Testimony on zombie programs, aka unauthorized appropriations
Written testimony of Kevin R. Kosar Vice President of Policy, R Street Institute Before the U.S. Senate, Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs,… Read More
Video: Can budget reform revive Congress?
The budget process is a wreck. The president’s budget arrives to Congress dead as a doornail. Congress only sometimes even adopts a budget. And all too often there… Read More
ICYMI: Examining the case for biennial budgeting
View/download PDF… Read More
APSA Task Force Memorandum: The Appropriations Process
To: The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress From: Nolan McCarty, Princeton University, chair; Sarah Binder, George Washington University; Josh Chafetz, Cornell University; Meredith… Read More
ICYMI: Sen. Mike Enzi releases ideas to fix broken congressional budget and spending process
Below is a press release from Sen. Mike Enzi, Senate Budget Committee chairman. Senate Budget Committee Chairman… Read More
Can Congress curb its spending?
Congress recently approved legislation to suspend the federal debt ceiling and increase spending above levels currently allowed in law. In doing so, its members challenged our assumptions regarding the efficacy… Read More
New legislation to end government shutdowns
The below text comes from Sen. James Lankford (R, OK) and Maggie Hassan (D, NH). It’s a sad but true reality: Congress functions best on a deadline. In theory,… Read More
Congressional pay is a victim of excessive transparency
It happened again last month. Despite the efforts of dozens of thoughtful reformers, risky political moves by leadership and incisive op-eds, legislators once again proved incapable of voting themselves a… Read More
Why members of Congress should get a raise, whether they deserve it or not
You’ve surely heard the old line, “The best Congress money can buy.” Typically, it’s said sardonically. In the classic formulation, it’s not your money doing the buying. It’s special interests… Read More
Are permanent appropriations the fix the budget process needs?
As Kevin Kosar discussed recently, political scientist Andrew Taylor has a new proposal, outlined in the latest issue of National Affairs, to reform the appropriations process by shifting… Read More