Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. KAINE. Madam President, today I want to discuss legislation I am introducing, the Modernizing the Federal Calendar Act.

This bill would shift the start of each fiscal year from October 1 to January 1 and, in doing so, align the deadline for appropriations with the deadline that Congress typically sees as the real target. This bill would eliminate the risk of government shutdowns in October, reduce the time spent on CRs, and lead to a higher probability of completing government funding work on time.

Congress's recurring reliance on continuing resolutions, CRs, to temporarily fund the government from the start of the fiscal year until the winter holidays poses significant challenges for Federal Agencies due to delays to contracts, grants, and hiring while operating under CRs. Even if Congress misses the December 31 deadline, changing the fiscal calendar will still yield benefits, as it will give Federal Agencies more time to enact the appropriations bills once passed and eliminate the annual uncertainty around a short-term CR in September among Agencies, government employees, and industries that rely on government operations.

In addition, Americans are forced to worry about a potential government shutdown if Congress can't reach an agreement on a year-long government funding bill or CR, creating unnecessary stress and uncertainty for the millions of Americans who work for or with the Federal Government, as well as the countless people and small businesses that rely on full-scale government operations and services. Starting the fiscal year on January 1 will not end the possibility of shutdowns, but it will eliminate need to pass a CR by October 1 to fund the government and help ensure that Congress passes government funding bills without a shutdown.

Today, as the Federal Government rapidly approaches the end of the fiscal year, I am reminded that Congress has never passed all 12 appropriations bills by the October 1 deadline during my entire time in the Senate. Since the Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 updated the start of the fiscal year from July 1 to October 1, there have only been 4 years where Congress has passed yearlong government funding bills by October 1. The last time Congress did so was for fiscal year 1997. This trend makes clear that Congress already sees the December holidays as the real deadline and that the time to improve the certainty and reliability of the appropriations process is now.

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