Chairman Arrington Reacts to Government Watchdog’s Report on the Fiscal Responsibility Act’s Implementation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) expressed concerns over the findings in yesterday’s Government Accountability Office (GAO) report detailing the Biden Administration’s implementation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act’s Administrative Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) provision:
“I am deeply troubled by the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent report detailing the Biden Administration’s failure to meaningfully implement Administrative PAYGO requirements from the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
Since President Biden assumed office, he’s unleashed an unprecedented barrage of regulations and executive actions at a record clip – compromising our freedom, kneecapping our economy, and worsening our debt crisis in the process.
House Republicans intended for Administrative PAYGO to rein in this out-of-control executive spending, but the Biden Administration’s stance exhibits a relentless desire to circumvent Congress.
My Committee will continue to investigate this matter and hold the Biden Administration accountable to the American people.”
Background:
- In response to the Biden Administration’s excessive use of executive power, the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA) includes a statutory Administrative Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) provision.
- The provision requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to examine discretionary administrative actions that increase direct spending by at least $1 billion over 10 years or by $100 million in each year to ensure such actions are offset by spending cuts or other pay-fors.
- In their report on the Biden Administration’s implementation of Administrative PAYGO, GAO found the Administration had discounted or waived at least 28 economically significant rules since the enactment of the FRA.
- Additionally, OMB’s guidance on this provision states that agencies are not legally required to implement proposed offsets, a finding House Budget Republicans believe fundamentally defeats the purpose of the Administrative PAYGO process.
