In just the first few weeks of 2015, conversations with folks in the First District have shown me that despite the arrival of a new Congress in Washington, Virginians remain skeptical of Congress’s ability to get things done. It is very clear that it will take more than a few new faces to convince the American people that their elected leaders are serious about achieving results. Instead, a change in the governing culture of Washington as a whole is absolutely critical to prove that Congress is capable of completing the business of this nation.
A major concern of mine is that Congress has become stuck in an unhealthy pattern in which budgets are neglected and government funding bills are put off until the last minute. Our constituents sent us here to do our jobs, and we must not procrastinate. Instead, Congress must return to a state of regular budget order, in which it passes budgets and appropriations bills on time rather than bloated, short-sighted funding bills at the eleventh hour. To that end, I began the year by introducing two pieces of legislation, which I believe will help to ensure better accountability in Washington.
The first is the No Budget, No Pay Act (H.R. 174). I believe that if members of Congress expect to be paid, we should do our jobs. This bill would prohibit members of the House or Senate from receiving pay if their respective chamber does not pass a budget by April 15, 2015. A long-term budget blueprint for the next fiscal year is absolutely critical for long-term planning, and it sets guidelines for the appropriations bills that follow. There is no reason why we can’t get this done.
I have also introduced the Stay on Schedule (S.O.S) resolution (H. Res. 17), which would change congressional rules to prohibit the House of Representatives from taking an August recess unless it has passed all regular appropriations bills to fund the government by July 31. I have consistently demanded that Congress remain in Washington to complete the business of the nation. This resolution is a commonsense measure that will get us on a path to regular budget order.
I am honored and humbled to serve the First District in the new Congress, and I am committed to bringing accountability to Washington. The No Budget, No Pay Act and the S.O.S. resolution represent the first step toward achieving that goal. I am eager to build support for these pieces of legislation, and I will work tirelessly to secure their passage.
The main streets of Virginia’s First District are full of ideas to get our economy back on track, and your feedback is critically important to me as I serve you. I can be reached by telephone at (202) 225-4261, through my website (www.wittman.house.gov), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/reprobwittman), and via Twitter (www.twitter.com/robwittman).
