Washington, DC – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) became the 218th cosponsor of the bipartisan “Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act” (H.R. 1610), introduced by Congressmen Ribble (WI-08) and Schrader (OR-05).
The bill now enjoys bipartisan support from the majority of Members of the House of Representatives, which guarantees its passage should Speaker Boehner bring it to the floor for a vote.
Under the biennial budgeting process, Congress would complete its budget resolution and appropriations bills in the first year of each Congress, and conduct much needed oversight of federal programs in the second year. This process would result in a more comprehensive review of federal spending, and would allow for a greater focus on performance budgeting and good governance.
“There is no question our current budgeting process is broken. It is long past the time for Congress to end the cycle of yearly funding crises and short-term budget extensions. This bill provides the stability our government agencies need, and the accountability our taxpayers deserve. I am proud to help this strong bipartisan bill reach the majority needed to pass the House, and I urge Speaker Boehner to immediately bring it to the floor for a vote,” said Congressman DeSaulnier.
“America is a tremendous economic engine, and our federal budget needs consistency, reliability, and thorough oversight to function efficiently. I introduced the Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act to take budgeting out of election years and force Congress to conduct better oversight of federal agencies, and I am proud to have Representative DeSaulnier on the bill as our 218th cosponsor,” said Congressman Ribble (WI-08).
“When I chaired the Budget and Appropriations Committee in the Oregon Legislature, we operated with a biennial budget system, and it worked very well. There is no reason we should not be doing the same in this body,” said Congressman Schrader (OR-05). “We’re facing budget crisis after budget crisis and by adopting this bill we would able to avoid stress and uncertainty, not only for our government, but for the American people who expect us to do our jobs.”
Biennial budgeting is a practical reform that has already been implemented by fifteen states. It has strong bipartisan and bicameral support. The bipartisan Senate companion legislation, the Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act (S. 150), is led by Senators Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and currently has 25 additional cosponsors. Congressman DeSaulnier introduced and passed a similar bill when he served in the California State Senate, which was signed into law by Governor Brown.
