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The U.S. government has a lot to pay for at the moment: in addition to mandatory spending like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, it has also needs to fund its military endeavors. First came Venezuela, a relatively brief period of intervention; but the U.S. and Israel\u2019s conflict with Iran has dragged on longer than expected.<\/p>\n
Agreeing on budget packages hasn\u2019t been Congress\u2019s strong point during the second Trump administration: Already, there has been a government shutdown, and a significant amount of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is still closed due to the fact that spending to reopen it hasn\u2019t been approved.<\/p>\n
The demands on Treasury finances are a tightrope policymakers are going to have to learn to walk effectively, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington said in a recent interview, suggesting that reconciliation (a budget procedure vote allowing for a simple majority of 51) may be the quickest way to ensure funding for DHS and prevent similar snags in the future.<\/p>\n
Speaking on CNBC, the Texas Republican said: \u201cI think\u00a0what would be better, if we could do it,\u00a0is just take the whole kit and caboodle\u00a0and use reconciliation to\u00a0fund Homeland so we don\u2019t establish the\u00a0precedent of picking and choosing departments and agencies and\u00a0offices.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t leave the critical operations of Homeland Security that\u2019s protecting us against a terrorist attack, through Coast Guard, through guardsmen at our ports, or the guys that are protecting us against cybersecurity attacks. This is unacceptable.\u201d <\/p>\n
Democrats, on the other hand, have argued they will not back a funding bill for DHS until controversial departments like ICE and elements of Border Patrol are defunded. Protests against ICE began late last year, but tensions spilled over following the fatal shootings of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this year. Until guardrails are put into place around the departments, the Democrats argue, they won\u2019t pass funding for DHS.<\/p>\n
The budget balance<\/p>\n
However, Arrington also chairs a committee that has continually advocated for prudent and effective spending and fiscal reform. Arrington has called for a harder-line approach than some of his peers, who have pushed a resolution of a deficit target of 3% of GDP. Arrington wants to open up a conversation about adding\u00a0fiscal responsibility to the country\u2019s Constitution.<\/p>\n
He said\u00a0late last month: \u201cHere\u2019s the sad, sobering, and stunning truth: Despite the urgency of our fiscal crisis, Congress is paralyzed\u2014unable to meet the urgency of the moment. So, if Washington won\u2019t act, then it\u2019s time to look beyond our nation\u2019s capital. The Founders gave us another path in Article V of the Constitution, empowering the states and the American people to step in and demand fiscal discipline.\u201d <\/p>\n
Pushed on why he advocates for reopening spending pathways alongside budgetary reform, Arrington responded: \u201cI can tell you there are\u00a0debt hawks like myself that see a debt\u00a0crisis on the horizon as an equal if\u00a0not greater and more irreparable threat. We have to be able to walk and chew gum.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Republican is of the opinion that the government has some \u201csavings\u201d it could leverage in the form of cracking down on fraudulent claims. This, combined with a reconciliation action, \u201cwill\u00a0allow us to put those reforms in the\u00a0mandatory programs to underwrite what we\u00a0need now and a down payment on future\u00a0warfare preparedness.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what\u2019s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
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#Budget #chair #Jodey #Arrington #balancing #debt #crisis #national #security #demands<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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