Better Federal Budgeting - Accountability for Every Dollar

Statement

As I travel each of the 16 counties of the Third Congressional District each month, Iowans often tell me they haven't seen a raise in their paychecks in years, or that their incomes have never recovered from the 2008 recession. I hear from parents who sit down around the kitchen table at night and try to figure out how to stretch every dollar to provide for their families and their retirement. Folks are constantly reevaluating every expense to see if they can still afford it. As your U.S Representative in Congress, I try to take that same level of scrutiny to every line of the federal budget.

Federal agencies enjoy a nearly guaranteed budget increase every year. They simply have no need to look for savings in outdated or wasteful programs. Meanwhile, our debt soars and agencies continue to burden the daily lives of hardworking Americans, with overreach that creates a huge drag on our economy. This must stop. If families in Iowa and across the country must account for each and every dollar they spend, and do more with less, our federal government should have to do the same.

On Wednesday, I called on the House Budget Committee to adopt zero-based budgeting. Under this important reform, federal agencies would assume a budget of zero for the upcoming year and make the case to Congress for each and every dollar they propose to spend. The benefits of this approach to budgeting are two-fold. First, by accounting for each dollar, we could eliminate wasteful spending and end bloated agency budgets. Second, it would lift the veil of secrecy that hides Washington's wasteful bureaucracy and bloated regulatory machine.

Consider our economy. Families are struggling, wages and the median income are stagnant, and there are fewer opportunities out there. This year, for the first time since the recession, our annual deficit increased. Our national debt surpassed $19 trillion, and we are on the path to add another $10 trillion in debt over the next decade. We must act now, instead of leaving this burden for our children and grandchildren.

By requiring all agencies to justify their spending, mission, and goals each year, we can take the growth of federal spending off autopilot and get our soaring deficits under control. And, also as important, zero-based budgeting gives a voice to Iowans in setting agencies priorities. It would help Congress address federal agency overreach at its start, rather than fighting an uphill battle to stop the regulations that harm job creators and families after the Washington machinery is already in motion.

Iowans and all Americans deserve a more efficient and effective federal government - one that looks out for their tax dollars and gets out of the way of job creators and opportunities. Zero-based budgeting is an important step towards changing the culture in Washington and making it more accountable to hardworking families. I encourage you to read more about it in my full testimony to the House Budget Committee here.

As I work to represent Iowa's Third Congressional District, I will continue fighting for commonsense reforms like zero-based budgeting to protect your tax dollars, holding the line on wasteful spending, and seeking transparency and accountability.

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