Chair Yarmuth of the House Budget Committee partnered with House and Senate chairs (Chair Lowey of House Appropriations, Chair Maloney of House Oversight and Reform and Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy) to introduce the bicameral (but not bipartisan) Congressional Power of the Purse Act (H.R.6628).
The Act’s core provisions restore Congress’ central role in funding decisions by increasing transparency in the Executive Branch (it requires the Office of Legal Counsel to publish opinions on budget and appropriations law) and adding teeth to budget law to deter lawbreaking.
This Article I renaissance is a follow-up to the Budget Commmitte’s March hearing that examined how Congress’ role has been diminished over decades and how to reassert congressional authority. It implements recommendations from GAO and complements a House Rules hearing on reasserting Article I authority.
The Senate Budget Committee has also done great work and introduced the Bipartisan Congressional Budget Reform Act (currently has 23 cosponsors). It provides a “more orderly, deliberative budget process focused on long-term fiscal planning, while also improving fiscal transparency and boosting oversight and accountability.”
