Pushing through last-minute omnibus bills, such as the $1.2 trillion spending package announced Thursday, is a “cram-down” tactic that undermines accountability, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., told Newsmax.
Perry lamented the lack of adherence to constitutional principles in the budgeting process Thursday on “Rob Schmitt Tonight.”
“We fought hard in January to make sure that we got back to a process where the American people could see how their tax dollars are being spent,” Perry said.
“But let’s just say we could agree on the top line. And then we have these individual spending bills, so that if you don’t want to vote for something because it’s too much spending or spending on the wrong things, you can just vote no on that without shutting the government down,” he added.
Legislators unveiled the spending package early Thursday, paving the way to avert a partial government shutdown. The measure enables Congress, nearly six months into the fiscal year, to finalize funding for government operations through September.
Perry highlighted the absence of a comprehensive budgeting approach, citing the failure to pass individual spending bills since 1996. He criticized the prevalent practice of last-minute omnibus bills, which he described as a “cram-down” tactic that undermines accountability.
“The cake is already baked,” Perry said, referring to the predetermined outcome of the spending bill. “That’s why they’re going to suspend the rules and just jam this through in the morning, because the cake has already been baked.”
Expressing concern over including numerous earmarks in the bill, Perry questioned the relevance of certain expenditures to federal responsibilities. He urged constituents to scrutinize the allocation of funds and evaluate their alignment with the federal government’s role.
“We’re not saying that maybe some of these programs — maybe even a lot of these programs — don’t deserve a look or funding,” Perry said. “But the question that constituents, my bosses, and the people … watching your program gotta ask themselves: ‘What does this have to do with the federal government?’”
Perry acknowledged the difficulty of opposing the bill, but emphasized the importance of fiscal restraint. He criticized the expansion of government spending, drawing attention to the ballooning national debt.
“It is difficult. And representatives have to actually acknowledge that we’re bankrupting the country, and these things should not be paid for out of the federal budget,” Perry said.
He referenced the disparity between current proposed spending levels and past Republican opposition, noting the substantial increase in funding compared to previous allocations.
“Tomorrow, we will be voting on $30 billion more than [former House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi got and a year and a half ago. Every single Republican voted against what she got,” Perry said.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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