House Budget Committee Takes “Meaningful Steps” Toward a More Fiscally Responsible Government
On February 6th, the House Budget Committee marked up three bipartisan bills aimed at providing more transparency and accuracy in the congressional budget process:
- H.R. 766, the “Dr. Michael C. Burgess Preventive Health Savings Act,” led by Representatives Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Diana DeGette (D-CO)
- H.R. 7032, the “Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act,” led by Ranking Member Brendan Boyle (D-PA) and Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX)
- H.R. 5301, the “Eliminate Useless Reports Act of 2023,” led by Representatives Mike Garcia (D-CA) and Glenn Grothman (R-WI)
Stakeholders are sounding off in support of these bipartisan budget process reform bills, including the National Taxpayers Union Foundation. See below for their analysis of the Budget Committee’s work in this space.
Word on the Street:
Via the National Taxpayers Union Foundation:
- “At the forefront is the Congressional Budget Office Data Sharing Act (H.R.7032), a bipartisan initiative introduced by the Committee’s Ranking Member Brendan Boyle (D-PA) and Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX).”
- “This proposal seeks to enhance CBO’s ability to get the data it needs from executive agencies… [and] streamline CBO's data access, reduce delays, and foster collaboration with Congressional committees by dismantling barriers obstructing access to legally protected information, clarifying data-use agreements, ensuring confidentiality protections, and bolstering transparency through mandated reports.”
- “The Preventive Health Savings Act (H.R.766), introduced by Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), aims to have CBO provide additional long-term budget projections related to potential savings in preventive health care…Long-term projections have greater degrees of uncertainty than the regular time frames included in CBO’s analyses, but the analysis could provide additional context for proposals.”
- “The third bill is the Eliminate Useless Reports Act of 2023 (H.R.5301), introduced by Reps. Robert Garcia (D-CA) and Glenn Grothman (R-WI), which aims to increase government efficiency. The bill requires agencies to include a list of outdated or duplicative reporting requirements in their annual budget justifications.”
- “By streamlining processes, promoting evidence-based decision-making, and eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, these bills would work towards ensuring that taxpayer dollars are utilized effectively.”
- “These three bills would represent meaningful steps toward a more transparent, accountable, and fiscally responsible government.”
The Bottom Line:
The warning signs of our nation’s unsustainable fiscal trajectory are flashing. With over $34 trillion in debt, it is imperative for Congress to have greater transparency and accountability in the congressional budget process to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly.
These bipartisan bills provide more information to lawmakers and the Congressional Budget Office, and as result, foster greater transparency and accuracy in the congressional budget process. Each of these measures were reported favorably with a unanimous vote, and the House Budget Committee will continue to advance these measures to the floor and signed into law.
Click HERE for a recap of the markup.
Click HERE to watch the markup in its entirety.
