On the recordMay 19, 2010
Where is the budget? Congress is expected to agree on a budget for the upcoming fiscal year by April 15. The budget process at the beginning of each year sets the goals regarding total Federal spending for the year. It is the budget that sets the stage for how fiscally responsible government spending will be. Since the passage of the Budget Act of 1974, the House of Representatives has never failed to pass an initial budget to set the spending priorities for the following fiscal year. Not this year. We are now a month past the deadline, and Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leadership are showing no signs of complying with the law and coming forward with a budget for fiscal year 2011. With total public debt rising to nearly $13 trillion, according to the Bureau of Public Debt, Congress' priority should remain focused on getting our fiscal house in order.
