The statutory deadline for a budget is April 15 and no budget is in sight. Instead, members of the House of Representatives are voting on a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. Congress should actually have a budget before voting on such an amendment. Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget president Maya MacGuineas previously issued a press release about the upcoming vote. That release said:
Anyone supporting a balanced budget amendment should also have a plan to achieve a balanced budget and support efforts to implement such a plan; otherwise, it is not a serious proposal...
With debt poised to overtake the size of the entire economy in just over a decade, it is astonishing that Congress would skip on a budget this year – especially after spending the past year passing budget-busting tax cut and spending bills. We need a budget with a long-term fiscal plan that can be implemented and addresses our unsustainable debt head-on, not more meaningless messaging, delay, and denial.
MacGuineas sent the following letter to every Member of Congress urging them to pass a budget and either support a plan to address the debt or put one forward themselves.
