Oversight
Yahoo! Budget Process Reforms Move Forward.
by Taxpayers for Commonsense
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… Continue Reading
11.07.19
Senate Committee Approves Budget Reforms
by Fiscal Times Staff
The Senate Budget Committee on Wednesday approved a bipartisan bill that aims to reform the federal government's budget process. The Bipartisan Congressional Budget Reform Act "would provide a more orderly and deliberative budget process focused on long-term fiscal planning," according to committee chair Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), who sponsored the bill along with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Here's Whitehouse's summary of what the bill would do: Move the budget resolution to a two-year cycle… Continue Reading
11.06.19
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 B… Continue Reading
11.06.19
Senate Budget Committee Approves Historic Bipartisan Budget Reforms
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senate Budget Committee today 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. 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… Continue Reading
11.06.19
Concord Coalition Praises Bipartisan Senate Budget Reform Plan
by Concord Coalition
WASHINGTON - The Concord Coalition said today that a new budget process reform bill co-sponsored by Senate Budget Committee Chair Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Budget Committee member Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) proposes reforms that would address some of the most vexing problems plaguing the current budget process. The Bipartisan Congressional Budget Reform Act is also co-sponsored by Senators Grassley (R-IA), Kaine (D-VA), Crapo (R-ID), King (I-ME), Graham (R-SC), Coons (D-DE), Barrasso (R-WY), … Continue Reading
11.05.19
The unglamorous job of federal budgeting
by Sen. Michael B. Enzi and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
OPINION - It is no secret that a vast majority of Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing. Too often our political debates are characterized by hyperpartisanship, rather than achieving meaningful outcomes for the American people. Nowhere is this problem more acute than when it comes to our inability to address our country's unsustainable fiscal course. Our current budget process is broken, as evidenced by mounting debt and deficits, a patchwork of temporary spending bills, government … Continue Reading
11.05.19
The unglamorous job of federal budgeting
by Sen. Michael B. Enzi and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
OPINION - It is no secret that a vast majority of Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing. Too often our political debates are characterized by hyperpartisanship, rather than achieving meaningful outcomes for the American people. Nowhere is this problem more acute than when it comes to our inability to address our country's unsustainable fiscal course. Our current budget process is broken, as evidenced by mounting debt and deficits, a patchwork of temporary spending bills, government … Continue Reading
11.04.19
Bipartisan Senate Bill Seeks Major Reforms in Budget Process
by MARK TAPSCOTT
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and committee member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) introduced the "Bipartisan Congressional Budget Reform Act" to provide "a more orderly, deliberative budget process focused on long-term fiscal planning." Enzi and Whitehouse added in a statement announcing their proposal that they believe "it would end the brinksmanship surrounding the debt limit and encourage bipartisan collaboration in tackling our growing debt and deficits." Co-spo… Continue Reading
11.01.19
Fair and Smart Budget Reforms Deserve Vote
by Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) and committee member Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) released bipartisan legislation Friday to reform the federal budget process. The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Grassley (R-IA), Kaine (D-VA), Crapo (R-ID), King (I-ME), Graham (R-SC), Coons (D-DE), Barrasso (R-WY), Blunt (R-MO), Johnson (R-WI), Perdue (R-GA), Kennedy (R-LA), Cramer (R-ND), and Braun (R-IN). The following is a statement from Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committe… Continue Reading
10.31.19
Senators Enzi and Whitehouse Offer Bipartisan Reforms to Fix Broken Budget Process
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Committee member Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) today introduced bipartisan legislation to fix the federal government's broken budget process. The Bipartisan Congressional Budget Reform Act would provide a more orderly, deliberative budget process focused on long-term fiscal planning. It would end the brinksmanship surrounding the debt limit and encourage bipartisan collaboration in tackling our growing debt and deficits… Continue Reading
10.30.19
Chairman Enzi: Better Financial Management Will Lead to Better Budgets
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) said it was important to learn what the federal government is doing well in terms of federal financial management, and what opportunities exist for further improvements during a hearing today focused on the federal government's efforts to meet the requirements of the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act of 1990. "When the CFO Act was signed into law nearly 30 years ago, it laid a new foundation for federal financial management,… Continue Reading
