Washington, DC - On the very day the Administration expressed "no opinion" about whether the Senate should pass a budget, Congressman Bobby Schilling (IL-17) joined with the majority of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle in supporting bipartisan efforts to reform the budgeting process.
"Neither side of the aisle is blameless for the fiscal crisis we are in, and both are responsible for guiding us out of it," Schilling said. "The current budgeting process is neither transparent nor accurate, and - if you take a look at the 1,015 days since the Senate last passed a budget - hardly mandatory.
"The fact of the matter is that we are in a spending-driven crisis with a national debt of more than $15 trillion. We will be unable to get ourselves out of it unless we seriously develop a credible plan to get our fiscal house in order, grow our economy, and get Americans back to work. The House has passed more than 25 bipartisan jobs bills that are currently stalled in the Senate and I am pleased to support these two budget reform bills, continuing to fundamentally change how Washington does business and end its spending addiction once and for all."
Schilling this week voted in favor of H.R. 3521, the Expedited Legislative Line-Item Veto and Rescissions Act, put forth by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). This bill would give the president authority to identify reductions in spending provisions within an appropriations bill, which would only take effect if legislation was passed by an up-or-down vote in both chambers of Congress. Each dollar of savings from the rescission would be devoted to deficit reduction. Schilling yesterday supported H.R. 3581, the Budget and Accounting Transparency Act, which would increase transparency and accuracy in budgeting for federal credit programs, the housing-related government sponsored enterprises, and the publication of budget-justification materials. More information on these bills can be found on the House Budget Committee's website.
In addition to introducing the Govern Before Going Home resolution in 2011, Schilling has cosponsored the H.R. 3643, the No Budget, No Pay Act, which would prohibit Members of Congress from getting paid should they miss deadlines for annual budget and appropriations bills, and ensures that missed pay could not be recouped retroactively.
"Neither side of the aisle is blameless for the fiscal crisis we are in, and both are responsible for guiding us out of it," Schilling said. "The current budgeting process is neither transparent nor accurate, and - if you take a look at the 1,015 days since the Senate last passed a budget - hardly mandatory.
"The fact of the matter is that we are in a spending-driven crisis with a national debt of more than $15 trillion. We will be unable to get ourselves out of it unless we seriously develop a credible plan to get our fiscal house in order, grow our economy, and get Americans back to work. The House has passed more than 25 bipartisan jobs bills that are currently stalled in the Senate and I am pleased to support these two budget reform bills, continuing to fundamentally change how Washington does business and end its spending addiction once and for all."
Schilling this week voted in favor of H.R. 3521, the Expedited Legislative Line-Item Veto and Rescissions Act, put forth by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). This bill would give the president authority to identify reductions in spending provisions within an appropriations bill, which would only take effect if legislation was passed by an up-or-down vote in both chambers of Congress. Each dollar of savings from the rescission would be devoted to deficit reduction. Schilling yesterday supported H.R. 3581, the Budget and Accounting Transparency Act, which would increase transparency and accuracy in budgeting for federal credit programs, the housing-related government sponsored enterprises, and the publication of budget-justification materials. More information on these bills can be found on the House Budget Committee's website.
In addition to introducing the Govern Before Going Home resolution in 2011, Schilling has cosponsored the H.R. 3643, the No Budget, No Pay Act, which would prohibit Members of Congress from getting paid should they miss deadlines for annual budget and appropriations bills, and ensures that missed pay could not be recouped retroactively.
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