Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. — June 24, 2026…Representatives Steve Womack (AR-3), Ed Case (HI-1), Bill Huizenga (MI-4), and Scott Peters (CA-50) today introduced the Budgeting for a Better America Act, aimed at reforming Congress’ broken budget process. This bill would require Congress to adopt a biennial budget framework, establish a bipartisan fiscal commission, and implement other good governance reforms.

Representative Womack said, “Each year, Congress operates from the same broken blueprint when it comes to our budget process. These failures have compounded, leading to runaway debt and the impending depletion of our social trust funds. We need a better solution, which is why I am introducing the Budgeting for a Better America Act—building on the work I accomplished as Chairman of the House Budget Committee and Co-Chair of the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. Bad budgeting bankrupts our future, and our nation cannot afford to delay these overdue reforms any longer. I thank Representatives Case, Huizenga, and Peters for leading this legislation alongside me, and I am eager to build consensus around this critical issue—the fiscal state of our nation depends on it.”

Representative Case said, “Every business and family knows that sound finances start with sound budgeting, and governments are no different. Yet the reality of no federal budgets, annual spending without any budgetary direction, fiscal brinkmanship, continuing resolutions and government shutdowns, ballooning federal deficits and debt, depletion of social trust funds, and more are stark symptoms of a broken federal budget system in crying need of reform. I appreciate my continued partnership with Representatives Womack, Peters, Huizenga, and other bipartisan colleagues to overcome denial and advance the real solutions that are desperately needed.”

Representative Huizenga said, “Tackling the debt requires all-hands on deck and a willingness to examine innovative approaches in order to get our nation’s fiscal house in order. The Budgeting for a Better America Act takes serious steps to increase fiscal oversight by enacting a biennial budgeting process and creating a fiscal commission to address our nation’s long-term debt. Washington is littered with debt deniers who downplay the seriousness of the fiscal crisis facing our nation. I am proud to stand with Representatives Womack, Case, and Peters and put forward another bipartisan solution to address our nation’s unsustainable fiscal situation.”

Representative Peters said, “Our national debt is now almost $40 trillion and under the current budget process, we borrow almost $2 trillion every year just to pay our expenses. Congress holds the power of the purse, but a year-to-year budget process is no match for the scale of our fiscal problems. This bill would address the immediate crisis with a fiscal commission, set an achievable deficit target at 3 percent of GDP, and help fix the budget process with a two-year budget cycle to end the short-term thinking that got us here. I look forward to working with Rep. Womack to show the American people that Congress is serious about getting our economy back on track."

The bipartisan bill is supported by original cosponsors Representatives Tom Cole (OK-4), Ken Calvert (CA-41), Don Davis (NC-1), Chuck Fleischmann (TN-3), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Hal Rogers (KY-5), Pete Sessions (TX-17), and Jefferson Shreve (IN-6).

Background:

The annual budget process, largely unchanged in the last 50 years, has not helped Congress develop an overall fiscal plan and complete appropriations on time to avoid Continuing Resolutions (CRs) and government shutdowns. The challenges for the country are mounting:

• Missed Deadlines: Since 1974, Congress has only adopted a budget resolution by the statutory deadline six times. Congress has not completed all 12 appropriations bills before the start of the fiscal year since FY1997. Hopping from crisis to crisis makes it more challenging to focus on long-term and strategic issues.
• Impending Fiscal Disaster: Our national debt is nearly $40 trillion, net interest on the debt has eclipsed $1 trillion annually, and the Social Security and Medicare trust funds are projected to be depleted in the coming years.

In 2018, Chairman Steve Womack (AR-3) led the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform tasked with addressing some of these challenges. Building on the Committee’s recommendations, the Budgeting for a Better America Act incorporates additional reforms to improve transparency and develop policies to address the long-term debt.

Bill highlights:

The Budgeting for a Better America Act would restore fiscal responsibility by:

• Establishing an 18-member bipartisan commission to aid in identifying and developing policies to achieve a 3 percent annual deficit-to-GDP ratio within 10 years and work towards long-term fiscal stabilization.
• Adopting a biennial budgeting framework to offer a practical step towards addressing persistent delays in the current budget process and reducing the risk of government shutdowns and CRs.
• Requiring budget resolutions to include debt, deficit, and tax metrics—providing Congress and the public with a clearer understanding of fiscal impacts.
• Establishing an annual televised bicameral hearing with the Comptroller General to address the nation's long-term fiscal outlook.
• Requiring the annual President’s Budget Request to include a better analysis on the health of unfunded obligations, including Social Security and Medicare.
• Requiring an administrative supplemental budget submission from the President by December 1st to enable Congress to begin their work earlier.
• Requiring the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to conduct an introductory debt and deficit briefing for new members of Congress.

A one-pager is available HERE.

A section-by-section bill summary is available HERE.

The bill text is available HERE.

Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

womack.house.gov

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