Pete Domenici: “I rise to introduce the ``Biennial Budget and Appropriations Act,'' a bill to convert the budget and appropriations…”

“I rise to introduce the ``Biennial Budget and Appropriations Act,'' a bill to convert the budget and appropriations process to a two-year cycle and to enhance oversight of federal programs. Mr. President, our most recent experience with the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act shows the need for a biennial appropriations and budget process. That one bill clearly demonstrated Congress is incapable of completing the budget, authorizing, and appropriations process on an annual basis. That 4,000 paged bill contained 8 of the regular appropriations bills, $9 billion in revenue provisions, $21.4 billion in ``emergency'' spending, and 40 miscellaneous funding and authorization provisions. Congress should now act to streamline the system by moving to a two-year, or biennial, budget process. This is the most important reform we can enact to streamline the budget process, to make the Senate a more deliberative and effective institution, and to make us more accountable to the American people. Mr. President, moving to a biennial budget and appropriations process enjoys very broad support.”