Bipartisan House Group Sends Letter Calling for Process Reforms

A bipartisan group of ten members from the House of Representatives recently sent a letter to the Senate calling for the addition of budget process reforms to the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, including the creation of bipartisan commissions that would work to improve our fiscal situation.

The letter, led by Representatives Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and Scott Peters (D-CA), and signed by Representatives Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-GA), Ed Case (D-HI), Ron Estes (R-KS), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Bill Johnson (R-OH), Kurt Schrader (D-OR), and Bruce Westerman (R-AR), reiterates the need to not only fully pay for new initiatives but to also implement reforms that would put the nation on solid fiscal ground.

While the bill passed by the Senate would add $400 billion to deficits over the next decade, lawmakers will have the chance to amend it when the House considers it. Members of Congress should look to this letter for ideas on how to improve the bill while also making changes to fully offset its cost.

We commend Representatives Arrington and Peters for reiterating the need to pay for new initiatives and highlighting several reforms to put the nation on a path to fiscal sustainability, including the Sustainable Budget Act introduced by Representatives Case and Steve Womack (R-AR), the establishment of debt targets, debt limit reforms, and better transparency of the nation’s fiscal situation.

We support Representatives Arrington and Peters and the other members signing this letter in their desire to pay for new initiatives and find reforms that would put the nation on a path to fiscal sustainability.