Though I find the actual outcome far less awful than I might have feared, and while I stand opposed to almost every policy goal of the National Review editors, I have to agree with them completely that the budget process is badly broken.
I’d probably disagree with the NR as to who’s (most) to blame, but regardless, how do we fix it?
The Omnibus Disgrace | National Review
It fails to deliver on any major GOP priorities except increased defense spending.
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Turn it off and back on again?
I was curious when Congress last passed a budget on time, rather than resorting to continuing resolutions.
"Far from being a new symptom of present-day Washington dysfunction, Congress’ chronic inability to follow its own appropriations process goes back decades. In fact, in the four decades since the current system for budgeting and spending tax dollars has been in effect, Congress has managed to pass all its required appropriations measures on time only four times: in fiscal 1977 (the first full fiscal year under the current system), 1989, 1995 and 1997."
So how's it supposed to happen?
"The 'standard' appropriations process, as laid out in the 1974 Congressional Budget Act, goes like this: After the president submits his budget proposal, the House and Senate adopt their own budget resolution. While it doesn’t have the force of law, the budget resolution sets out the overall spending framework for the coming fiscal year and serves to guide lawmakers as they address specific tax and spending decisions.
"But agreeing on a budget resolution has itself often proven problematic. Although the Congressional Budget Act establishes April 15 as the target date, Congress frequently misses that deadline (this year, for example, the resolution wasn’t agreed to till Oct. 26) – or, as in six of the seven most recent fiscal years, never adopts a formal budget resolution at all.
"Next, Congress is supposed to pass a series of separate bills funding various agencies and activities of the federal government. (For the past decade, the number of spending bills has stood at 12, one for each subcommittee of the House and Senate appropriations committees.) The deadline for doing that is Oct. 1, when the new fiscal year starts. But since 1997, Congress has never passed more than a third of its regular appropriations bills on time, and usually has done considerably less than that: For instance, for six straight years (fiscal 2011 through 2016), not a single spending bill was passed by Oct. 1."
And no, I have no idea how to fix it. +L Gorrie's idea is as good as any.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/16/congress-has-long-struggled-to-pass-spending-bills-on-time/
The Omnibus Disgrace | National Bảo Khang hello @u
+John E. Bredehoft True enough, though there's a difference between getting everything passed and seemingly getting nothing passed.