Federal Budget

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Budget Process
Federal law requires Congress to produce a budget each fiscal year to set spending limits.  Under normal process 1) the President submits a budget proposal to Congress, 2) both chambers produce their own budget resolution, and 3) Congress passes appropriations bills that set the spending levels.  Unfortunately, implementing the budget process is always much more complicated.  I would encourage you to review this report by the Congressional Research Service for a more detailed analysis.

Because it is such a complex process, the federal government does not always accomplish all the steps of the budget process.  During the last Congress, neither a budget resolution nor all the necessary appropriations bills were passed in either Democratically-held house of Congress. As a result, Congress has often operated on “continuing resolutions” – temporary extensions of funding at the current levels, to keep federal programs going.

Current Crisis
At the beginning of this session of the 112^th Congress, the United States national debt was approximately $15.5 trillion dollars, while the annual deficit was $1.3 trillion for fiscal year 2012 (FY2012).  

The President introduced his budget plan for FY2013 on February 13, and it would increase taxes by $1.9 trillion while adding an additional $11 trillion to the debt.  The House later considered the President's proposed budget but it was defeated by a vote of 414-0.

On March 20, the House Budget Committee introduced the Path to Prosperity proposal for FY2013, a blueprint for reducing the national debt and implementing pro-growth tax reform.  At this time, the Senate has not considered or passed a budget plan of its own.

I am convinced that there is a spending problem in Washington and it is long past time the federal government stepped up with solutions to our fiscal crisis. I stand ready to work with my colleagues to rein in this excess and get our nation’s fiscal house in order.  On March 29, I voted in favor of the House budget, which cuts nearly $5 trillion in government spending over the next decade in comparison to the President’s budget.  It is time that government operates again like a responsible Michigan family.

VIDEO

07/13/2012 - President & Senate Failing to Adequately Address Struggling Economy
04/08/2011 - Budget Negotiations, Cut Wasteful Spending and Fund our Troops
03/28/2011 - Walberg Speaks on Building a Budget for Success

RELATED ITEMS

04/12/2012 - Opinion Editorial: Republicans in Congress are Trying to Spend Federal Government Money Responsibly
03/29/2012 - Press Release : Rep Walberg Votes for 2013 Budget
03/01/2012 - Article of Interest: Obama's Budget Flunks the Marshmellow Test
02/12/2012 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Responds to Presiden't 2013 Budget Proposal
02/08/2012 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Supports Line-Item Veto and Budget Transparency
02/07/2012 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Votes to Reform Federal Employee Pensions
02/03/2012 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Votes to Reform the Budget Process
01/24/2012 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Remarks on Senate's Failure to Pass a Budget
12/16/2011 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Votes Against Government Funding Bill
11/18/2011 - Press Release:  Rep. Walberg Votes For Balanced Budget Amendment 
08/01/2011 - Press Release:  Walberg Comments on Debt Ceiling Vote Plan Includes $2.1T in Cuts and a Vote on the Balanced Budget Amendment
05/31/2011 - Press Release: Walberg Votes Against Blank Check Debt Limit Increase
05/19/2011 - Article of Interest: Pile of debt would stretch beyond stratosphere
04/14/2011 - Fact Sheet: Final Continuing Resolution
03/15/2011 - Press Release: Rep Walberg Statement on the Continuing Resolution
03/03/2011 - Co-Sponsored Legislation: H.R. 920, Zero Baseline Budget Act
03/01/2011 - Press Release: Walberg Statement on Passage of the Two Week Budget Extension
02/19/2011 - Press Release: Walberg Statement on Passage of Continuing Resolution
02/17/2011 - Press Release: Walberg Amendment to Save Taxpayer Funds Passes House
02/14/2011 - Press Release: Walberg Responds to President's Budget