Oversight
Chairman Enzi Kicks Off Budget and Spending Process Reform Hearings Focused on Bipartisan Solutions
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, today began a new series of hearings focused on finding bipartisan solutions to fix America's broken budget and spending process. The first hearing included two former Senate Budget Committee chairmen, Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Kent Conrad (D-ND), to share their perspectives. "Every day, American families and small businesses make tough decisions regarding how to balance their budgets," said Chairman Enzi… Continue Reading
05.03.19
Enzi: Social Security and Medicare Programs Remain on Unsustainable Fiscal Path
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, this week expressed concern during a speech on the Senate floor that the Social Security and Medicare programs remain on an unsustainable fiscal path. Enzi noted that the Social Security trustees now estimate that the program's combined trust funds will be insolvent by 2035. Additionally, the Medicare trustees now estimate that program's Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will be insolvent by 2026. "We are facing … Continue Reading
04.09.19
Chairman Enzi: Congress Must Carefully Consider Defense Priorities Along with Nation’s Fiscal Challenges
WASHINGTON, D.C. - During a hearing today on the Department of Defense fiscal year 2020 budget request, Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said that Congress must carefully consider national defense investments and priorities within the context of America's fiscal challenges. "There is no greater duty than defending our nation from the threats it faces around the world," said Chairman Enzi. "However, we must also acknowledge that one of the gravest threats to o… Continue Reading
04.09.19
The Bipartisan Push to Budget Long-Term for Natural Disasters
by Zach C. Cohen and Brian Dabbs
The Senate is coming around to an inevitable conclusion: Emergencies are increasingly common, and Congress should budget better for them. As multibillion-dollar disaster-relief legislation languishes in the upper chamber over aid to Puerto Rico, Senate budgeters and appropriators looking to tackle the deficit and the worst effects of climate change are embracing the idea of regular budgeting for natural disasters rather than resorting to supplemental appropriations. Senate Budget Chairman Mich… Continue Reading
04.08.19
Judd Gregg: In praise of Mike Enzi
by Judd Gregg
The federal deficit in February set a record. It was $234 billion. Up until 2008, annual deficits -- those covering twelve months - rarely reached the level of the deficit the federal government just ran for the month of February. The deficit for the first five months of this fiscal year is at $544 billion, and we are not even half way through the year. Most of this deficit was driven by an increase in spending, which is up nine percent over last year's spending at the same time. Last year, … Continue Reading
04.04.19
Chairman Enzi: Congress Must Improve the Way it Budgets for Natural Disasters
WASHINGTON D.C. - During a speech today on the floor of the United States Senate, Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said that Congress must work to improve the way it budgets for inevitable natural disasters and emergencies. He said this would allow the country to respond to natural disasters more efficiently, while also reducing the burden on American taxpayers. "Congress should be open to any idea that could help our country better plan for the annual costs o… Continue Reading
03.29.19
Senate panel approves GOP budget plan
by ANDREW TAYLOR
WASHINGTON (AP) - A Senate panel Thursday approved a GOP budget plan that would curb federal benefit programs by $551 billion over the next five years and reject President Donald Trump's plan to use budget tricks to pad the Pentagon budget. The Budget Committee approved the nonbinding measure by a party-line vote. The budget plan probably won't head to the floor for vote by the full Senate, however, and won't have much bearing on Capitol Hill efforts later this year to reverse automatic spendi… Continue Reading
03.28.19
Senate Budget Committee Approves Plan to Cut Deficits by Half a Trillion Dollars
WASHINGTON D.C. -The Senate Budget Committee, chaired by Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), today approved the FY 2020 Budget Resolution, which would reduce deficits by more than half a trillion dollars over five years and put America on a more sustainable fiscal path. Enzi noted the budget blueprint will help begin to reduce overspending and set real, achievable deficit reduction targets, while supporting reforms to mandatory spending programs. "The budget does not solve all of our fiscal challenges,… Continue Reading
03.28.19
Senate Budget Committee votes to advance 2020 budget plan
by David Sherfinski
The Senate Budget Committee on Thursday voted to advance a 2020 budget plan that aims to eat into government spending over a five-year period and hold annual federal deficits under $1 trillion - a level they're projected to surpass for most of the next decade. Chairman Mike Enzi said the plan is focused on "modest, achievable steps" that will put the country on a stronger financial footing. "This budget will not solve all our problems, but I hope it marks the start of an honest, bipartisan con… Continue Reading
03.27.19
Chairman Enzi: Senate Budget Resolution is First Step to Strengthen America’s Future
WASHINGTON D.C. - Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, today said Congress must begin the difficult task of addressing America's ballooning debt and deficits. The committee began consideration of the FY 2020 Budget Resolution, focused on reducing the deficit over the next five years. "This budget represents an important first step toward addressing our country's fiscal challenges and provides a path for us to begin working together to achieve real deficit reductio… Continue Reading
03.27.19
Sen. Mike Enzi: Senate Budget Is a First Step to Strengthen America’s Future
by Sen. Mike Enzi
