Okay, the Omnibus monstrosity funding the government through the end of September has passed. It's a mess that does many things that are good but also many that are bad. It's past, but it also should be a warning. Congress cannot continue to operate in this haphazard fashion; it has to get back to actually reviewing government spending.
Let me explain:
1. There are committees in Congress that cover each segment of federal expenditures. They are supposed to review what the government spends our money on and increase the good items while decreasing the ones that don't work. For the longest time, we have had only the increases -- at least in any meaningful fashion. No one is minding the store, so to speak.
2. The individual committees ought to be working diligently on the spending levels and coming forward with recommendations as to which items should receive funds. It is a time consuming and painstaking process. It can't be done in a week or two. It certainly can't be done when the spending for the entire government is put forward with a yes/no vote set in less than a day later.
3. Think of the good that could be done were the committees to actually do their jobs. For example, I've written many times about the fact that the federal government has about 104 separate job training programs. Each program has a director, staff and overhead costs. But there's no need for 104 directors, etc. Were the Labor committee to propose legislation that combined these programs into three or four (each with a different focus), a major chunk of the costs of these programs could be eliminated. The savings could then be used to train additional workers or just to lower the federal deficit. It's a small move in the context of the federal government, but if it were repeated 100 times, it could truly make a difference.
4. If the spending bills were brought to the floor individually and in a timely fashion, we could see how each member of Congress voted on these items. For example, will representatives and senators really vote against the reorganization of training programs? Will they really want to explain why they favor waste rather than efficiency? I doubt it.
5. We will have to see how the November elections come out. If the Dems take back either house, then we will surely be stuck with the ever increasing spending that comes along with the use of continuing resolutions to fund everything. On the other hand, if the GOP maintains control, then it is incumbent upon the Republicans to bring back the proper method for approving spending and to abandon the craziness that is the present system.
The GOP needs to start NOW getting next year's spending bills ready to go. There's no excuse for waiting. Waiting is just another name for surrender.
Let me explain:
1. There are committees in Congress that cover each segment of federal expenditures. They are supposed to review what the government spends our money on and increase the good items while decreasing the ones that don't work. For the longest time, we have had only the increases -- at least in any meaningful fashion. No one is minding the store, so to speak.
2. The individual committees ought to be working diligently on the spending levels and coming forward with recommendations as to which items should receive funds. It is a time consuming and painstaking process. It can't be done in a week or two. It certainly can't be done when the spending for the entire government is put forward with a yes/no vote set in less than a day later.
3. Think of the good that could be done were the committees to actually do their jobs. For example, I've written many times about the fact that the federal government has about 104 separate job training programs. Each program has a director, staff and overhead costs. But there's no need for 104 directors, etc. Were the Labor committee to propose legislation that combined these programs into three or four (each with a different focus), a major chunk of the costs of these programs could be eliminated. The savings could then be used to train additional workers or just to lower the federal deficit. It's a small move in the context of the federal government, but if it were repeated 100 times, it could truly make a difference.
4. If the spending bills were brought to the floor individually and in a timely fashion, we could see how each member of Congress voted on these items. For example, will representatives and senators really vote against the reorganization of training programs? Will they really want to explain why they favor waste rather than efficiency? I doubt it.
5. We will have to see how the November elections come out. If the Dems take back either house, then we will surely be stuck with the ever increasing spending that comes along with the use of continuing resolutions to fund everything. On the other hand, if the GOP maintains control, then it is incumbent upon the Republicans to bring back the proper method for approving spending and to abandon the craziness that is the present system.
The GOP needs to start NOW getting next year's spending bills ready to go. There's no excuse for waiting. Waiting is just another name for surrender.
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