Ban the Weaponizing of the Federal Budget
I don’t usually use this space for political disputes. I much prefer to talk about my passion for art and archaeology. But our government is out of control. During the recent shutdown, thousands of families were put at severe financial risk. The US economy has lost $6 billion in what is already a very tenuous economic climate, given the trade wars and the slowdown in economic activity in Europe and China.
And why is this? Answer: because our elected leaders use the Federal budget process as political leverage. As Brian Riedl writes, the current budget process has been subject to 30 years of abuse and loopholes from lawmakers and the executive branch, hoping to exploit its structural flaws.
As citizens, we cannot remain idle while our elected officials betray the principles of the Constitution and the very purpose for which they were sent to Washington D.C. to begin with. As in medicine, the guiding principle of government should be: above all, cause no harm.
So I have started a petition drive to urge Congress to adopt a simple rule: if Congressional parties cannot agree on a government budget, or if the President refuses to sign a Congressional budget, the government will continue to function by default at the previous budget level, until a new budget agreement is reached. In order to incentivize lawmakers to come to an agreement quickly, that budget should then be reduced by at least 1–2%, every 90 days.
It’s a very simple concept, but one that every sane organization uses to avoid disruption to its ongoing operations.
This is not a liberal or a conservative cause; it’s a matter of common sense. Lawmakers on both sides of the isle realize the terrible damage that these shutdowns produce, and want to act on it, as The New York Times recently reported. But in a divided, gridlock Congress, they need our support.
If you agree, please share this with friends, family and colleagues, and sign the petition at ChangeOrg using this link: http://chng.it/9KbzzJQ4Cd
Together, we can heal this country and bring sanity to our government. And with my next post, we will return to the wonderful world of art, and specifically the genius of Leonardo da Vinci.
