On the Blog: A Budget Amendment, But No Budget

Congress plans to take up a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution this week, but it hasn’t passed a budget for the current fiscal year yet.

Isn’t that like eating your dessert before your vegetables? “Well, maybe,” says a blog post entitled: “A Balanced Budget Amendment Without a Budget?”

Featured Items

This week, the bill likely to contain a new “continuing resolution” and “minibus” is H.R. 2112, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012. It is likely to contain three bills in one, covering not only agriculture spending for the rest of fiscal 2012, but also Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations, and the Transportation/HUD spending bill.

Passage of H.R. 2112 alone would cost the average U.S. family about $1,200. Spending in the three bills combined is about $3,000 per family.

The House will also take up H. J. Res. 2, a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. It would require three-fifths supermajorities in both chambers for Congress to spend more than it receives in revenues in a particular year, or to raise the debt ceiling, and it would require the president to submit a balanced budget each year.

There is no formal cost estimate for H.J. Res. 2 yet, but its passage would have little or no direct costs or savings.

H.R. 2112
The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012
Costs $1,217.47 per family

H. J. Res. 2
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States

What People Think

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 28% For, 72% Against Vote on this Bill

H. J. Res. 2 69% For, 31% Against Vote on this Bill

Displayed below are new, updated, and passed items with their cost or savings per family.

New Items

H.R. 10
The Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2011
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 306
The Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act
Costs $0.05 per family

H.R. 1556
To amend the Omnibus Indian Advancement Act to allow certain land to be used to generate income to provide funding for academic programs, and for other purposes
Costs $0.00 per family

H.R. 2830
The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011
Costs $3.34 per family

H.R. 3237
The SOAR Technical Corrections Act
Costs $0.00 per family

S. 27
The Preserve Access to Affordable Generics Act
Saves $28.32 per family

H.R. 704
The SAFE for America Act
Saves $11.15 per family

H.R. 822
The National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011
Costs $0.00 per family

Updated Items

H.R. 1254
The Synthetic Drug Control Act of 2011
Costs $0.00 per family

Passed Items

P.L. 112-45
To clarify the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior with respect to the C.C. Cragin Dam and Reservoir, and for other purposes
Costs $0.00 per family

P.L. 112-46
The Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act of 2011
Costs $0.09 per family

P.L. 112-47
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 489 Army Drive in Barrigada, Guam, as the “John Pangelinan Gerber Post Office Building”

P.L. 112-48
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 281 East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, as the “First Lieutenant Oliver Goodall Post Office Building”

P.L. 112-49
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 45 Meetinghouse Lane in Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts, as the “Matthew A. Pucino Post Office”

P.L. 112-50
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4354 Pahoa Avenue in Honolulu, Hawaii, as the “Cecil L. Heftel Post Office Building”