WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING: Bipartisan Budget Process Reform Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Budget Committee approved bipartisan budget reforms sponsored by Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to fix the government’s broken budget process by a vote of 15 to 6. The bill, S.2765 - the Bipartisan Congressional Budget Reform Act, would provide a more orderly and deliberative budget process focused on long-term fiscal planning. The historic measure approved today represents the first bipartisan budget reforms approved by the Senate Budget Committee since 1990.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:
Taxpayers for Common Sense - Yahoo! Budget Process Reforms Move Forward.
“Considering the cacophony coming out of the Capitol, it would be excusable to have not heard about an important bipartisan piece of legislation moving forward. But this week the Senate Committee on the Budget put its stamp of approval on the Bipartisan Congressional Budget Act. Co-sponsored by Senate Budget Committee Chair Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) along with more than a dozen of their colleagues from both parties, this bill is the first bipartisan budget process reform bill in nearly 30 years. And it’s important.”
Committee for Responsible Federal Budget - Fair and Smart Budget Reforms Deserve Vote
“Chairman Enzi, Senator Whitehouse, and the other co-sponsors have shown tremendous leadership by coming together to fix our broken budget process. Their plan is truly bipartisan, and it identifies realistic reforms to help turn the budget from a political document into an effective governing tool. Perhaps most importantly, their proposals would push policymakers to establish fiscal goals and would create a new process to help Congress put our unsustainable debt on a reasonable path.
“This legislation will also improve transparency and accountability while reducing unnecessary brinkmanship and make it easier for policymakers to work together. It does all of this in a fair and smart way that doesn’t try to prescribe policy outcomes and stoke division.”
Bipartisan Policy Center Statement on Bipartisan Senate Budget Reform Plan
“BPC applauds Senators Enzi and Whitehouse for working on a bipartisan basis to reform Congress’ dysfunctional budget process. In an era where policymakers routinely fail to fund the government and consider long-term fiscal challenges in a deliberate manner, it is crucial to advance innovative process ideas, like biennial budgeting, that hold the potential to improve outcomes.”
- Bill Hoagland, Bipartisan Policy Center
Concord Coalition Praises Bipartisan Senate Budget Reform Plan
“This legislation comes at a time when the budget process is clearly broken and partisan tensions run high. Senators Enzi, Whitehouse and their fellow co-sponsors are bucking both of these trends and demonstrating a timely and exemplary standard of leadership.
“Creating a process that minimizes short-term brinkmanship and refocuses attention on long-term planning would help facilitate a discussion about how best to address these challenges. This legislation would move the budget process in a very positive direction.”
FreedomWorks on Budget Process Reform Legislation:
“The Bipartisan Congressional Budget Reform Act would drastically increase focus on fiscal responsibility by requiring the budget resolution to set targets for the debt-to-GDP ratio paired with automatic procedures for the Budget Committee to direct various committees to reduce the deficit through reconciliation should the target not be met. This is especially important because it would set in motion a process to do something about deficits.
“The Senate Budget Committee, particularly Chairman Enzi, should be applauded for the seriousness with which they are working to genuinely fix something so horribly broken.”
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