“The Washington Post recently did an article about this process. It showed that this broken process allows Federal departments and agencies to develop a use-it-or-lose-it mentality. A full 20 percent of all Federal spending and contracting happens in the last month of the fiscal year. Look at how it spikes. It is not just one time. It did it in 2010, 2011, and 2012. The spending happens in the last month of the year and, in particular, the very last week of the year. This is true about contracting, as well. There were 156,000 contracts, 154,000 contracts, 149,000 contracts all done in the last few weeks of each budget year.
This use-it-or-lose-it mentality is costing the taxpayers millions of dollars. We must begin to fix this broken process, and that is why I have introduced the Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act of 2013. Overnight, it would cut this in half”, said Ribble.
On November 20, 2013 Rep. Reid Ribble of Wisconsin asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives for a few minutes regarding the cost of government, particularly the cost of shutdowns and continuing resolutions.
“The government shutdown is caused by the broken budget process. Funding our government with continuing resolutions is caused by a broken budget process. If we fix this, we could get away from this type of management of the taxpayer dollars.”
“Every year, Congress is required by law to pass a budget resolution. Every year, it is required to pass 12 appropriation bills by October 1, the start of the fiscal year. Yet, since 2001, Congress has managed to enact only 8.3 percent of our required appropriation bills on time. In the past 8 election years, Congress has failed to pass a budget resolution a full 75 percent of the time”, he said.
“The Washington Post recently did an article about this process. It showed that this broken process allows Federal departments and agencies to develop a use-it-or-lose-it mentality. A full 20 percent of all Federal spending and contracting happens in the last month of the fiscal year. Look at how it spikes. It is not just one time. It did it in 2010, 2011, and 2012. The spending happens in the last month of the year and, in particular, the very last week of the year. This is true about contracting, as well. There were 156,000 contracts, 154,000 contracts, 149,000 contracts all done in the last few weeks of each budget year. This use-it-or-lose-it mentality is costing the taxpayers millions of dollars. We must begin to fix this broken process, and that is why I have introduced the Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act of 2013. Overnight, it would cut this in half”, said Rep. Ribble (source: Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov).
See related video: Rep. Riddle talks government shutdown on Hardball http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVjDpMJ19Ho
For the 113th Congress, Congressman Ribble has been appointed to serve on the following Committees:
The Budget Committee.
The Committee on Agriculture.
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
He is also a member of the Republican Study Committee.