The August work period, four weeks for the Senate, five for the House, is the longest stretch of time during the year that members are away from Washington. So what?
The so-what is that year after year they either can’t remember the disaster of the previous year or they just don’t care. September will be a complete failure and if history tells us anything it will also be a disaster for the country they are there to serve.
CONGRESS’ MISSION
The U.S. Constitution states that “No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law…” This is what gives Congress the “power of the purse.”
Given Congress ’priorities, first and foremost, they must produce annual spending allocations in accordance with the President’s budget proposal. The on-going budget/allocation process is for fiscal year 2026 beginning on 1 October 2025.
THE ANNUAL BUDGE/ALLOCATION TIMELINE
Title III of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 establishes a specific timetable for the congressional budget process. Here are five key suspense dates from that law.
- First Monday in February: “The President submits his/her budget to Congress.” Here is the first problem. It is unlikely that a newly inaugurated president will have reviewed and approved the months of work by the Office of Management and Budget and have it ready to submit to Congress two weeks after the inaguration. Why has this not been changed in the past 50 years? Biden sent his first budget to Congress on 27 May, 2021 and Trump’s was sent on 2 May 2025.
- 15 February; “Congressional Budget Office submits report to Budget Committees.”
- 15 April: “Congress completes action on the current resolution on the budget.”
What is “resolution”? The House and Senate budget process involves both chambers creating a budget resolution that outlines spending, revenue and deficit targets for the federal government for a specified period.
Comment: Congressional ineptitude begins to negatively impact the budget process because they choose to disregard protocols and standards. For example, in six of the seven fiscal years, 2014-2020, Congress never adopted a formal budget resolution at all. This indiscipline represents the beginning of the downfall of the entire annual budget process.
- 15 May: “Annual appropriation bill may be considered in the House.
- 30 June: “House completes action on annual appropriations bills.” That is not a suggestion, that is the law; completely ignored by every leader in Congress.
THE 12 APPROPRIATIONS BILLS
- Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and related agencies.
- State, Foreign Operations and related programs.
- Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and related agencies.
- Legislative Branch.
- Labor, Health and Human Services, Education.
- Homeland Security.
- Financial Services and General Government.
- Energy and Water Development and related agencies
- Defense.
- Commerce, Justice, Science and related agencies.
- Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration
- Interior, Environment and related agencies.
As of July 25, 2025 the House has approved 9 of 12 bills out of committee and has passed 2 of 12 appropriations bills on the floor. The Senate has approved 6 of 12 bills out of committee but none have been considered on the floor. Neither Chamber will be in session during August.
What is the likelihood of passing the 12 appropriations bills by 30 September? History tells us, “Slim and none and Slim just left town.”
HISTORY OF CONGRESS’ INEPTITUDE
- The Pew Research Center and the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget have verified, “Congress completed appropriations before the start of the fiscal year only four times in the past 40 years. The last time Congress completed all bills on time was in 1996.”
- Following passage of all appropriation bill on time Sept. 30, 1996, “from Sept 1997 through Sept 2024 Congress has not passed more than five of its 12 regular appropriations bills on time.”
- Congress has passed continuing resolutions to keep government agencies running between budgets, “In all but four of the last 40 years.”
CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS
Failure to pass the appropriation bills on time results in passing continuing resolutions (CRs) or shutting down the government. Congress has used CRs in 45 of the 49 fiscal years, 1976-2025. In FY 2013 a full-year CR covered 7 of the 12 budget appropriations. This is unacceptable institutionalized irresponsibility and ineptitude. The system is seriously broken because of the failure of the senior leaders, House Speaker, Senate Majority Leader and Appropriations Committee Chairpersons.
Continuing Resolutions generally continue the previous year’s appropriations at the same levels. Therein lays a huge problem.
Just for a moment consider the John Q. Public family around the kitchen table discussing their next year’s budget. Dad, “It’s a relief that we no longer have a monthly car payment.” Mom, “Yes, it is but we are going to have to find additional savings with the twins starting college this fall.” Etc. etc. The illustrative point is that there can/will be significant changes that will make perhaps huge differences in what the budget is to do for/to the family.
