Hearings of the
House Committee on Rules
H.R. 853, The Comprehensive Budget Process Reform Act of 1999
Chairman, Subcommittee on Legislative & Budget Process
I AM VERY PLEASED THAT WE ARE HOLDING THIS HEARING TODAY, FOLLOWED BY A SECOND SESSION ON THIS TOPIC TOMORROW. IN MY MIND, THE FACT THAT WE ARE MOVING AHEAD WITH BUDGET PROCESS REFORM REPRESENTS ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE BOOK ENTITLED “PROMISES MADE PROMISES KEPT.” I CONGRATULATE YOU ON KEEPING THIS COMMITTEE ON TRACK TO BRINGING FORWARD A COMPREHENSIVE BILL FOR THE FULL HOUSE TO CONSIDER.
THE COMMITTEE IS CONSIDERING THE BILL, HR 853 “THE COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET PROCESS REFORM ACT OF 1999.” I AM VERY PROUD TO HAVE PLAYED A PART IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS BILL, WHICH CAME INTO BEING THROUGH A SOMEWHAT UNIQUE, BUT IN MY VIEW EXEMPLARY, PROCESS. THE TWO COMMITTEES OF JURISDICTION OVER THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET PROCESS – OUR RULES COMMITTEE AND THE BUDGET COMMITTEE – GOT TOGETHER ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AND ROLLED UP OUR SLEEVES TO REFORM THE BUDGET PROCESS. THE END RESULT OF THAT PROCESS – WHICH WAS A BIPARTISAN ONE IN THE BUDGET COMMITTEE – IS HR 853.
THIS BILL MAKES SOME VERY SIGNIFICANT RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW TO IMPROVE OUR CURRENT BUDGET PROCESS – ONE THAT IS ALMOST UNIVERSALLY CRITICIZED BY MEMBERS AND PUBLIC OBSERVERS AS OVERLY COMPLICATED, LACKING IN ACCOUNTABILITY, HARD TO FOLLOW AND WITHOUT ENOUGH EMPHASIS ON ENFORCEMENT OF BUDGETARY DECISIONS AND DISCIPLINE. WHEN WE BEGAN THE TASK OF WRITING THIS BILL, WE SET OUT SOME SPECIFIC GOALS TO MEET – GOALS THAT INCLUDE:
- GIVING THE BUDGET THE FORCE OF LAW AND ENCOURAGING AGREEMENT EARLIER IN THE PROCESS;
- BUDGETING FOR EMERGENCIES;
- STRENGTHENING ENFORCEMENT OF BUDGETARY DECISIONS;
- INCREASING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR FEDERAL SPENDING;
- MITIGATING THE BIAS IN THE BUDGET PROCESS TOWARD HIGHER SPENDING; AND
- MODIFYING PAYGO REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CURRENT ERA OF BUDGETARY SURPLUS.
WE HAVE, IN THIS BILL, BUILT UPON THE GOOD WORK OF MANY MEMBERS, PAST AND CURRENT, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE. THIS BILL INCLUDES PROVISIONS AUTHORED BY OUR DEMOCRAT FRIENDS JOE MOAKLEY, MARTIN SABO, CHARLES STENHOLM AND FORMER REP. TIM PENNY AND SENATOR BOB KERREY. IT ALSO INCLUDES PROVISIONS BASED UPON LEGISLATION PROPOSED BY CHRIS COX, JOE BARTON, GEORGE GEKAS, NICK SMITH AND MIKE CASTLE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, AS IS ALWAYS THE CASE IN THE GIVE AND TAKE OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, THIS BILL REFLECTS SOME COMPROMISES BY ALL INVOLVED. IN SOME AREAS, I MIGHT SAY WE HAVE NOT GONE FAR ENOUGH AND WE HAVE NOT DONE EVERYTHING WE COULD – OR MAYBE SHOULD – BE DOING TO FIX THE PROCESS. BUT WE HAVE TAKEN SOME VERY IMPORTANT STEPS IN THIS BILL TOWARD SIMPLICITY, CLARITY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND GREATER EFFICIENCY IN OUR BUDGETING. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE COMMENTS TODAY AND TOMORROW OF OUR DISTINGUISHED GROUPS OF WITNESSES – AND I FEEL SURE THAT WE WILL USE THE OPPORTUNITY OF THESE HEARINGS AND OUR UPCOMING MARK-UP TO FURTHER IMPROVE THIS BILL.
