Changes in Fiscal Calendar Proposed by Tom Emmer
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) is advocating for adjustments in the federal fiscal calendar to mitigate the frequent risk of government shutdowns, specifically by shifting the September 30 deadline.
“We need to rethink our timeline—perhaps reassign the end of the year,” Emmer mentioned in a recent interview. He touched upon the typical Congressional routine, noting that lawmakers are often out of session during August for district work.
“You’ll be focused on your districts, away from Washington, and then returning only after Labor Day. That timeline feels a bit tight,” he observed.
As Congress approaches the October deadline, the threat of a government shutdown looms large, accentuated by the need for a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded. The House passed a seven-week “clean” CR last Friday, but the Senate rejected it, heightening concerns over potential shutdowns.
“We need to have some serious conversations moving forward, especially if we aim to return to a more orderly spending process,” Emmer remarked. “Adaptations to the deadlines and other commitments are necessary,” he added.
The modern fiscal calendar was instituted by the Congressional Budget and Water Storage Management Act of 1974, setting the fiscal year from October 1 to September 30. However, it wasn’t until 1997 that Congress managed to fully fund the government before the commencement of the new fiscal year. According to a Congressional Research Services report, since 1977, CRs to secure funding have expired in all but three years.
Additionally, certain deadlines established by the Budget Act are frequently ignored. For instance, the House is expected to finalize annual budget bills by June 30, but it often resorts to “omnibus” or “minibus” packages to consolidate multiple spending bills.
The federal fiscal year has seen changes in the past; before 1977, it ran from July 1 to June 30.
Some members have proposed alterations to this financial calendar in recent years. Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) expressed ideas about this back in January 2018 when serving on the Joint Select Committee for Budget Reform.
House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) believes the priority should be clearly defined in any new bill. “I think we’re spending too much time on less and would prefer to see more focus on the calendar, particularly in the months of June, July, and May,” he suggested.
Cole expressed a willingness to discuss changes to the fiscal year timeline but cautioned that “deadlines act like alarm clocks here, and many only take action when faced with an imminent deadline.”
Despite the impending deadline for a shutdown, Emmer feels positive about the direction things are moving. “Part of the challenge on our side is the urge to rush things. This business mentality has been around for a while,” he noted. “Legislation is complex—it involves 435 individuals, each with different perspectives and objectives, which makes the process significantly more complicated.”
“We’re making progress,” Emmer concluded.
