Could the United States learn budgetary lesson from abroad?

0 Comments | Insight on the News, July 1, 2002 | by Hans S. Nichols, | Jessica Davis

The week after President George W. Bush returned from his European jaunt, congressional leaders proved that they're not above taking advice from abroad. While Bush dealt with the weighty issues of international affairs, his congressional counterparts tackled a more routine, but perhaps equally vexing, issue: budgeting.

House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (R-Iowa), along with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), played host to the second annual OECD Conference of Budget Chairs. "It is important for the United States to look at how other countries conduct their budget processes so we may learn some ways to strengthen and improve our own budget writing," Nussle said. At a two-day conference in early June, budget directors and parliamentarians from Australia, Sweden and Switzerland got together to swap trade secrets and tactics.

"I am honored to have such a distinguished group of international budget officials with us this week," Nussle said. "While many of our countries use different budget processes, we face many of the same budget challenges."

Prior to the conference, Nussle held his own congressional hearings, where even some of his panelists admitted that there was a "lack of interest" in budgeting processes. But according to Mats Odell, an opposition member of the Swedish Parliament, complacency about budget matters can lead to disaster. "If both parties seem to agree on everything," he said, "there's a risk that nobody cares about the goals."

The European budget masters also met with Office of Management and Budget Director Mitch Daniels, another darling of Washington political operatives. The question is, will the Europeans be similarly impressed with Daniels and Nussle?

HANS S. NICHOLS IS A REPORTER AND JESSICA DAVIS IS AN INTERN FOR Insight.