Sens. Warner, Kaine join Republicans to call for biennial budgeting

Nearly one-quarter of the U.S. Senate, including Virginia Democrats Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, want to see Congress enact a two-year budget and appropriations process.

Chiefly sponsored by U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican from Georgia, the Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act introduced Tuesday would require the president to submit a two-year budget at the beginning of each new congressional session, according to a Senate aide. Members of Congress would then adopt a two-year budget resolution, a reconciliation bill between the two chambers' budgets if necessary and a two-year appropriations bill during the first session. The second year of a Congress would then consider the authorization bills and oversight of federal programs.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire is the original sponsor for Democrats.

The act has been referred to the Senate Budget Committee, chaired by Republican Mike Enzi of Wyoming.

Warner and Kaine, both of whom hold seats on the Budget Committee, also co-sponsored the Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act when it was introduced in last Congress, during which it died in committee.

“Twenty states, including Virginia, operate on a two-year budget cycle, so we know it works,” Warner, a new member of the Senate's Democratic leadership, said in a statement. “Budgeting on a two-year time frame is a commonsense way to provide more oversight of federal spending and a more thoughtful approach to the entire budget process.”

Warner and Kaine, whether in office or on the campaign trail, have consistently called for the Senate to enact a more regular budget process.

The Democratic-led Senate passed a budget in 2013 for the first time since 2009, but failed to agree to a regular-order, year-long spending plan in 2014.

During an interview with the Times-Mirror last month, Kaine expressed optimism that the new, Republican-majority dynamics in Washington will lead to more legislative and budgetary movement in the 114th Congress. Establishing regular order, Kaine said, will be beneficial to the greater economy.

"Hopefully, doing it for two years like states do it, the more certainty we can give to everybody, private sector and public," Kaine said, adding "it's going to be easier getting a budget deal with both [chambers] in one-party control."

Of the 23 cosponsors for this year's Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act, 15 are Republicans, seven are Democrats and one is an independent.

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