North Michigan News

House Budget Committee's Oversight Task Force Chair Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) have called for budgetary oversight over the implementation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act’s (FRA) Administrative PAYGO provision. The House Republicans intended for Administrative PAYGO to rein in Executive Branch spending and bring fiscal transparency to the American public. However, the Government Accountability Office (GAO)’s initial report on Administrative PAYGO implementation revealed that the provision in its current form is not achieving these goals.

In a letter to the GAO, the House Budget Committee Republicans are seeking more information on the use of the "administrative pay-as-you-go" provision and exploring legislative actions that Congress could take to strengthen the tool. The provision was included in the debt limit law to force the administration to defray the cost of major rules and regulations.

The House Budget Committee letter also asks the GAO to determine how many rules finalized by the administration since January 2021 would fall under the pay-as-you-go provision and what estimates the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has provided for determining compliance with the provision. This provision has been in place since 2005, with both the Bush and Obama administrations employing it at various times.

Former President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2019 to reinvigorate the pay-as-you-go practice, which was begun under the Bush administration. However, President Joe Biden repealed the Trump pay-as-you-go rule soon after taking office.

The House Budget Committee's letter to the GAO also requests information on the number of rules that would qualify under the current Administrative PAYGO provision since President Biden's inauguration and any estimates detailing the OMB's projections for the economically significant or major rules since the FRA was enacted.

The House Budget Committee and Oversight Task Force are committed to conducting investigative oversight to ensure that Congress is not being circumvented and that the federal government is promoting fiscal responsibility. They aim to strengthen the Administrative PAYGO provision, which has been undermined by the Biden administration's extensive spending through executive actions. In just three years, the Biden administration has spent over $1.5 trillion through executive actions, including student loan bailouts, increases in the Thrifty Food Plan, the new Income Drive Repayment (IDR) plan, and expansions of Medicaid.

The Oversight Task Force will continue to raise awareness of President Biden's expansion of the federal government and the reckless spending that poses a threat to the future generations of America. They have released a report titled "Looking at the Numbers: Biden's Big Government," which examines the growth of federal government spending throughout Biden's tenure. Additionally, they have provided a whistleblower portal and oversight submission page for individuals to report any wrongdoing concerning federal spending and fiscal management.

Through their efforts, Bergman and Arrington aim to ensure that budgetary oversight is implemented over the Administrative PAYGO provision, promoting fiscal responsibility and preventing excessive spending by the federal government.

To learn more, click on this link: https://bergman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1164