Budget A Broken Record

On Thursday, January 13th Congress pass yet another Continuing Resolution thus once again failing to fulfill their responsibilities to the American people.

Congress has passed 36 continuing resolutions to fund the government rather than following the regular budget process since January 2009.

Budget rules established in 1974 dictate that Congress is supposed to pass a budget resolution by April 15 of each year. Then Congress is supposed to pass 12 regular appropriations bills to fund the various parts of the federal government before the fiscal year begins on October 1st of each year.

But Congress rarely meets that deadline, and instead uses short-term bills called continuing resolutions that set funding levels until the government can agree on a budget.

The last time Congress met the October 1st deadline for all 12 appropriations bills was in 1996. The Congressional Research Service states that Congress has funded all regular appropriations before the start of the fiscal year only four times since it adopted the budget timeline in 1974.

We have a Congress incapable of carrying out their responsibilities and obligations to do the Peoples’ work and meet their budgetary obligations.

It is understood that the convening of a Convention of States is desperately needed to add an Amendment to the Constitution requiring a balanced budget. However, that Amendment must further require the budget period return to a calendar year and be passed 90 days prior to the start of the new year. 

The Amendment should further decree that Continuing Resolutions are no longer acceptable and if Congress cannot come to an agreement, the annual budget for the prior year will be implemented for the entirety of the new year without change.