Fox's Mike Huckabee Doesn't Understand How The Federal Budget Works

Written by David Shere

Published

Fox News' Mike Huckabee misled on President Obama's economic record by claiming that Obama is “the first president in U.S. history that's never signed a budget.” In fact, presidents don't sign budgets at all; rather, Congress is supposed to pass a “concurrent budget resolution” to serve as an outline or guide as each chamber works to fund the government for the next year.

Huckabee: Obama Is “The First President In U.S. History” Who Hasn't “Signed A Budget”

Huckabee: Obama Is “The First President In U.S. History” Not To Sign A Budget. Discussing Romney's pick of Ryan, Fox News host Mike Huckabee said Obama is “the first president in U.S. history that's never signed a budget”:

HUCKABEE: Paul Ryan -- you may not agree with everything in the Paul Ryan plan. But you know what's different? He has a plan. You know how many budgets President Obama has signed since he's been president? Zero. He's the first president in U.S. history that's never signed a budget. Paul Ryan has helped develop a budget every year, sends it to the Senate, Harry Reid sits on it thinking it's going to hatch like an egg, and it doesn't. 

And so, when people really start asking who is developing a plan to get this country back on track, even if they don't agree with every aspect of the Paul Ryan approach, the fact is they're going to say he has an approach. It's better to land the airplane with an approach than not have one. [Fox News, America's Newsroom, 8/17/12]

But Presidents Don't Sign The Budgets That Congress Produces

CRS: Congressional Budget Resolution Is “Not Presented To The President For His Signature.” The Congressional Research Service, in a report titled “Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information,” wrote that a congressional budget resolution is “not presented to the President for his signature and thus does not become law.” CRS further noted that “the budget resolution serves as an agreement between the House and Senate on a congressional budget plan.” [Senate.gov, 3/13/12]

President Obama Has Proposed A Budget Every Year In Office

President Obama Has Produced Four Budget Proposals. Obama has produced four budget proposals since taking office:

  • Fiscal Year 2010 [Office of Management and Budget, accessed 8/17/12]
  • Fiscal Year 2011 [Office of Management and Budget, accessed 8/17/12]
  • Fiscal Year 2012 [Office of Management and Budget, accessed 8/17/12]
  • Fiscal Year 2013 [Office of Management and Budget, accessed 8/17/12]

CRS: “Congress Did Not Complete Action On A Budget Resolution” In 2002, 2004, and 2006. According to the CRS report, “Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution” three times during George W. Bush's administration:

In 31 of the 37 years [since the 1974 law creating the modern budget process], Congress adopted at least one budget resolution for the fiscal year beginning in such year; Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for six fiscal years (FY1999 in 1998, FY2003 in 2002, FY2005 in 2004, FY2007 in 2006, FY2011 in 2010, and FY2012 in 2011). A second budget resolution was adopted in each of the first seven years and a third budget resolution was adopted in one year (for FY1977). [Senate.gov, 3/13/12]