Sen. Steve Daines wants lawmakers to pass a balanced budget resolution, and if they can’t, they’ll go without pay.
Mr. Daines, Montana Republican, introduced legislation that gives Congress until April 15 to pass a balanced budget. If lawmakers miss that deadline, their pay will be terminated and held in an escrow account until a balanced resolution is passed.
“Under Biden’s administration the national debt soared and inflation hammered Montana families. As we enter a new Congress with a Republican majority in the Senate and get our economy back on track, it’s past time we bring fiscal sanity back to Washington,” Mr. Daines said in a statement. “If Congress can’t do its job and pass a balanced budget, members shouldn’t get paid.”
The senator has introduced a similar version of the Balanced Budget Accountability Act each new session of Congress since 2013. When he first pushed Congress to commit to the annual budget process, the nation’s debt sat at $16.7 trillion. It has since skyrocketed to over $36 trillion.
His effort this time is particularly timely, given Congress’ focus on pushing President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda through the budget reconciliation process.
Using reconciliation lets Republicans avoid a Democratic filibuster in the Senate, which could keep key components of Mr. Trump’s agenda, including legislation on border security, energy and cutting taxes, from passing.
Lawmakers first must pass a budget resolution to lay the framework for the reconciliation package that includes topline spending numbers in order to move ahead with their ambitious plan to cram much of Mr. Trump’s policy desires into the first few months of his presidency.
Lawmakers are still trying to hammer out whether they will move with one colossal bill or split up legislation into two smaller packages. House Republicans are more partial to the single-bill track, while the Senate GOP prefers two bills.
Mr. Trump said he prefers one “big beautiful bill,” but told Senate Republicans in a meeting on Wednesday that he would be fine with either approach as long as the result is getting his legislative agenda across the finish line.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.