Q&A with Sen. Chuck Grassley

Q: What’s your take on the budgeting process in Washington?

A: It’s broken. As a taxpayer watchdog and ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, I continuously look for ways to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure the government is working effectively for the American people. As Congress approaches the end of the fiscal year, lawmakers are chewing over annual spending bills that fund government operations - including federal agencies, the military, and the judiciary – and a number of federal programs. This funding is referred to as discretionary spending because it must be approved by Congress each year. That pot of money accounts for less than one-third of the federal pie. Roughly 10 percent is eaten up by net interest to service the national debt and the rest is mandatory as it is spent without congressional action pursuant to previously enacted laws. Mandatory spending consists of some of the largest government programs, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and unemployment. All told, the annual federal budget has grown to over $6 trillion, up nearly $2 trillion since 2019.

As I’ve said many times and most recently on the Senate floor, the federal budgeting process is broken. Indeed, Congress has failed to pass the 12 appropriations bills on time or stay within budget for decades. For the past two years, Congress has failed to complete action on a single individual appropriations bill. This lack of fiscal discipline is wrong and puts the American taxpayer on the hook for reckless budgeting decisions that bundle trillions of dollars together into one massive, must-pass spending bill that shields wasteful spending from proper scrutiny. The annual spending cliffhangers bring unnecessary uncertainty to the economy and impacts services for the American people. At my county meetings, Iowans share their frustrations about the lack of accountability and the lack of fiscal discipline that’s racked up an unprecedented $33 trillion national debt. I’m not giving up my fight for fiscal responsibility and government accountability on behalf of hardworking Iowans who have to stick to a budget to pay their taxes, pay their bills and make ends meet.

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley has represented Iowa in the U.S. Senate since 1981.