GOP Mulls Spending Reviews by Departments

There’s widespread agreement that the budget appropriations process is broken. So House Republicans are working to fix it by having Congress consider funding bills on a department-by-department basis rather than in a comprehensive spending bill, Republican insiders tell Politico.

The move would boost accountability for each department and make it easier to cut spending, GOP aides tell the news service. That’s what Republicans promised in their Pledge to America.

Incoming House Speaker John Boehner (pictured) described the idea he and other Republicans are working on in a speech several weeks ago.

"Let's do away with the concept of 'comprehensive' spending bills. Let's break them up, to encourage scrutiny, and make spending cuts easier. Rather than pairing agencies and departments together, let them come to the House floor individually, to be judged on their own merit," Boehner said. “Members shouldn't have to vote for big spending increases at the Labor Department in order to fund Health and Human Services.”