Senator Marshall Releases Statement On President Biden Missing Federal Budget Deadline

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. released the following statement after President Biden missed the Presidential Budget deadline for the fourth year in a row. Last year, Senator Marshall introduced two bills aimed at enforcing the executive budget deadlines. 

“Today, Joe Biden is supposed to submit his Budget to Congress for 2025, but for the 9th consecutive year, the Executive Branch has failed to meet this deadline. The Budget Act of 1974 requires the President to submit their budget to Congress by the first Monday in February. By failing to abide by this law, top-down budgeting delays have resulted in stop-gap funding measures and massive Omnibus packages becoming standard operating procedure, landing our country in a historic national debt crisis,” Senator Marshall said. “This blatant disrespect for our laws and failure to meet funding deadlines is a major driver of the public’s distrust in Washington, D.C. Because of this, we are still operating under last fiscal year’s budget more than four months into this fiscal year. It’s past time that both parties realize deadlines are not suggestions when it comes to addressing our national debt crisis- they are set for a reason. As a result of Washington’s dysfunction, hard working Americans and future generations will get stuck with crippling debt. This is unsustainable; we must change course.”

Background on The Budget Control Act of 1974:

• The Budget Control Act of 1974 was the last major overhaul of the federal budgeting process. Setting statutory timelines that the Executive and Congressional branches of government must meet, among other provisions. 
• The effectiveness of the Act has been periodically questioned, especially during times of significant budget deficits and fiscal crises.
• The lack of enforcement mechanisms have led to a culture in Washington where missed deadlines are not only tolerated, but expected.
• This absence of accountability for missing deadlines often results in last-minute, crisis-driven decision-making, producing rushed and poorly scrutinized legislation like including large omnibus spending bills.