The Honorable Pete Domenici
United States Senate
328 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Domenici:
On behalf of the 362,000 members of the National Taxpayers Union (NTU), I write in support of S. 2627, the Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act. This legislation would transition the budget process from an annual to a biennial cycle. Such a change would give Congress more time to hopefully perform its Constitutional duties more effectively.
It is unfortunate that this legislation is necessary, but in recent years Congress has proven itself to be incapable of fulfilling its budget obligations in a consistent and timely manner. Not only have appropriations bills not been completed by the end of the fiscal year in September, the government has been operating on a series of continuing resolutions and omnibus appropriations bills for the better part of two years. Congress cannot dispatch its primary duty in time, and S. 2627 would take a significant step toward alleviating this quandary.
The Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act would allow Congress to spend the first year of a budget cycle drafting, debating, and passing appropriations legislation. The second year could then be devoted to authorizing bills and the important function of Congressional oversight.
Biennial budgeting is far from a cure-all for the ills of federal fiscal policymaking. It will not eliminate profligacy in and of itself, nor will it obviate the longstanding need for spending restraint and lower taxation. This legislation would, however, give Congress some much-needed breathing room between funding deadlines, while lawmakers more vigorously scrutinize program performance.
NTU supports biennial budgeting as a step in the right direction on budget process reform. We look forward to working with you in the future to pass this and other important pieces of legislation.
Sincerely,
Andrew Moylan
Government Affairs Manager