Lubbock Times

The House of Representatives has advanced the Increasing Baseline Updates Act, known as H.R. 9716, to the Senate with unanimous support. Sponsored by Representative Blake Moore (R-UT), the legislation passed the House Budget Committee with a bipartisan vote of 32-0 on September 25, 2024, and received full approval in the House by a recorded vote of 407-0.

House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) expressed support for the bill, emphasizing its role in addressing budgetary challenges. “We can’t get our fiscal house in order, responsibly steward taxpayers’ treasure, and address our national debt without fixing our broken budget process, which is exactly what Rep. Blake Moore’s legislative reform will help us achieve,” he stated.

Representative Moore highlighted public backing for efforts to reduce federal spending. “Americans have made it abundantly clear that they welcome the Trump Administration’s efforts to rein in wasteful federal spending and lower our crippling national debt," said Moore. He further noted that the act "will help this critical initiative by enhancing Congress’s ability to make informed decisions during the budgeting process with more consistently updated data from the Congressional Budget Office."

The legislation aims to improve government efficiency by requiring consistency from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) when releasing baseline updates annually. This measure is intended to provide Congress with current information on relevant budget and economic analyses while codifying practices used before 2020.

H.R. 9716 is seen as a response to concerns over national fiscal sustainability, with U.S. debt surpassing $36 trillion. The bill seeks to enhance transparency and accountability within the congressional budget process.

Further details on previous initiatives related to budget process reforms are available from the House Budget Committee.