This week the Senate Budget Committee will consider a budget plan that will reduce deficits by half a trillion dollars over the next five years. The budget does not presume to solve all of our fiscal challenges. We've seen past plans with that aspiration, all of which have been ignored within weeks. This time we are calling for Congress to try a different approach. Working together, let's start the process of taking incremental, reasonable steps to rein in deficits and debt and provide the found… Continue Reading
03.27.19
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Support for the FY 2020 Budget Resolution
ELECTED OFFICIALS: House Budget Committee Ranking Member Steve Womack (R-AR): "I commend Chairman Enzi for introducing a realistic and achievable budget, and for his intention to advance this resolution in the coming weeks. As lawmakers sitting on the budget committees in the House and Senate, we all have a responsibility to lead federal spending decisions that fund the priorities of the American people while also addressing our nation's fiscal challenges." POLICY ORGANIZATIONS Taxpayers for … Continue Reading
03.27.19
Senate Budget Is a First Step to Strengthen America’s Future
by By Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY)
This week the Senate Budget Committee will consider a budget plan that will reduce deficits by half a trillion dollars over the next five years. The budget does not presume to solve all of our fiscal challenges. We've seen past plans with that aspiration, all of which have been ignored within weeks. This time we are calling for Congress to try a different approach. Working together, let's start the process of taking incremental, reasonable steps to rein in deficits and debt and provide the found… Continue Reading
03.25.19
GOP Sen. Enzi proposes modest deficit curbs in new budget
by ANDREW TAYLOR
WASHINGTON (AP) - A senior Senate Republican Friday unveiled a five-year budget plan that would modestly curb budget deficits that would otherwise soon breach $1 trillion, while rejecting President Donald Trump's gimmick of using war funding to sustain big increases for the Pentagon. Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., said the nonbinding blueprint is a "responsible first step" toward curbing budget deficits "by reducing overspending and setting real, achievable deficit reduction targe… Continue Reading
03.24.19
Highlights of the Senate Budget Committee’s Chairman’s Mark
by Gordon Gray
On March 22, the Senate Budget Committee (SBC) released the Chairman's Mark for the FY2020 Budget Resolution. It is remarkable in that, unlike many recent budget plans from Congress or the administration, it has a nodding acquaintance with reality. It does not assume rosy economic growth, but rather hews to the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) economic forecast. It does not purport to balance in 10 years, a task that is increasingly a flight of fancy. Rather, it acknowledges the reality of pr… Continue Reading
03.24.19
Enzi's 2020 budget plan attempts to tame federal deficits
by David Sherfinski and Stephen Dinan
The Senate Budget Committee will take up Chairman Mike Enzi's 2020 budget proposal this week, as lawmakers hunt for new ways to turn around a bleak U.S. fiscal picture that just saw the government post its worst monthly deficit ever. February saw the government dip $234 billion deeper into the red, as government spending soared, powered by increased payouts at the Pentagon and in Social Security and Medicare. Mr. Enzi's new budget tries to tame Medicare, though he leaves Social Security untouc… Continue Reading
03.23.19
Senate Budget Plan Includes Realistic Deficit Reduction
by Patrick Newton
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) introduced today a Chairman's Mark of the Fiscal Year 2020 budget resolution to be considered and voted on by the full committee. The budget calls for $538 billion in deficit reduction over five years. The following is a statement from Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: We applaud the committee for putting forth a budget that includes significant deficit reduction and a realistic fiscal goal of returni… Continue Reading
03.23.19
Senate Republicans Issue Five-Year Plan to Rein In Budget Deficit
by Kristina Peterson
WASHINGTON-Senate Republicans issued a five-year budget plan Friday that calls for reducing the federal deficit and diverges from the White House over how much to stash in an emergency war fund. The budget resolution aims to cut mandatory spending, the part of federal funding extended on auto-pilot, by $551 billion by 2024. Republicans have long targeted this chunk of the federal budget, which pays for programs including Medicare and Medicaid, as the best opportunity for reining in spending. Ma… Continue Reading
03.22.19
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi proposes cuts to lower budget deficits
by Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - A senior Senate Republican has unveiled a five-year budget plan that would modestly curb budget deficits that would otherwise soon breach $1 trillion, while rejecting President Donald Trump's gimmick of using war funding to sustain big increases for the Pentagon. Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi says the nonbinding blueprint is a "responsible first step" toward curbing budget deficits "by reducing overspending and setting real, achievable deficit reduction targets." The Wy… Continue Reading
03.22.19
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi unveils 2020 budget blueprint
by David Sherfinski
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi on Friday unveiled a federal budget for 2020 that includes some of President Trump's entitlement spending trims but ditches his defense spending gimmicks and rosy economic assumptions. The Wyoming Republican's plan leaves open the possibility of hitting Mr. Trump's $750 billion goal for defense spending, but only if Congress can agree to a deal to raise spending caps that likely also means a short-term spike in domestic spending - which Mr. Trump has o… Continue Reading
