President Biden is gearing up to deliver a State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress, despite once again failing to meet the deadline for presenting spending and national security plans to Congress.
Certain Republicans in Congress are advocating for accountability to this deadline by proposing a straightforward penalty. Their proposal, dubbed the SUBMIT IT Act (Send Us Budget Materials & International Tactics In Time), aims to enforce existing requirements set forth by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 and the National Security Act of 1947.
Representative Buddy Carter of Georgia, who sponsored the bill, emphasized the importance of timely submission, stating, “President Biden’s budget was due on Feb. 5, yet Congress has seen nothing. This is irresponsible. Until Congress receives the president’s national security strategy and budget, he has no business delivering a State of the Union address.”
Under the SUBMIT IT Act, House or Senate leadership would be prohibited from inviting the president to address a joint session of Congress until both plans are received. If enacted, this legislation would impact State of the Union addresses starting from 2025 onwards, with no effect on Biden’s scheduled address for this year on March 7.
It’s worth noting that Biden’s tardiness in submitting budget proposals is not an isolated incident. Previous presidents, including Donald Trump, have also missed these deadlines. Consequently, rather than being a partisan issue, it reflects a longstanding challenge between the executive and legislative branches of government.
Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa introduced a Senate version of the bill, emphasizing the need for substantive plans amidst pressing national issues. “If the president is going to be allowed the opportunity to address Congress and the entire nation, he should actually have a plan in place,” she remarked in a public statement.
