Budget Process Enhancement Act
Sponsored By: Representative Biggs (AZ)
Introduced
Summary
This bill would rewrite how the federal budget baseline is calculated by removing inflation adjustments and excluding emergency and supplemental funding from baseline growth. It would also create new pay-escrow and enforcement rules aimed at forcing timely presidential and congressional budget actions.
Show full summary
- Would change Section 257(c) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (BBEDCA) to strike inflation adjustments, repeal related paragraphs, and explicitly bar any adjustment for inflation or other factors. That exclusion would also remove emergency-designated resources and supplemental appropriations from the baseline, producing a baseline that does not grow with inflation.
- Would place Member salaries into escrow if a FY2026 budget resolution is not agreed to by April 15, 2025. Escrow would run from April 16, 2025 until adoption of a concurrent budget resolution for FY2026 or the last day of the 118th Congress.
- Would require the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Inspector General to, within 3 days after the President's budget is due each year, determine whether the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) complied with budget submission law and notify congressional budget and appropriations chairs. If noncompliance is found, no Treasury funds could be used to pay the OMB Director, the OMB Deputy Director, or the Deputy Director for Management during the noncompliance period, and those officials could not receive retroactive pay.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Congress pay withheld without FY2026 budget
If enacted, Members’ pay in any chamber that misses the deadline would go into escrow. If a chamber has not agreed to an FY2026 budget by April 15, 2025, escrow would start April 16, 2025. It would end when that chamber adopts the budget or on the last day of the 118th Congress. Taxes and other withholdings would still be taken. Any balance would be released on the last day of the 118th Congress. Delegates and the Resident Commissioner would be included.
OMB leaders' pay blocked for noncompliance
If enacted, the OPM Inspector General would check each year, within 3 days after the President’s budget is due, whether the OMB Director and the President followed budget law. If the IG finds noncompliance, the OMB Director and two deputies would not be paid during that period and could not receive that pay later. The IG would notify the budget and appropriations chairs in both chambers. These rules would take effect upon enactment.
No inflation or emergency funds in baseline
If enacted, the bill would change how the federal budget baseline is set. It would not count money marked as an emergency or provided in supplemental bills. It would also ban any inflation or other adjustments. This could lower projected baseline growth and change how Congress scores future spending and revenues.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Biggs (AZ)
AZ • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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