Weber Times

Today, U.S. Representatives Blake Moore (R-Utah) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) have taken a bipartisan step toward reforming the federal budgeting process by introducing H.R. 6953, the Comprehensive Congressional Budget Act (CCBA) of 2024. This legislation aims to establish a more inclusive, comprehensive, and efficient process that involves contributions from committees with direct spending or revenue jurisdiction, ultimately creating a federal budget that better serves the American people.

Congressman Moore emphasizes the importance of addressing the issue of Washington's debt culture, stating, "Reversing Washington's debt culture has been one of my top priorities in Congress, and that starts with reforming our broken federal budget process." He further adds, "We must break the habit of appropriating with rushed deadlines and inefficient processes and rework our process so we can put together a strong budget with input from more members and committees."

Congresswoman Gluesenkamp Perez highlights the urgency of the national debt issue, stating, "Our national debt is a real, growing problem, affects our economy, and has been overlooked by Congress for too long." She emphasizes the need to act promptly and introduces this bipartisan legislation as a means to revamp the annual budget process, enabling more productive conversations about spending and revenue.

The Comprehensive Congressional Budget Act of 2024 proposes several key reforms to the federal budgeting system. It allows the House and Senate appropriations committees to continue managing discretionary spending. Additionally, it requires each committee with direct spending or revenue jurisdiction to submit line items for each spending or revenue account, along with any proposed changes, to the House and Senate appropriations committees. The House Appropriations Committee is then mandated to compile the 12 appropriations bills and submissions from other committees and send the complete budget to the House floor.

To ensure accountability, the legislation further necessitates the House Budget Committee and Senate Budget Committee to report a budget baseline level if Congress fails to agree to a concurrent resolution on the budget by April 15th of each year. Moreover, it seeks to enhance efficiency by repealing the budget reconciliation process and Byrd Rule, which would require Congress to manage direct spending and revenue in the same bill as appropriated spending.

This bipartisan initiative sets the stage for a more transparent and effective budget process that prioritizes the fiscal outlook of the nation. By involving more committees and members in the budgeting process, this legislation aims to address the pressing issue of national debt and provide Southwest Washington taxpayers with a more favorable outcome.

To access the full text of the Comprehensive Congressional Budget Act of 2024, please click here. For a section-by-section summary of the legislation, click here. Additionally, a flowchart outlining the CCBA's budget process can be found here.

Click this link to access more information: https://blakemoore.house.gov/media/press-releases/us-representatives-moore-and-gluesenkamp-perez-introduce-legislation-reform