House Budget Committee adopts rules and oversight plan for 119th Congress
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Summary
The House Committee on the Budget held its organizational meeting, adopted committee rules and an oversight plan by voice vote, introduced new members and opened the term with bipartisan appeals to address federal debt and the budget process.
The House Committee on the Budget adopted its committee rules and an oversight plan for the 119th Congress during an organizational meeting, the panel’s leaders announced Tuesday.
The committee voted by voice to adopt the chairman’s mark as the committee rules and later adopted the oversight plan after unanimous-consent procedures and motions by Representative Lloyd Smucker (Pa.). The chair said the minority had raised no objections to either measure.
The measures matter because the committee rules set the panel’s internal procedures consistent with House rules, and the oversight plan outlines topics the committee intends to examine this Congress, including supervising the Congressional Budget Office, the chair said.
The meeting began with opening remarks stressing collegiality and fiscal priorities. The chair said the panel has maintained "professionalism, civility, [and] mutual respect," adding that bipartisan cooperation produced 17 bills out of the committee in the last Congress and that "the nickels and dimes add up on making the budget process, which is completely dysfunctional." The ranking member, identified in the transcript as Mr. Boyle, echoed the emphasis on civility and warned about the national debt, saying the nation’s fiscal projections are "frightening" and that debt dynamics can move "slowly at first, and then all at once."
Representative Smucker moved the motions to adopt the committee rules and the oversight plan. Both motions were decided by voice vote. The chair announced, "In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it," and declared each measure adopted. The committee also authorized printing a compilation of laws and rules related to the congressional budget process and allowed staff to make technical conforming or stylistic changes to the adopted documents; the chairman was authorized to submit the rules for printing in the Congressional Record and to transmit the oversight plan to House Administration and Oversight and Government Reform.
As part of a procedural announcement required by House rules, the committee’s rules included a provision about holding regular meetings on the second Wednesday of each month; the chair said the committee’s notice pursuant to committee rule 3 that "all regular meetings for the 119th are canceled," and added that members will be notified of additional and special meetings as customary. One member asked for clarification aloud about whether regular future meetings had been canceled; the chair said scheduling going forward would "depend on further consideration by the chairman."
The chair introduced several new Republican members on the committee, including Marlon Stutzman (Ind.), Jay O'Byrnolte, Mike Carey, Andrew Clyde, Aaron Houchin, Addison McDowell, Brandon (last name not specified), and Tim Moore. The ranking member introduced new Democratic members including Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.), Stacey Plaskett, Veronica Escobar (Texas), Marcy Kaptur, Paul Tonko (N.Y.), Morgan McGarvey (Ky.) and Gabe Amo (R.I.).
The meeting concluded after completion of the scheduled organizational business. The chair said the committee looks forward to working with "everybody and having a great Congress," and then adjourned.
