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Kicking the Can Down the Road

Washington, D.C., November 20, 2019

I’d like to explain an important vote that took place yesterday in the House. We’re going to get “down in the weeds” a little, so stick with me.

Every year, Congress is supposed to pass 12 appropriations bills. Each of these bills authorizes funding for certain areas of the federal government. (For example, one bill authorizes funding for the Dept. of Defense. Another authorizes funding for Homeland Security. Another for the Dept. of Agriculture plus the FDA, and so on.) Collectively, these 12 bills represent much of the discretionary spending that Congress is supposed to authorize each year.

So what’s the problem?

Well, the problem is that Congress has failed – repeatedly – to do its job and pass these 12 appropriations bills before each fiscal year begins on October 1st. In fact, 1997 was the last time that all 12 were passed. In the two decades since, Congress has never passed more than four of these bills before the fiscal year begins.

Instead, Congress has increasingly relied on what’s known as a “continuing resolution,” or “CR” for short. CRs extend funding authorizations for a certain amount of time – usually a few weeks or months – until either a legitimate spending bill is agreed to, or another CR is passed.

Continuing resolutions are generally an irresponsible way to operate. Among other reasons, they create uncertainty within the federal government and our economy at large, because nobody knows what will happen at the end of this short span of time. CRs can also include arbitrary spending increases with no accountability or transparency.

Most importantly, continuing resolutions allow Congress to skirt its responsibility to scrutinize and debate the way your money is being spent. That’s exactly what happened yesterday when the House passed a continuing resolution for various appropriations through December 20th of this year. This CR passed mostly along party lines. It kicked the can down the road again and, true to its form, also authorized spending increases on a variety of programs.

It should therefore come as no surprise that I voted NO on yesterday’s CR. It’s time for Congress do its job and pass these 12 appropriations bills the proper way, with an strong emphasis on cutting spending and reducing our national debt.