Show t I Congress on budget control The House and Senate are now working on a bill to give Congress more power over the Federal budget Proponents of the measure claim the White House now controls the budget and such control rightfully belongs in Congress The bill would set up budget committees in the House and the Sena Senate te which would consider the annual budget as a whole An overall spending program would be drawn up and the total would be divided among 14 categories such as defense agriculture and welfare Each of the budget committees would report a concurrent resolution April 15 containing the targets for the next fiscal year They would have to be passed by May 15 and would be used a guidelines for the appropriations bills On September 15 another resolution would be acted upon to adjust the initial overall figures to any changes in the economy If the appropriations passed exceeded the ceilings set for the 14 categories another resolution would be proposed for action by September 25 to make cutbacks The measure under consideration also provides curbs on the presidential power to impound funds authorized by Congress To carry out this program the legislation provides a budget office for Congress The question arises as to whether this gigantic turnabout in the handling of the budget by Congress will reduce the public debt stop pork barrel appropriation bills or save the taxpayer a single penny We do not believe it will The White House usually has a lot to say about the budget so has Congress It is part of the balance of power provided in our Constitution We cant can't see where adding two new committees in Congress and setting up upa a second Budget Bureau is going to help matters at all We suggest rather that Congress stop playing politics with the taxpayers taxpayer's money and cooperate with the Executive Branch of the government to bring the cost of the Federal government to a sensible figure |