Issue Position: Fiscal Responsibility and Government Accountability

Issue Position

As a member of the Senate Budget and Finance Committees, Senator Cornyn believes that Congress must be a good steward of the taxpayers' money. The people must have confidence that Congress can allocate their hard earned dollars wisely, eliminate wasteful and redundant programs and establish clear accountability for government programs and agencies. Fiscal responsibility is the cornerstone for good governance.

Senator Cornyn continues to work in the 112th Congress to promote fiscal responsibility and government accountability:

Original cosponsor of S.J.Res. 10, the Balanced Budget Amendment: The federal government ran a $1.3 trillion deficit in fiscal year 2010, and is on track to run a $1.1 trillion dollar deficit in fiscal year 2011. For fiscal year 2012, the President submitted a budget to Congress that would run an additional $1.1 trillion deficit. The last time a Balanced Budget Amendment was considered, in 1997, the national debt was $5.4 trillion dollars. Today, it is $14.6 trillion dollars. The need for this amendment is more pressing than ever. Senator Cornyn is an original co-sponsor of the Balanced Budget Amendment. This Constitutional amendment would:

Prohibit outlays for a fiscal year (except those for repayment of debt principal) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts.

Prohibit total outlays for any fiscal year from exceeding 18% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the preceding calendar year unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess over such 18%.

Direct the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually.

Prohibit any bill from becoming law that imposes a new tax or increases the statutory rate of any tax or the aggregate amount of revenue, unless approved by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber.

Require a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber to increase the federal debt limit.
Authorize waivers of these requirements: (1) when a declaration of war is in effect against a nation-state and Congress, by a majority roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess; or (2) under other specified circumstances involving military conflict, if Congress, by a three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes such waiver.

Prohibit a federal or state court from ordering any increase in revenue to enforce this article.

Cosponsor of S. 1340, the Cut, Cap & Balance Act of 2011. This bill would immediately cut spending by $142 billion, cap spending to 2006 levels, and require Congress to consider a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution before the debt limit is increased.

Cosponsor of S. 726, the Decrease Spending Now Act. This bill rescinds $45 billion in discretionary funds that have not been spent but remain on the government's books.
Faster FOIA Act of 2011: On August 1, 2011, the Senate passed the Faster FOIA Act of 2011. Senator Cornyn is an original cosponsor of this bill. The Faster FOIA Act would establishes a Commission to:

Identify methods that will help reduce delays in processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests submitted to federal agencies;

Ensure the efficient and equitable administration of FOIA throughout the federal government;

Examine whether the system for charging fees for such requests and granting waivers of such fees needs to be reformed;

Determine why the government's use of FOIA exemptions increased during FY2009, whether the increase contributed to delays, what efforts were made by federal agencies to comply with the President's January 21, 2009, Presidential Memorandum on Freedom of Information Act Requests, whether those efforts were successful, and how the use of exemptions may be limited; and

Determine whether any disparities in processing, processing times, and completeness of responses to FOIA requestors have occurred based upon political considerations, ideological viewpoints, the identity of the requestors, affiliation with the media, or affiliation with advocacy groups, why such disparities occurred, and the extent to which political appointees have been involved in the FOIA process.

Senator Cornyn's Past Initiatives and Accomplishments Include:

Amendment to slow future income tax rate increases: While the Senate was considering the budget for fiscal year 2008, Senator Cornyn authored an amendment that would create a point of order against raising income taxes by requiring 60 votes to pass any legislation that increases income tax rates on the American people. He fought to include his bipartisan amendment in the 2008 budget and the Senate passed his amendment by a vote of 63-35, but Democrats stripped it out in the conference on the budget with the House of Representatives--despite unanimous passage of a measure instructing the Senate's negotiators to include it in the final budget.

The United States Sunset and Authorization Act of 2007 (S. 1731): In June 2007, Senator Cornyn introduced legislation that is modeled after the sunset process the state of Texas established in 1971 to identify and eliminate waste, duplication and inefficiency in government agencies. S. 1731 creates a federal "sunset" commission that will evaluate all unauthorized and nonperforming federal agencies and programs the government continues to fund.

Reforming Government Programs: In 2006 and 2007, Senator Cornyn introduced an amendment to the budget that would have reformed runaway entitlement spending, saved taxpayers billions of dollars and reduced the debt.

Stop Over-Spending (S.O.S.) Act of 2007: In May 2007, Senator Cornyn joined several of his colleagues in introducing legislation to control federal spending, reduce the deficit and curb runaway entitlement spending. The Stop Over-Spending (S.O.S.) Act of 2007 would require Congress to reduce the growth of "mandatory," or entitlement spending, if deficit targets are not met. It would also institute automatic across-the-board reductions in discretionary spending if Congress can't meet established spending caps. Also included in the comprehensive package is Senator Cornyn's 60-vote point of order against legislation that increases income taxes.

Reducing the Deficit: Supported the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) that slows down the rate the federal government spends the taxpayers' money by $100 billion over ten years. DRA was the first time that Congress had taken a hard look at ways to find savings for the American taxpayers in almost a decade.

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (P.L. 109-282): Senator Cornyn cosponsored legislation requiring the federal government to publish an easy-to-read online database of all federal spending. The Congressional Research Service estimates that federal agencies award over $830 billion dollars annually in three primary categories: $460 billion in grants, $340 billion in contracts, and $30 billion in direct loans. Taxpayers have the right to know how their tax dollars are being spent, and this website will help them track federal spending.

Reforming Government Programs: Senator Cornyn proposed a number of amendments to the budget that would have reformed runaway entitlement spending, saved taxpayers billions of dollars, and reduced the debt.

Earmark Moratorium: Senator Cornyn supported efforts to put in place a moratorium on Congressional earmarks and to establish a point-of-order against any legislation that contains an earmark.

Transparency in Government Spending: Senator Cornyn cosponsored legislation, which became law (P.L. 109-282), requiring the federal government to publish an easy-to-read online database of all federal spending. The Congressional Research Service estimates that federal agencies award over $830 billion dollars annually in three primary categories: $460 billion in grants, $340 billion in contracts, and $30 billion in direct loans. Taxpayers have the right to know how their tax dollars are being spent, and this website will help them track federal spending.

Supporting grassroots speech: Senator Cornyn cosponsored an amendment to the 2007 Ethics bill (S.1) to ensure the freedom of association and grassroots political speech protected by the First Amendment.

Reducing the Deficit: Senator Cornyn supported the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA), that slows down the rate the federal government spends the taxpayers' money by $100 billion over ten years. DRA was the first time that Congress had taken a hard look at ways to find savings for the American taxpayers in almost a decade.

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