Texas Republican Rep. Mike Burgess revealed that the newly presented GOP budget aims to cut down federal spending by over $16 trillion in the next decade. Speaking on “The Record with Greta Van Susteren,” Burgess highlighted the importance of introducing a budget, which Congress has often neglected recently.
A report by Roll Call described the GOP’s proposed financial plan as a roadmap to balance the staggering $33 trillion federal deficit within ten years. The proposal focuses on curbing social safety net expenditures while banking on robust economic growth in the future.
The budget comes significantly late, five months after the April 15 deadline mandated by 1974 legislation for such budget plans. Given the current Democratic majority in the Senate, the budget’s chances of passing remain slim. House Budget Chair Jodey C. Arrington, also a Republican from Texas, admitted to reporters that the party is working on regaining its fiscal discipline. “We’re essentially going back to fiscal fitness training after a long hiatus,” Arrington stated.
Burgess also drew attention to the looming September 30 government funding cutoff, emphasizing that it’s more of a congressional problem than a risk of government departments shutting down. “The deadline on September 30 is real, but let’s call it a lapse in appropriations rather than a shutdown,” he said. “Federal agencies are currently flush with cash.”
Specifically, he noted that the Environmental Protection Agency needs more funds, including unallocated money, to continue operations for the next three years without additional funding. Burgess cautioned, however, that if Congress fails to reach a funding agreement, control over federal spending would solely rest with the Biden administration, a scenario he termed “absolutely unacceptable.”
