Most Americans would agree that Congress needs to do more to get our nation's finances under control.
But Congress critters aren't most Americans.
The Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform unveiled draft legislation this week that would only require Congress to pass a new budget every two years.
As The Daily Signal points out, this policy would doubtless do more harm than good:
Proponents of biennial budgeting say it would reduce the amount of time both Congress and federal agencies would need to manage the spending process during the second year, freeing up time for other work. In reality, it would further reduce the opportunities for Congress to exercise its constitutional responsibility to oversee and control federal spending.
Continuing resolutions and sky-high deficit spending would almost certainly continue under biennial budgeting. In fact, spending would likely increase, since Congress would pass more supplemental appropriations and lobbyists would have an added incentive to put extra effort into influencing a two-year spending package.
Moreover, by reducing opportunities for the Senate to pursue budget reconciliation, Congress would neglect a key fiscal tool to adjust mandatory spending, which is the key driver of debt.
It comes as no surprise that under the proposal, Congress would be relieved from having to produce a budget during an election year. Legislators are not shy about wanting to avoid the most important part of their jobs when that very job is at stake. Instead of calling this proposal “The Bipartisan Budget and Appropriations Reform Act,” legislators would be more honest if they had called it “The Congressional Workload and Responsibility Reduction Act.”
The best evidence against biennial budgeting is already staring us in the face: Congress has essentially been operating on a biannual budget cycle for the last several years. Ever since passage of the Budget Control Act of 2011, bipartisan budget deals have been made on a two-year basis. Yet where have these biennial deals gotten us?
The national debt is rapidly approaching $22 trillion. Annual deficits are projected to exceed $1 trillion in the very near future, likely as soon as the 2019 fiscal year. Since fiscal reforms rarely happen, Congress should not bother to spend political capital on legislation unless it would have a meaningful impact, and legislators should certainly stay away from policy changes that are likely to do more harm than good.
If Congress won't handle their responsibilities willingly, the American people will force their hand.
Millions have joined the nationwide movement to call an Article V Convention of States. A Convention of States has the constitutional authority to propose amendments that would force Congress to balance the budget and cut spending.
Congresspeople will never make the tough financial decisions as long as they're looking forward to the next election. They need constitutional mandates to save our children and grandchildren from financial collapse, and We the People can impose those mandates via Article V.
Sign the Convention of States Petition below to stop wasteful spending!
