“No Way to Run a Great Nation”
Bourdeaux Calls on Congress to Reframe the Budget Process
WASHINGTON, D.C. – [November 12, 2025]: In response to the expected end of the longest government shutdown in American history, Concord Action Executive Director Carolyn Bourdeaux issued the following statement:
“The budget of the United States of America is a mess. We often forget that the reason we had a shutdown debate in the first place was because Congress did not bother to pass a single appropriations bill on time. Zero. Meanwhile, the budget is on a clearly unsustainable path. We are spending more on interest payments than on national defense; and we have an Administration running roughshod over Congress’ constitutionally-granted power of the purse.
This is no way to run a great nation – and we will cease to be one if this continues.
Meanwhile, congressional favorability is in the toilet at 15%. We call on the leadership of the House and Senate in both parties to pull themselves together and restore some baseline institutional integrity to the budget process and by extension to Congress itself.
Congress must do three things: First, establish regular order around the budget process so that appropriations bills are passed before the end of the fiscal year. Bills like No Budget, No Pay can provide a helpful nudge in the right direction and similar initiatives have worked in other states. Second, re-establish strong PAYGO standards that ensure that new legislation does not add to the debt and that reconciliation bills reduce the deficit, not add to it. Third, establish and commit to a plan for action to balance the budget over the next decade. Legislation like the Fiscal Commission Act can help with this.”
Concord Action recently released its Policy Agenda to Restore Fiscal Responsibility with more ways Congress can get the budget process under control.
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