Central Montana Times

U.S. Senator Steve Daines delivered remarks on the Senate floor today, advocating for significant reforms to Congress' budget process. He emphasized Congress' consistent failure to adhere to the "Budget Control Act" and its inability to pass all 12 appropriations bills by the September 30 deadline.

Daines stated, "Mr. President, it’s been my privilege to represent the people of Montana in Congress for more than a decade." He expressed his constituents' frustration with Congress' lack of fiscal discipline and highlighted that this is not what they were elected to do.

Daines pointed out that many American families live paycheck to paycheck and expect responsible governance from their representatives. He criticized Congress for failing to enact all appropriations bills on time since 1997 and ignoring the Budget Control Act established in 1974.

He noted, "Since the Budget Control Act became law 50 years ago, Congress has been out of control." According to Daines, only four times in five decades has Congress enacted all appropriations bills on time: in 1977, 1989, 1995, and 1997.

Daines also criticized the reliance on Continuing Resolutions (CRs) and omnibus appropriations bills. He stated that between 1977 and last year, Congress passed 200 CRs and used omnibus bills as legislative vehicles for over half of federal appropriations since 1982.

He stressed that this broken budget process exacerbates federal spending issues. The Congressional Budget Office projects a $2 trillion deficit this year and an accumulated deficit of $22.1 trillion over the next decade.

Highlighting potential solutions, Daines suggested holding members accountable by withholding pay if they fail to pass all appropriations bills on time. He also called for addressing both discretionary and non-discretionary spending through bipartisan cooperation.

Referring to proposals by former Senator Mike Enzi from Wyoming, Daines recommended reorienting the budget resolution to a two-year cycle and creating a special reconciliation process focused solely on reducing deficits.

Concluding his remarks, Daines urged bipartisan efforts towards serious budget reform: "Now is the time for serious budget reform."