Boyle Opening Statement at Markup of H.R. 9716, H.R. 9751, H.R. 9714, H.R. 9711, H.R. 8068, and H.R. 9686

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Pennsylvania Congressman Brendan F. Boyle, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, delivered opening remarks at a Budget Committee markup of H.R. 9716, H.R. 9751, H.R. 9714, H.R. 9711, H.R. 8068, and H.R. 9686.

(Click for video of remarks as delivered)

Ranking Member Boyle on today’s markup:

“While I appreciate the sincere work that some folks have done on these bills, I think today is a missed opportunity.”

“I am not interested in bills that in my view, and I think in the view of many of us on this side of the aisle, blame the non-partisan government employees of the Congressional Budget Office for failures that are actually the failures of Congress. That are the failures of this institution to do its job.”

Ranking Member Boyle’s full remarks as delivered:

Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. And, based on what you said, let me start off in a way I didn't plan to. I would say that our first day here, you as Chair, me as Ranking Member in January last year, you set the tone immediately. And I followed up, in my speech that we would be doing serious work in this committee.

I said that there are certain areas in the House where it's a place more appropriate for food fights and the silly nonsense that gets covered a lot, but this wouldn't be one of them. And I can say even with disagreements that we may have substantively, including on some bills today, you have lived up to that and I deeply appreciate it and working with you.

And that will continue, I am highly confident, in the months and years ahead in this committee. Now, moving into more of why we're here for this markup. While I appreciate the sincere work that some folks have done on these bills, I think today is a missed opportunity.

I would point to the bill, and the Chairman was kind to call it my bill, I would say it was our bill, the CBO Data Sharing Act. That is the first win for this committee in how many years, Mr. Chairman? A bill, as he just pointed out, with the both of us as lead co-sponsors that unanimously passed this committee, unanimously passed the House, just passed the Senate unanimously, and will soon be signed into law by this President.

Other bills have also been passed out of this committee, including by the way with Republicans as sponsors, but a lot of bipartisan support. I was hoping that today could have been a bipartisan markup and am disappointed that we have six bills on the docket, all of which are coming from the Republican side.

So I hope at least in the future that we will be able to get back to doing that on a bipartisan basis. Now, as for the substance, I am interested in good commonsense reforms, as I know you are Mr. Chairman, that strengthen the Congressional Budget Office and strengthen our ability as members of Congress to do our job.

I am not interested in bills that in my view, and I think in the view of many of us on this side of the aisle, blame the non-partisan government employees of the Congressional Budget Office for failures that are actually the failures of Congress. That are the failures of this institution to do its job.

Once again, we're here at the last minute and we need to do a continuing resolution. When we last met a week ago, it was I recall the morning after the Speaker Johnson, go-it-alone, Republican-only effort that also included a poison pill had failed by some 20 votes on the House floor. It was obvious to everyone for months that the only way to get a budget agreement, with a Republican House with a very narrow majority that often relies on Democratic votes, and a Democratic Senate, and a Democrat in the White House as President, that we needed to have a bipartisan solution to this budget agreement. At the very least, if we need more time, which clearly we do, it would have to be a bipartisan continuing resolution.

I'm glad that finally, Republican leadership came to the obvious conclusion that the rest of us had months ago, and that today we will have a vote on the House floor to avoid a government shutdown. And you will see a big Democratic majority again carrying that vote. So, as we move forward I hope to work on other pieces of legislation in the months ahead.

We still have a lot of time between now and January when we can get good things done. And we will continue to work in good faith and support bills that we can genuinely agree on and that we think improve the system, but not those that attempt to shift the blame from those of us who are elected to do the job of passing budgets on time. And with that, I'll yield back.

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