With just two legislative weeks left before Congress adjourns for August recess, the U.S. House of Representatives has only passed four of the 12 government funding bills that must be completed before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. And the Senate has yet to pass a single government funding bill for the upcoming fiscal year. When members of Congress return on Sept. 9, we will only have three legislative weeks to pass the remaining eight funding bills.
This March — nearly six months past the original deadline — Congress finally passed all 12 government funding bills for Fiscal Year 2024. It should not have taken so long. The process was long, bad and completely avoidable. And it’s not how Congress should work.
I have a solution: My Stay on Schedule (S.O.S.) Resolution would keep members of Congress in session through August instead of taking a month-long recess if all government funding bills are not passed by the end of July. This way, we can focus on each appropriations bill individually, through regular order, and get them done on time and responsibly. This will help keep last-minute, dangerous additions out of each bill and produce a better end result. If we don’t fulfill one of our most basic responsibilities, then we should be forced to stay in Washington until the job is done.
We should be held accountable if we don’t do the work our constituents elected us to do. I have been introducing government accountability legislation for years, but it has not moved forward because members of Congress are unwilling to put their pay and vacation on the line. It’s time for members to stop preaching accountability and actually put their money where their mouth is.
In addition to my Stay on Schedule (S.O.S.) Resolution, I’ve continued to reintroduce my No Budget No Pay Act, which would withhold member pay if a budget isn’t passed by April 15. My Inaction Has Consequences Act goes a step further by withholding member pay if all 12 government funding bills are not done by the end of the fiscal year. Members should feel the consequences, like every other American would, for failing to get the job done.
The basic task of governing is budgeting and funding, yet lawmakers continually fail to finish their work on time. If the federal government is not funded by our Sept. 30 deadline, Virginia’s 1st Congressional District residents will once again bear the burden for Congress’ failure to function responsibly. Federal government agencies won’t be able to hire new staff or implement new programs, and we won’t be able to cut government programs that are wasting taxpayer money. We will be forced to spend money on things we don’t need and stop desperately needed investments.
It also puts our military members and Customs and Border Patrol agents — who work around the clock to keep our nation safe and secure — at risk of missing a paycheck. We are causing additional and needless stress for U.S. service members and their families, while damaging the ability of our military to protect and defend us.
This impact isn’t just felt across the U.S. Department of Defense, but also in local communities around the country as job opportunities are lost and revenue for local businesses diminishes. We continue to ask more of our brave men and women in uniform, so Congress must do our part to ensure they have the tools they need to be successful.
U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman represents the 1st Congressional District of Virginia. He serves as vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and as a senior member of the House Natural Resources Committee. He previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates, on the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors and on the Montross Town Council, where he also served as mayor.
