Congressman Brady’s War on Government Waste
Late last Night, Congressman Kevin Brady (R-TX), chairman of the House Ways and means Committee, voted for, and the House passed, legislation to rein in wasteful government spending coming out of Washington. In May, President Trump exercised his authority under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA), and formally requested that Congress cut nearly $15 billion in wasteful spending. After passage of The Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act (H.R. 3), Congressman Brady released the following statement:
“Yesterday’s vote confirms that Congressional Republicans and President Trump are united in our commitment to cut wasteful spending and restore our fiscal footing. Americans budget and balance their checkbooks every day, and it is time that the federal government do the same. This rescissions package – the largest in history – is the first of many steps in putting our fiscal house back in order. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to follow suit and act quickly on this important legislative package.”
BACKGROUND:
Rescissions are reductions of funding previously provided in law. Since the President cannot rescind funding on his own, Congress needs to pass new legislation to eliminate this funding. This package is the largest in the history of ICA, and includes rescissions of unspent balances from prior years and reductions to budget authority for mandatory programs. In some cases, this funding has been sitting in agency coffers for years with no plans to spend it.
Under the ICA, Congress has 45 days to act on the President’s request. During this period, funding may be formally withheld from obligation so agencies cannot spend it, and any member of Congress may introduce a bill with the President’s rescission proposals. This legislation receives special treatment under House and Senate rules, and cannot be filibustered by the Senate.
The recessions package is far reaching. and is covered in a 17 page document. Read it here.
Read the bill, HR 3, here.
