Task Force to Examine Federal Mandatory Spending and the Entitlement Crisis

Washington, D.C.  – On Wednesday, July 6, 2016 at 1:00 p.m., the Task Force on Executive Overreach will hold a hearing titled, “The Federal Government on Autopilot: Mandatory Spending and the Entitlement Crisis.” Since the 1930s, the federal government has grown exponentially through the creation of entitlement programs to deliver retirement and health benefits to the American people, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, unemployment insurance, the Earned Income Tax Credit, disability insurance, and others. With many of the entitlement programs growing automatically, it has had a dramatic impact on other government spending, including funding for the military and for operation of the federal courts, the deficit, and overall fiscal health. At the hearing next week, members of the task force will examine the issues surrounding federal mandatory spending. Witnesses for the hearing are:

• Eugene Steuerle, Institute Fellow and Richard B. Fisher Chair, Urban Institute
• Scott Lilly, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
• Nicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Scholar in Political Economy, American Enterprise Institute

Below is a statement from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa), the chairman of the Task Force, on the hearing. “Our nation’s entitlement programs are on autopilot, driving our nation further and further into debt and putting a tighter and tighter squeeze on spending for important functions like funding the military and the federal courts. This path is unsustainable. The Task Force on Executive Overreach will examine the many issues fueling our nation’s entitlement crisis and look for ways to rein in this growing problem.” This hearing will take place in 2237 Rayburn House Office Building and will be webcast live at /. Camera crews wishing to cover must be congressionally-credentialed and RSVP with the House Radio-TV Gallery at (202) 225-5214. Background on the Task Force: The Task Force on Executive Overreach is authorized for six months and is studying the impact the increase in presidential and executive branch power has had on the ability of Congress to conduct oversight of the executive branch, the lack of transparency that furthers unchecked executive power, and the constitutional requirement of the President to faithfully execute the law. Additionally, the task force is reviewing the tools at the disposal of the Congress to restore the proper balance of powers and hold the executive branch accountable. It will make recommendations where there are deficiencies, including legislative solutions.

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