10.28.19
Joint Statement from Chairman Enzi and Ranking Member Womack Opposing H.R. 2440
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) and House Budget Committee Ranking Member Steve Womack (R-AR) issued the following statement today expressing opposition to H.R. 2440, the Full Utilization of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF): "The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, which increased spending caps for fiscal years 2020 and 2021, was enacted less than three months ago. Instead of prioritizing additional funding for harbor maintenance activities under this ag… Continue Reading
10.25.19
Chairman Enzi: Soaring Deficits Show Our Fiscal Path is Unsustainable
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) released the following statement today after the Department of Treasury issued its monthly treasury report showing the federal government's deficit rising by more than 26 percent from last year to $984 billion: "Today's report shows that our nation's current fiscal path is unsustainable. In the last twelve months, the federal deficit has surged more than 26 percent. While the federal government's revenue continues to grow, s… Continue Reading
10.23.19
ENZI CRITICIZES PENSION BAILOUT, SAYING IT WOULD COST TAXPAYERS
by Brendan LaChance
CASPER, Wyo. - Wyoming's United States Senator Mike Enzi criticized the "Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Plans Act of 2019" in a speech on the floor of the Senate. The bill has passed the U.S. House of Representatives, but a Wednesday, Oct. 23 statement from Enzi's office says if it becomes law, it "would bail out some of the worst-funded multiemployer pension plans at taxpayers' expense." "'My concern with this bill is not just with its immediate costs to taxpayers, but also what it would me… Continue Reading
10.23.19
Chairman Enzi: Pension Bailout Would Leave Taxpayers Holding the Fiscal Bag
WASHINGTON, D.C. - During a speech on the floor of the United States Senate, Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) warned that a House of Representatives-passed bill, the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Plans Act of 2019, would bail out some of the worst-funded multiemployer plans at taxpayers' expense. "My concern with this bill is not just with its immediate costs to taxpayers, but also what it would mean down the road," said Chairman Enzi. "This bill would send the signal to private … Continue Reading
10.17.19
Senate Budget Committee Makes Budget Reports Available for the Public Online
by Allen Johnson
Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, announced the first release of a new Senate scorekeeping report. The report will provide regular budgetary updates to promote transparency in federal spending. The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 requires Chairmen of House and Senate Budget Committees to provide members of Congress with regular updates on the effects that congressional actions have on the budget. Up until now, to comply with the law, Chairman Enzi compared cu… Continue Reading
10.17.19
Enzi: Scorekeeping Reports Will Foster Fiscal Transparency in Federal Spending Process
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) announced the release of the October 2019 Senate scorekeeping report. That report tracks the budgetary impact of legislation approved by Congress against the deemed budgetary numbers included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019. The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 requires the Chairmen of the House and Senate Budget Committees to provide members of Congress with regular updates on the budgetary effects of congression… Continue Reading
10.08.19
Enzi's Proposals Aim to Improve the Budget Process
by CFRB
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) has developed a series of draft budget process reforms. As we've explained before, the current budget process is broken. We commend Chairman Enzi's effort to begin fixing the process, and we encourage policymakers in both parties to work with Chairman Enzi on adopting a better budget process. Chairman Enzi's latest recommendations build on proposals from 2016 and follow a series of hearings this year. The recommendations include moving to bienni… Continue Reading
09.25.19
Enzi: America’s Fiscal Path is Unsustainable
WASHINGTON, D.C. - During a speech on the floor of the Senate, Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) continued to raise alarm bells that America's current fiscal course is unsustainable. Enzi noted that in the first 11 months of the fiscal year, federal revenue increased by 3 percent compared to the same period last year, while spending increased by 7 percent. "The threat of a fiscal crisis is not something anyone should take lightly. As a father and grandfather, this is a concern that ke… Continue Reading
09.15.19
Survey Finds 53 Percent of Likely Voters Oppose Pension Bailout
by MARK TAPSCOTT
A national survey of likely voters found a majority of them oppose a taxpayer-funded bailout of ailing union pension plans approved earlier this year by the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives. "The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 53 percent of likely U.S. voters oppose a taxpayer bailout of underfunded union pension funds," the survey firm said Sept. 14. "Just 26 percent support a pension bailout. A sizable 21 percent are undecided." Am… Continue Reading
