1.6: Emergency Spending
STOP THE ABUSE OF EMERGENCY SPENDING. Other Information:
In limited situations, some emergency costs may be necessary. However, such spending must be subject to far greater accountability
and transparency that it is today. Too often, Congress uses the emergency designation as a loophole to get around fiscal restraints.
The Commission proposes several steps to make sure the emergency designation is used only for true emergencies. Congress should
codify a strict, clear legal definition of emergency, such as the one used by the Office of Management and Budget. Both houses
should only use the emergency designation to address urgent needs for costs that cannot be reasonably offset. Further, Congress
should designate each emergency provision individually and discontinue the practice of using global designations. In the Senate,
an emergency designation would be in order only if (1) the proposed cost is certified as an emergency by the Senate Budget
Committee, pursuant to this definition; and (2) a point of order against the designation, if raised on the Senate floor, is
waived by at least a three-fifths majority. The House would require designation either from the Budget Committee or through
a separate, non-amendable vote. Costs not designated as emergency would be subject to discretionary spending caps, statutory
PAYGO, and any other enforceable budgetary limits agreed by Congress, such as the Commission's proposed debt stabilization
process.
Indicator(s):
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