- Feb 12, 2007
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Neither House of Congress will have consider a draft version of the federal budget prior to the April 15th deadline.
This may mean they are having difficulty figuring out what comes after a TRILLION, but the signs are that this is political maneuvering to avoid responsibility for Big Numbers during an election cycle - and yet another cynical approach to bypassing the processes aimed at fiscal responsibility. It may also indicate that the Dems don't want to publicly deal with how much tax revenues are falling short of projections, which puts more pressure on them to reign in spending.
Net net - the final actual spending will far exceed the budget.
Congress is poised to miss its April 15 deadline for finishing next years budget without even considering a draft in either chamber.
Unlike citizens tax-filing deadline, Congresss mid-April benchmark is nonbinding. And members seem to be in no rush to get the process going.
Indeed, some Democratic insiders suspect that leaders will skip the budget process altogether this year a way to avoid the political unpleasantness of voting on spending, deficits and taxes in an election year or simply go through a few of the motions, without any real effort to complete the work.
Regan Lachapelle, a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), would go only so far as saying that the budget is on a list of things that are possible for this work period a reference to the window that opens when members roll back into town Monday and closes when they leave around Memorial Day.
Congress has failed to adopt a final budget four times in the past 35 years for fiscal years 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007 according to a recent Congressional Research Service report. If the House does not pass a first version of the budget resolution, it will be the first time since the implementation of the 1974 Budget Act, which governs the modern congressional budgeting process.
The practical consequences of failing to produce a federal budget for next year are about the same as they are for a family that doesnt set a plan for income and spending: Congress doesnt need a budget to tax or spend, but enforcing discipline is harder without one. And, like a family that misses out on efficiencies because it hasnt taken a hard look at its finances, Congress cant use reconciliation rules to cut the deficit if the House and the Senate dont adopt the same budget. ..
Congress sees no budget rush - Jonathan Allen - POLITICO.com
This may mean they are having difficulty figuring out what comes after a TRILLION, but the signs are that this is political maneuvering to avoid responsibility for Big Numbers during an election cycle - and yet another cynical approach to bypassing the processes aimed at fiscal responsibility. It may also indicate that the Dems don't want to publicly deal with how much tax revenues are falling short of projections, which puts more pressure on them to reign in spending.
Net net - the final actual spending will far exceed the budget.
Congress is poised to miss its April 15 deadline for finishing next years budget without even considering a draft in either chamber.
Unlike citizens tax-filing deadline, Congresss mid-April benchmark is nonbinding. And members seem to be in no rush to get the process going.
Indeed, some Democratic insiders suspect that leaders will skip the budget process altogether this year a way to avoid the political unpleasantness of voting on spending, deficits and taxes in an election year or simply go through a few of the motions, without any real effort to complete the work.
Regan Lachapelle, a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), would go only so far as saying that the budget is on a list of things that are possible for this work period a reference to the window that opens when members roll back into town Monday and closes when they leave around Memorial Day.
Congress has failed to adopt a final budget four times in the past 35 years for fiscal years 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007 according to a recent Congressional Research Service report. If the House does not pass a first version of the budget resolution, it will be the first time since the implementation of the 1974 Budget Act, which governs the modern congressional budgeting process.
The practical consequences of failing to produce a federal budget for next year are about the same as they are for a family that doesnt set a plan for income and spending: Congress doesnt need a budget to tax or spend, but enforcing discipline is harder without one. And, like a family that misses out on efficiencies because it hasnt taken a hard look at its finances, Congress cant use reconciliation rules to cut the deficit if the House and the Senate dont adopt the same budget. ..
Congress sees no budget rush - Jonathan Allen - POLITICO.com
