Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution entrusts Congress with the responsibility of appropriating government spending, noting that “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.”

The Founders did this for a reason. As the deliberative branch of government, members of Congress are empowered to debate and review federal spending to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and to the best benefit of We the People.

Yet for years, Congress has abdicated this vital constitutional role. Instead of passing spending bills through regular order—where they are marked up in 12 subcommittees before reaching the floors of the House of Representatives and Senate for the amendment process and votes—the legislative branch has often appropriated spending through massive so-called omnibus bills. In this process, the 12 spending bills are packaged into a single bill, depriving lawmakers of the opportunity to conduct a fulsome review of proposed spending. 

In fact, since 1996, Congress has failed to pass all 12 appropriation bills for the upcoming fiscal year. Since 2007, they were combined into omnibus packages in all but two fiscal years.

By forgoing a full review of appropriations, Congress has allowed wasteful government spending to explode. Over the last 20 years, which saw Congress increasingly rely on omnibus spending, our national debt has surged by more than 360 percent. This deficit spending became especially severe under President Biden, who, in partnership with a Democrat-run Congress, pushed trillions in spending that spurred the worst inflation crisis since the 1970s.

This debt is not only a fiscal disaster but also a national security threat. For the first time ever, the federal government in fiscal year 2024 spent more money on interest payments on the debt than it did to fund the entire U.S. military. As George Washington noted in his Farewell Address, a strong public credit is a “very important source of strength and security” for the nation. By the same token, a soaring national debt is a source of weakness and vulnerability.

It is critical that Congress reclaim its constitutional authority over government spending to put our country on a more sustainable fiscal path. And under the leadership of President Trump, that is exactly what Republicans are doing.

On Independence Day, the President signed into law the Republican-passed One Big Beautiful Bill, which eliminated hundreds of billions of dollars in far-left, Green New Deal spending. Just weeks later, he signed into law a $9 billion rescissions package, which eliminated funding for biased media outlets and anti-America NGOs. Make no mistake: This will be the first of many rescissions packages to return funding for wasteful programs back to the American taxpayer. 

Most importantly, the Republican-led Congress is working to restore regular order in the appropriations process. Last month, the Senate passed appropriations bills, including for military construction, VA, and agriculture, before the August state work period for the first 

time since 2018. In total, the House has passed all 12 spending bills out of committee, while the Senate has passed 8 of them.

These efforts mark a crucial first step to restoring fiscal responsibility. Under Republican leadership, the era of wasteful omnibuses negotiated in backroom deals is over. By returning to our constitutional role in appropriations, Congress can help make America stronger than ever before.