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(Washington, DC) – U.S. Representatives Ed Case (D-HI-01)) and Steve Womack (R-AR-03) today announced the re-introduction of H.R. 222, their Sustainable Budget Act, a measure they also introduced in the 116^th Congress (2019-2021), 117^th Congress (2021-2023) and 118^th Congress (2023-2025). They were joined in co-introduction by U.S. Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA-50) and Zach Nunn (R-IA-03).

“By any measure, our federal fiscal house is out of order,” said Rep. Case, a current member of the House Appropriations Committee and prior member of the House Budget Committee.

“The U.S. national debt now stands at over $36 trillion, with interest on the debt crowding out whole segments of critical federal spending. We appear trapped in a continuing cycle of further $1 trillion-plus annual deficits and accelerating overall debt. Our annual interest costs now surpass national defense, surpass Medicare, and surpass all non-mandatory, non-defense programs (veterans, education, transportation, etc.) combined.”

Case continued: “It is inescapable that the underlying problem is our collective inability or unwillingness to prioritize fiscal responsibility and sustainability. Whether it is budgets, taxes, spending, PAYGO or any other element of our fiscal debate and decisions, the result is the same: an avoidance of sound budgetary principles and practices and further deterioration of our nation’s finances.”

“The exploding national debt is one of the greatest threats to our country. America faces many current and future challenges, which cannot be adequately addressed if we continue down an unsustainable path of fiscal irresponsibility,” said Rep. Womack, also a member of the House Appropriations Committee and former chairman of the Budget Committee. “This bipartisan commission will be tasked with making difficult, yet necessary, decisions to right the financial ship and protect the futures of our children and grandchildren.”

“The national debt is now more than $36 trillion,” said Rep. Peters, a member of the House Budget Committee. “We spend more on our interest payments alone than we do on defense or Medicaid, which provides medical care to the most vulnerable Americans. Our borrowing problem is making it harder for people to get child-care, more difficult to start small businesses, and more expensive to rent or buy a home. It's well past time for Congress to have a fact-driven discussion about the federal budget."

“Families, farmers, and Main Street business owners balance their budgets – the federal government should do the same. We must cut wasteful government spending while protecting the programs that Iowans rely on, said Rep. Nunn, a member of the House Financial Services Committee.

“A bipartisan commission can help make the necessary changes to restore a sensible, functional government that works for the people, not one that recklessly spends taxpayer money.”

Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said, "We commend Representatives Case and Womack, along with co-introducers Representatives Peters and Nunn, for working together in a bipartisan fashion to put forward the Sustainable Budget Act. This legislation would create a commission to serve as a venue for constructive bipartisan negotiations to improve our country’s fiscal future. We applaud them for introducing this bill to pursue bipartisan solutions to reduce our nation’s debt."

Case and Womack said their Sustainable Budget Act will create a bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, charged with identifying and developing policies to balance the budget within ten years and meaningfully improve the long-term fiscal outlook. Any recommendations by the Commission would be required to be considered and voted on by Congress under expedited legislative procedures.

“This measure follows the models of Simpson-Bowles and other such independent bipartisan commissions, charged with focusing on our debt and recommending a sustainable path for an up-or-down vote by Congress,” said Case. “In a Congress where we often repeat the platitude that our budget reflects our values, it is disturbing that the main common value reflected is fiscal unsustainability ranging to irresponsibility. We frankly need help to force the real decisions that must be made, and our measure offers a necessary and proven path of assistance.”

Attachments:

·        Text of the Sustainable Budget Act is here

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