Grothman Reintroduces Enforce the Caps Act to Rein in Reckless Spending

Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06) has reintroduced the Enforce the Caps Act, which extends critical federal spending caps through Fiscal Year (FY) 2029. The legislation builds on the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act, which currently enforces spending caps only through FY 2025…

“R Street Institute is pleased to support the ‘Enforce the Caps Act.’ Too often, when Congress sets fiscal targets as part of a negotiated deal, critical spending restrictions are postponed for future years and rarely achieved in full. This shortchanges taxpayers and legislators who were promised savings as part of a comprehensive agreement. It also devalues the legislative process by signaling that lawmakers never intended to follow the law, making it harder for legislators to work together in the future and undermining trust in the institution. By enforcing the spending limits in the ‘Fiscal Responsibility Act,’ Congress can at once secure urgently needed savings and boost congressional integrity,” said Nan Swift, Resident Fellow, Governance Project, R Street Institute...

Background Information

The bipartisan Fiscal Responsibly Act of 2023 placed two years of enforceable discretionary spending caps for FY24 and FY25 and four years of non-enforceable caps for FY26 through FY29. The Enforce the Caps Act protects taxpayers by simply extending the enforcement period to apply to FY26 through FY29. 

The Enforce the Caps Act would simply make the FY 26 through FY 29 caps enacted by the Fiscal Responsibility Act enforceable through sequestration. 

According to the CBO, full enforcement of these caps would decrease outlays by $553 billion between 2026 and 2033. 

This bill is endorsed by Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, Job Creators Network, National Taxpayers Union, R Street Institute, America First Policy Institute, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, and Taxpayers Protection Alliance. 

This bill has three original cosponsors, including Representatives Andy Barr (R-KY), Ralph Norman (R-SC), and David Rouzer (R-NC).