by Mark Green
The power of the purse was entrusted to Congress by our Founders under Article I in the U.S. Constitution. The members of the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives have proven themselves to be unworthy of this trust. In order to fund the government, reasonable spending bills must be put forward.
Instead, the refusal of House Democrats to understand the necessity of efficiency and proper budget operations has forced Congress to rely on a bailout in the form of a continuing resolution. Yes, both parties are guilty of dropping the ball when it comes to spending, but we absolutely cannot afford to continue to do so.
25 fiscal years of continuing resolutions
Now that President Joe Biden has signed the continuing resolution into law, we are entering our 25th fiscal year under a continuing resolution to avoid a catastrophic government shutdown.
Time and again, Congress has failed in its duty to deliver a timely budget. For essential functions such as the military, this means that Congress isn’t only neglecting its constitutional obligation of appropriations, but also keeping the federal government from fulfilling one of its most important responsibilities: to “provide for the common defense.”
By habitually relying on continuing resolutions, services of the Department of Defense are being halted each year, threatening the safety of my brothers and sisters on the front lines and putting America at risk in a time of heightened global tension and rising national security threats.
Every year that Congress fails to produce a full defense budget, the Department of Defense reports multiple losses that slow weapon development and manufacturing. For example, in fiscal year 208 alone, the department saw a delay in over 75 weapons programs. This trend continued, with fiscal year 2020 bringing damages to important projects such as hypersonic weapons and helicopter training. Just last year, the lack of a proper budget brought on significant cuts to the military’s W93 warhead program. Continuing resolutions cause irrevocable damage to our military and deeply jeopardize our national security.
Continuing resolutions prevent our military from developing long-term defense plans and crucial strategies to protect American safety. Without the passage of full-year appropriations, programs set to begin in the new fiscal year must be put on hold.