Is the Budget Process Broken, or is Congress Just Refusing to Do Its Job?

August 03, 2023

Since Congress designed and implemented the last budget process in 1974, only on four occasions have all of the appropriations bills for discretionary spending been passed on time.

by Veronique de Rugy Reason.com

It’s common knowledge among budget experts that the budget process is “broken.” Anyone who regularly reads this column knows about debt limits, government shutdowns, and out-of-control spending and borrowing. The list goes on. Well, part of the problem is that almost 50 years since the last budget process reform, it needs a serious update. However, when we do that, let’s not miss the elephant in the room: Things would work much better if Congress agreed to follow its own rules.

This has serious implications for those of us pressing for budget process reform. Indeed, the success of any new budgeting approach will depend on Congress’ willingness to stick to it. If legislators choose to sidestep or ignore it, even the most well-crafted new set of budgetary rules will fail.