Canadian Politics Today

Beyond Canada => American Politics => Topic started by: Super Colin Blow on January 26, 2019, 05:35:23 pm

Title: The budget: a constitutional flaw
Post by: Super Colin Blow on January 26, 2019, 05:35:23 pm
The founding fathers assumed that Congress would be the "purse of the community". They never intended for the president to have the kind of power over the budgetary process that he does today. They didn't foresee "budget showdowns" such as the one going on now. They have been happening for years, and we (and federal civil servants) anticipate the new year with apprehension and uncertainty.

The state constitutions are more recent than the federal (1787), and contain clauses that the members of the Philadelphia convention hadn't thought of. For instance, a specific budgetary process that prevents a party, or the state legislature, or the governor, from holding the state (and its money) hostage until they can all agree. Maryland's constitution explains a specific and inviolable budget process that prevents in Annapolis what happens frequently in Washington.

The obvious solution to this problem would be either a law or constitutional amendment to clear it up. Airtight. So that this can never happen again.

Thoughts?

[btw, how exactly do they do the budget in Canada?]
Title: Re: The budget: a constitutional flaw
Post by: waldo on January 26, 2019, 07:28:23 pm
Stop STUPIDITY (Shutdowns Transferring Unnecessary Pain and Inflicting Damage In The Coming Years) Act (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sen-mark-warner-introduces-stop-stupidity-act-aimed-at-preventing-future-shutdowns/2019/01/22/2bafc150-1e82-11e9-8e21-59a09ff1e2a1_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.99fc929d263e)
Title: Re: The budget: a constitutional flaw
Post by: Omni on January 26, 2019, 07:56:47 pm
Stop STUPIDITY (Shutdowns Transferring Unnecessary Pain and Inflicting Damage In The Coming Years) Act (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sen-mark-warner-introduces-stop-stupidity-act-aimed-at-preventing-future-shutdowns/2019/01/22/2bafc150-1e82-11e9-8e21-59a09ff1e2a1_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.99fc929d263e)

And of course there the Stop RIDICULOUS (Reign In Demanding Idiotic Choices Using Laws Of United States) act.
Title: Re: The budget: a constitutional flaw
Post by: Super Colin Blow on January 26, 2019, 10:02:52 pm
Hilarious.

But of course this hasn't been the first budget related government shutdown and it won't be the last. Amending the constitution to add a budget article would work best, but of course that is unlikely: it's not that easy to amend.