Want a Better Budget Process? Make It More Open and Deliberative

James Wallner writes at the Washington Examiner:

“The budget process should be structured so that those interested in an outcome can freely participate in deliberations when they desire. Sustainable compromise around fiscal decisions in the current polarized environment is possible only if members and their constituents feel as if their claims are fairly adjudicated in the process.

“This dynamic can be created by adopting reforms that accentuate the inflection points in the budget process and that allow for open and fair consideration of all policy ideas. For example, deadlines like the debt ceiling can force members to make tough decisions to budget. In contrast, reforms like biennial budgeting may make sense in theory while still failing to address Congress’ underlying debt problem….”

Read more at http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/congress-needs-to-rethink-how-it-makes-a-budget/article/2626020