Phasing Out Federal "Zombie" Programs in 3 Years (H.R. 4730)

What is H.R. 4730?

(Updated November 22, 2020)

This bill would give all expired and unauthorized federal programs that still receive funding three years to close up shop. During those three years, funding for those programs would be cut substantially over the following two years. 

If the unauthorized program or agency is reauthorized at any point during the three years after this bill’s enactment, funding reductions and sunset clauses would be lifted and the program could operate at full funding.

The three-year path to the end of all programs that are unauthorized (or "zombie" programs, as this bill calls them) would be triggered as soon as this legislation is enacted. All reauthorizations would have to include a sunset clause. During the first year, zombie programs would face a 10 percent funding reduction (aka sequester) and receive only 90 percent of the funding they were allocated in the program’s original expiration year. In the second and third years the sequester would rise to 15 percent, before the program’s final expiration at the end of the third year.

A Spending Accountability Commission (SAC) would be created and charged with: 

• Making a full authorization schedule of all discretionary programs and agencies;
• Reviewing mandatory spending programs; 
• And determining mandatory spending cuts. 

SAC could propose a new sequester (or funding cut) schedule to Congress for consideration. In order to override a sequester, the SAC would have to report mandatory cuts in an equal amount that Congress could then consider enacting.

Argument in favor

Federal programs that haven't been reauthorized shouldn’t continue to spend taxpayer dollars if Congress hasn’t extended them. Winding down those programs over a three-year period and cutting their funding gives Congress time to consider reauthorizing and saves taxpayer money.

Argument opposed

Congress fails to do its job on-time with stunning regularity, and that shouldn’t prevent unauthorized programs from continuing to receive funding and operate as they normally would. Lawmakers can already cut off or eliminate programs they feel should be stopped.

Impact

Anyone concerned with unauthorized government spending; federal programs funded by unauthorized spending; the to-be-formed SAC; and Congress.

Cost of H.R. 4730

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

Of Note: According to a report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), $310 billion was appropriated to be spent on programs with expired authorization for fiscal year 2016. This was after $294 billion was spent on such programs the prior year.

In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA) introduced this bill to prevent taxpayer dollars from going to "zombie" federal programs that continue to operate after their spending authorization has expired:

“Too much of government is currently on autopilot, and it’s time to challenge the status quo. A big part of the problem is due to what people in Washington, D.C. call ‘unauthorized spending’ — spending on government programs that have not been authorized by the people’s representatives. This means that the American people are prevented from exercising their power of the purse.”

This legislation currently has the support of 38 Republican cosponsors in the House.

Media:

• Sponsoring Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA) Press Release
• Rep. McMorris-Rodgers Summary
• Free Beacon
• Hot Air
• Americans for Prosperity (In Favor)
• FreedomWorks (In Favor)
• CNN (Context)