Lummis introduces an amendment to establish a commission on fiscal responsibility and budget reform
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) demanded the federal government rein in spending by introducing an amendment to the omnibus appropriations package (H.R. 2617), theConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. The amendment, based on Sen. Lummis’s Sustainable Budget Act, would create a national commission on fiscal responsibility and reform like the Simpson-Bowles Commission created in 2010, which was co-chaired by former Wyoming Senator and Majority Whip Alan Simpson. She also cosponsored an amendment to remove all funding for Congressional pet projects or earmarks in the bill.
On the amendment, Senator Lummis said, “People across Wyoming have deep concerns about the amount of debt that our country continues to accumulate with no plan to pay it back. Our economy is on an unsustainable trajectory and we are mortgaging the prosperity of future generations of Americans because of our addiction to spending. It is time to seriously address this budget crisis and find solutions. I implore my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment.”
The commission created by the Sustainable Budget Act would consist of 18 members chosen by the President, the Speaker of the House, the House minority leader, and Senate majority and minority leaders. They would be tasked with creating a bipartisan plan to reduce the deficit and balance the federal budget within 10 years.
Lummis also cosponsored Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R-WI) amendment to the omnibus bill that would remove all earmarks from the legislation. “Amidst record high inflation, Congress should not be funding its members’ pet projects. We need to cut government spending to try to get inflation under control, and this starts with eliminating unnecessary earmarks from the omnibus,” said Sen. Lummis.
The national debt currently sits at $31 trillion. The Congressional Budget Office has raised the alarm, warning that our net interest costs will exceed other mandatory spending by 2030 and surpass spending for Social Security by 2045.
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