On the recordOctober 5, 2011
I rise to join Senator Sessions in introducing the Honest Budget Act of 2011. At this critical juncture in our Nation's fiscal history, we must no longer allow Washington to rely on an astonishing array of dishonest budget gimmicks to enable and conceal countless billions in Federal deficit spending. We can no longer accept budgets that compromise our economic growth, living standards, or opportunities that have been a hallmark of America's greatness, which is why Senator Sessions and I have introduced this important legislation. The Honest Budget Act of 2011 will attack Washington's frivolous spending by stripping away many of the most egregious budget gimmicks in Washington, by making it harder for the Federal Government to spend money it does not have, and by confronting the culture of fiscal manipulation that is bleeding future generations of prosperity. Our budgetary process is intrinsically broken. Congress is required by law to adopt a budget resolution by April 15, yet in the past 36 years Congress has met that deadline just six times. Throughout the last 10 years, Congress has approved a budget resolution on only six occasions. Congress failed to complete action on a budget resolution for 5 fiscal years: fiscal year 1999 in 1998, fiscal year 2003 in 2002, fiscal year 2005 in 2004, fiscal year 2007 in 2006, and fiscal year 2011 in 2010.…





