President Donald J. Trump celebrates the passage of tax legislation. That new law will reduce money going into the federal treasury by some $1.5 trillion. (White House photo)
Congress is governing at short-term intervals because there are not enough votes to pass a real spending bill. And that’s not a good sign going forward because the budget only gets more complicated because of all the issues that Congress has been avoiding.
The New Year starts with all kinds of resolutions. One issue that’s been put off for a “later” day is a resolution about how the federal government spends money. That later day will be Jan. 19.
This is Trahant Reports.
Government budgets are policy documents. What programs are more important and therefore get more funding? Which agencies should get less?
The Trump administration has been clear since the election that it wants smaller government. But Congress, not the president, makes that call. And that’s where the problems begin.
Congress is supposed to enact spending bills by October 1. But the votes are not there to make that so. Some conservatives want the federal government to spend far less across the board, while others want more money for Defense. Neither of these wings has enough votes to pass their spending plan. So they need help from Democrats. And Democrats are against harsh budget cuts in domestic programs.
So instead of a spending plan, Congress has been enacting short term budgets. The latest temporary bill includes money for the Children’s Health Insurance Program — a program that includes insurance for American Indian and Alaska Natives. That program expired in October.
But Congress has avoided most of the contentious issues that divide Republicans. The leadership says it will address immigration, health care and national security in the next spending bill.
Right.
Over the next year or two there will be much more pressure for Congress to cut the budget. Deeply. The new tax law means there will be fewer dollars going into the federal treasury. Roughly one point five trillion dollars less.
So the White House is already telling federal agencies to prepare for severe budget cuts in the 2019 budget. A memo recently surfaced that called for a government-wide pay freeze just to save money.
The Washington Post reported that federal employment has dropped by some 16,000 workers. That’s a small percentage. But it includes the slow appointment of political posts — the president is choosing not to fill many slots — and it masks even deeper reductions in agencies such as the Environmental Protection Administration or the Internal Revenue Service.
The president is “committed to streamlining government for the 21st century, reducing bloat, duplication and waste, and focusing resources on key priorities like public safety and protecting our nation’s homeland,” a White House spokesman told the Post.
The president is shrinking government — as he promised.
Congress is governing at short-term intervals because there are not enough votes to pass a real spending bill. And that’s not a good sign going forward because the budget only gets more complicated because of all the issues that Congress has been avoiding.
I am Mark Trahant.
