Judd Gregg: Fixing the unfixable — the federal budget

Judd Gregg, a former Republican senator from New Hampshire, served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee from 2005 to 2007 and ranking member from 2007 to 2011. He recently wrote an op-ed featured in The Hill suggesting six budget process changes for the Joint Select Committee on Budget Process reform to consider.

Read the full op-ed here.

Gregg's full list includes:

1. Require the budget to have two-thirds support to advance out of the Budget Committee and limit amendments
2. Only have members from the Appropriations and Finance Committees on the the Budget Committee.
3. Have the budget set a maximum for federal spending and debt, as well as a floor for revenues, all as a percent of GDP.
4.  Give the budget authority to address entitlements and taxes, with "reconcilation-like" instructions forming the core of the bill.
5. Have the Budget Committee establish committees similar to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) for discretionary spending accounts.
6. Failure to pass a budget would cause the government to close, pausing many mandatory benefit payments such as Social Security.

Read the full op-ed here.

"My Views" are works published by members or staff of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, but they do not necessarily reflect the views of all members of the committee.