CRFB Statement on Joint Select Committee Markup

For Immediate Release

The Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform (JSC) today released a ‘co-chairs mark’ and announced that they will mark up legislation on Thursday recommending improvements to the Congressional budgeting and appropriations process. Established by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, the JSC is tasked with reporting recommendations by November 30.

The following is a statement from Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget:

The work of the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform (JSC) is an important step towards reforming a budget process that lacks consistency, accountability, transparency, and contributes to poor fiscal outcomes. A functioning budget process is vital to the fiscal health of our nation.

While today’s mark includes only a few incremental improvements to our budget process, we hope it is the beginning of a continuing process of budget reform. It must set the stage for a vibrant amendment process and an ongoing national discussion to help improve the way our leaders tax and spend on behalf of the American people.

Members of the JSC deserve recognition for their hard work over the past eight months. It is rare and refreshing when policymakers work together in a bipartisan and bicameral manner. Hopefully this spirt of collaboration continues.

In that spirit, we encourage JSC Members to build on today’s mark by putting forward and supporting amendments to further improve the budget process and promote fiscal responsibility. And work must continue beyond the JSC to keep moving towards a better budget process.

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For more information contact Patrick Newton, press secretary, at newton@crfb.org.