The 2012 Budget Collapse Continues

The 2012 Budget Collapse Continues

Posted by Jim Harper, May 9, 2011 at 9:00 am

One week from today, Congress can start considering appropriations bills, the bills that allocate spending on federal government operations for the 2012 budget year. If it does so, the budget process will be on schedule.

But something has to happen before these bills can go to the floor: there has to be a budget.

There is no fiscal 2012 budget.

Less than a month ago, we talked about thebeginning of the 2012 budget collapse. That collapse continues.

As we explained then, if a budget doesn’t happen, the Appropriations Committees don’t get the amounts they’re supposed to work with. If the Appropriations Committees don’t get the amounts they’re supposed to work with, they don’t move the spending bills. The Congress ends up passing short-term spending bills and making decisions on the fly that the American people don’t get to learn about until they’re already law.

But a Reuters news commentary says that a group of negotiators could come up with a budget before too long.

Lately, the spotlight has shone on what’s being called the “Group of Six Plus One” to save the day: Biden, three senators and three leading members of the House of Representatives. They carry plenty of political heft and the ability to whip rank-and-file members of Congress into supporting a potential deal to enact a wide range of spending cuts. But it is the Senate’s Group of Six, which is avoiding the limelight, that is seen as having the heavyweight expertise to sort out complicated budget issues, along with the willingness to consider tax increases and popular benefit program cuts needed for a long-term fix of the country’s fiscal mess.

We shall see. In the meantime, here are a few things you can do, especially if you are represented by a member of the House or Senate Budget Committee:

Sign our petition: “We Want a Transparent and Orderly Congress.” Do so after you create an account and log in, because then you can comment on the petition. We’re going to use the petition’s page to organize a non-partisan campaign to get Congress doing its job right.

Pass this information along to a friend or colleague. Things only change when people get organized. YOU need to organize the people around you. So send people you think would be interested a link to this blog post!

Contact your member of Congress: Tell him or her that you want to see a final budget agreement, and ask what date he or she expects that agreement to be finalized. Please post anything you learn here or on the “transparent and orderly” petition page. You should especially do this if you are represented by member of Congress on the House Budget Committee, listed below, or on the Senate Budget Committee, listed below that.

Your efforts can make a difference! Don’t delay! Push Congress to do its work!

House Budget Committee members

Paul Ryan (WI-01), Chairman Scott Garrett (NJ-05) Mike Simpson (ID-02) John Campbell (CA-48) Ken Calvert (CA-44) Todd Akin (MO-02) Tom Cole (OK-04) Tom Price (GA-06) Tom McClintock (CA-04) Jason Chaffetz (UT-03) Marlin Stutzman (IN-03) James Lankford (OK-05) Diane Black (TN-06) Reid Ribble (WI-08) Bill Flores (TX-17) Mick Mulvaney (SC-05) Tim Huelskamp (KS-01) Todd Young (IN-09) Justin Amash (MI-03) Todd Rokita (IN-04) Frank Guinta (NH-01) Rob Woodall (GA-07)

Chris Van Hollen (MD-08), Ranking MemberAllyson Schwartz (PA-13) Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) Lloyd Doggett (TX-25) Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) Betty McCollum (MN-04) John Yarmuth (KY-03) Bill Pascrell (NJ-08) Mike Honda (CA-15) Tim Ryan (OH-17) Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20) Gwen Moore (WI-04) Kathy Castor (FL-11) Heath Shuler (NC-11) Paul Tonko (NY-21) Karen Bass (CA-33)

Senate Budget Committee members

Kent Conrad (ND), Chairman Patty Murray (WA) Ron Wyden (OR) Bill Nelson (FL) Debbie Stabenow (MI) Benjamin L. Cardin (MD) Bernie Sanders (VT) Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) Mark R. Warner (VA) Jeff Merkley (OR) Mark Begich (AK) Chris Coons (DE)

Jeff Session (AL), Ranking MemberCharles Grassley (IA) Mike Enzi (WY) Mike Crapo (ID) John Ensign (NV) John Cornyn (TX) Lindsey Graham (SC) John Thune (SD) Rob Portman (OH) Pat Toomey (PA) Ron Johnson (WI)