WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH), the Senate's top "debt hawk," will join several of his Republican colleagues later today in re-introducing his landmark legislation, the Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act, aimed at converting the annual budget cycle into a biennial - or two-year - cycle. This would save Congress valuable time eaten up every year debating appropriations matters and allow it to focus on oversight of the programs being funded so Congress isn't funding programs that do not work.
"In 27 of the past 30 years, Congress has failed to enact all the appropriations bills by the start of the fiscal year," Sen. Voinovich said. "This irresponsible fiscal policy affects our economy, interferes with our ability to maintain and improve our infrastructure, hurts our ability to fight the War on Terror and impedes efforts to enhance our education system. By failing to do our job, we are preventing federal agencies from doing their job properly. This is irresponsible management and it has to stop."
Under biennial budgeting, the annual budget, appropriations and authorizing processes would be converted into a two-year cycle: the first year would be reserved for the budget and appropriations process, and the second year would be for conducting critical oversight and passing authorizing legislation.
This would leave Congress with more time to examine programs to determine which are wasteful, which should receive more funding and which should be terminated altogether.
"The task is daunting, but now is the time to act," Sen. Voinovich said. "I am thinking not only about the present, but about our children and grandchildren and the legacy - or burden - we will leave them."
The bill would convert the annual budget, appropriations, and authorizing process to a biennial, or two year cycle.
First Year - Budget and Appropriations:
- Requires the President to submit a two-year budget at the beginning of the first session of a Congress.
- Requires Congress to adopt a two-year budget resolution, a reconciliation bill (if necessary), and two year appropriations bills during the first session of a Congress.
- Ensures enactment of two year appropriations bills by providing a new majority point of order against consideration of an appropriations bill that fails to cover two years.
Second Year - Authorization Legislation and Enhanced Oversight
- Devotes the second session of a Congress to consideration of authorization bills and oversight of federal programs. Provides a majority point of order against consideration of authorization and revenue legislation that covers less than two years.
- Enhances oversight by incorporating features of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) in the second year of the biennium by requiring:
- The General Accounting Office (GAO) to give priority to requests for audits and evaluation of programs and activities during the second year of the biennium;
- Agencies to submit to the authorizing committees at the beginning of the second session of a Congress proposed legislative changes that are needed or will assist agencies' efforts to meet their GPRA mission statements, strategic plans and performance goals; and
- Authorizing committees to submit in their views and estimates letters to the Budget Committee their comments on agencies' mission statements, strategic plans, performance plans, and their actual performance.
Delicious
Digg
Technorati
