appropriation bills in a timely manner.
This level of transparency and accountability is critical not only to get the budget process under control but also to rein in wasteful spending. A sound fiscal footing fosters an environment for a strong economy, opportunities for growth, and prosperity for all people. If we keep letting our debt spiral out of control, we put our country at risk of a financial crisis.
Original source can be found here.