When the Congress is forced to pass perhaps multiple continuing resolutions, they are likely wasting tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars by continuing to “make the monthly car payment” when it is not required. Additionally, the continuing resolution will not address/fund critical issues the country needs and was expecting to get (tuition for the twins). Again, hundreds of billions of dollars are involved. The most serious situation is when an entire fiscal year budget is covered by a CR. This has happened 15 times since 1977. Congressional ineptitude and lack of accountability is not a new phenomenon.
CRs have become a regular tool for Congress, which repeatedly struggles to complete the annual appropriations process on time: Congress has enacted at least one CR in all but three of the past 47 fiscal years. From 2010 to 2022, policymakers passed 47 continuing resolutions ranging in duration from one to 176 days. From FY1998 to FY2023, an average of five CRs were enacted each fiscal year and as many as 21 were implemented in a single fiscal year, 2001. In the 21st century, Congress has used CRs to provide funding for federal agencies for an average of five months each fiscal year, though lawmakers have also passed full-year CRs.
Continuing resolutions are a too-often a crutch that Congress uses to cover for it failed organization and failed products that are required by the Constitution in general and more specifically by law.
Also consider that passage of a CR is not a given. All funding measures, including Continuing Resolutions, need 60 votes in the Senate for passage. There are no guarantees right now of Democrat support in that they have demonstrated they would rather cast against anything President Trump wants/needs than one for the greater good of the country.
CONCLUSIONS
First of all, the members need to think about serving in Congress as a full-time job. From 2001 to 2018, the Senate spent an average of 165 days in session each year and the House spent an average of 140 days in session; less than three days average per week.
The Congressional leadership have, for decades, disregarded the timelines directed in the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. There is no reason to believe they will not do it again this year.
Congress has used CRs in 40 of the last 44 fiscal years. In FY 2013 a full-year CR covered 7 of the 12 appropriations. It has been 23 years since all of the appropriations bills were passed prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. In the past 43 years there have been an average of 4.6 CRs per fiscal year. This is what one would call unacceptable institutionalized ineptitude. And when we look today at their priorities, they are all on a month-long vacation instead of working the 12 appropriations bills.
One could conclude that our Congress is a classic example of the old saying, “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you always got.”.
Disregard for any semblance of discipline or accountability by our Congress is leading them down the path of needlessly wasting taxpayer money and completely failing in their specific mission.
BOTTOM LINE
An organization without a pillar of accountability is unlikely to have a culture of respect and trust. And without that the organization will fail. Our Congress is a failed operational organization in so many respects to include producing an annual budget.
An organization that takes the same unsuccessful path year after year is a failed organization.
An organization’s leaders who cannot learn from their failed past are not fit for continued duty.
An organization that continues decade after decade to attempt to operate without a set of operational standards is a failed organization.
Am I being too harsh? Well, let’s see what the American people think:
Since 1973 Gallop has published the results of an annual poll which seeks to list, in order, the organizations in which we-the-people have confidence. The results from June 2024: “A Great Deal/Quite a Lot of confidence” in Congress, 5% and 57% “Very Little/No Confidence.” Of all the institutions considered, Congress is dead last.
In a survey of the most/least respected professions, Congress is dead last. “Low/very low respect” 58%, “high/very high respect” 8%.
How did Congress do in a published survey on honesty and ethical standards? You guessed correctly, Congress is again dead last.
Given what we-the-people think about Congress, one would expect the Congressional leadership to at least consider institutionalizing some positive changes.
The official Congressional 2025 calendar shows 14 work-days in September. Does anyone believe we will have a completed budget by 30 September? It’s likely déjà vu all over again.
Final thoughts: if those in Congress believe they must have an entire month off every year, what about February?
Also, should we seriously look at the pros and cons of publishing a budget every two years?
Fixing Congress is not rocket science. An entire concept of operations to do so was recently published on this website. It is 10-pages long, answers the who/what/when/where/why/how, could be installed in about 30 days, will not cost taxpayers a dime and can potentially lead us into being a balanced budget nation.