Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., a member of the House Financial Services Committee, told Newsmax on Friday it's time Congress returns to a traditional, committee-centered process of lawmaking, known as regular order, instead of relying on continuing resolutions and bloated omnibus packages to fund the federal government.
Congress has passed all of its 12 required appropriations measures on time just four times since the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 set up the current system: 1977, 1989, 1995, and 1997, according to Pew Research. Under the act, the president is supposed to propose a budget by the first Monday in February, which is Feb. 3 this year, and the process is supposed to be completed by June 30.
"Working together and going and following a regular order actually makes the process a much better process," Stutzman told "The Chris Salcedo Show." "Unfortunately, because of the problems that we have in CR activity and just continuing resolutions, it's been years since we've actually followed regular order."
Stutzman was first elected to represent Indiana's 3rd Congressional District in 2010 and served three terms before resigning in 2016 to run for one of the state's U.S. Senate seats. He lost in the GOP primary to Todd Young, who went on to win the general election and continues to serve.
Last year, Stutzman ran again for his former seat in the House and won after it was vacated by Jim Banks, who won the state's other Senate seat.
"I didn't even see [regular order] when I was here after I was elected in 2010," Stutzman said. "But Congress has just continued to operate this way, and we've got to stop it. We've got to break this cycle and get back to regular order.
"It's always amazing when you follow the rules that were outlined at the very beginning, it's amazing how good things happen."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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