The Constitution requires that each Congress passes a budget and charges the House of Representative with initiating this process. This clearly keeps the representatives of the people as the primary economic overseers of Federal spending.
The decision not to follow this requirement of the Constitution and to instead pass "Continuing Resolutions" in effect circumvents this essential function of the House. Federal Budgets have a two-year maximum (specifically for military purposes) and generally provide only a one-year funding of any given aspect of the Federal Government. Taken to its strictest interpretation there are in fact no on-going Federal programs or benefits because without specific funding for any of them every program will cease and terminate within the end of its budget cycle - typically October 1st to September 30th.
A Continuing Resolution bypasses the fiscal responsibility of Congress to vote to continue every distinct program that it chooses to. It prevents the natural pressure toward that responsibility - termination of the funded program. If the program is of true value and meets of the test of providing for the General Welfare (meaning all of the citizens, not individuals, minorities or even majorities) then there will be public pressure to continue to fund the program. If any program does not meet this requirement then it no longer is serving the public's interest and should immediately be discontinued at the Federal level (if it serves the needs of any States or of private citizens, then of course those governments or organizations could take on responsibility of funding and providing those services).
The proper response to not having directly funded any aspect of Federal Government is for that program to cease and terminate with no expectation of the affected employees returning to the same work.
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