Feingold Calls for Budget Rules to Enforce Fiscal Discipline Senator Proposes Amendment to Reinstitute Budget Caps to Control Federal Spending April 4, 2002 La Crosse, WI - U.S. Senator Russ Feingold today called for reinstituting congressional budget rules that helped to curb wasteful spending and reduce the deficit. These rules or "caps" on spending, which were first passed as part of the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990, expire this year. Feingold, a Member of the Senate Budget Committee, recently proposed an amendment with Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) in the Committee to reinsititute these caps and extend them for five years. Though his amendment failed in a tie vote, Feingold will continue to work to reinstitute these caps, as well as other budget reforms that can enforce fiscal discipline in the federal budget process. "When we passed these budget caps in 1990, they helped to keep the government on a path to reduce and eventually eliminate the deficit," Feingold said. "We’ve seen budget caps work, and now, with the new demands on the federal budget as we fight the war on terrorism, it is more important than ever that we enforce fiscal discipline in Congress." The Budget Enforcement Act of 1990, enacted with bipartisan support with a Democratic Congress and a Republican President, originally created budget caps on appropriated spending. In most years, the appropriations caps helped to constrain federal spending. The Gregg-Feingold amendment would reinstate and extend these caps on discretionary spending. The amendment would also provide for a new, stronger enforcement mechanism under which 60 senators would have to vote in favor of any provisions that violated the spending caps. "Congress needs to long and hard at how we can meet the federal government’s many responsibilities," Feingold said. "It’s time to reform the budget process and get our fiscal priorities straight by renewing budget discipline, and these budget caps are a good place to start." Feingold’s 25th Listening Session of 2002, and his 673rd since he was first elected, took place at La Crosse Central High School beginning at 8:15 a.m. Feingold’s 26th session of 2002, and his 674th since he was first elected, took place at the Monroe County Local History Room starting at 2:15 p.m. This is the tenth year that Feingold has held Listening Sessions in every Wisconsin county.

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