Overview
Title
To require submission of the National Security Strategy and the budget of the President before the President may deliver the State of the Union address.
ELI5 AI
The bill says the President must give Congress two things—a plan for keeping the country safe and how money will be spent—before talking to everyone to say how the country is doing. This helps Congress know and decide on important stuff before the big talk happens.
Summary AI
H.R. 7249 is a bill that seeks to ensure the President submits both the National Security Strategy and the budget to Congress before delivering the State of the Union address. It highlights the importance of Congress receiving necessary budget and security information to support its legislative duties. The bill outlines that Congressional leaders cannot invite the President to deliver the address until these submissions are received. This measure is intended to enhance transparency and allow timely review of the President’s objectives and financial plans.
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AnalysisAI
General Summary of the Bill
The bill, known as the "Send Us Budget Materials and International Tactics In Time Act (SUBMIT IT Act)," proposes that the President of the United States be required to submit two specific documents—the National Security Strategy and the President's Budget Request—before delivering the annual State of the Union Address to Congress. Traditionally, while the State of the Union Address does not carry a constitutional deadline, the President is expected to deliver it early in the year to outline priorities and provide updates on various national matters. This proposed bill intends to link the timing of the State of the Union Address to those submissions to ensure Congress has necessary strategic and budgetary information beforehand.
Summary of Significant Issues
One of the primary issues with the bill is the lack of specified consequences if the President fails to meet the deadlines for transmitting the National Security Strategy and the Budget Request. This absence might render the bill ineffective, as it lacks clarity on how to enforce its requirements. Furthermore, the requirement for these documents to be submitted before the State of the Union Address could lead to practical challenges, like scheduling conflicts or unnecessary delays, especially considering the complexity of preparing such comprehensive reports.
Moreover, the bill should provide a clearer analysis of the impacts these delays in submissions have on Congress's ability to make informed decisions. Without detailed consideration of the consequences of late submissions, the urgency behind the bill’s requirements may lack sufficient justification.
Impact on the Public
For the general public, this bill could potentially lead to more transparency and timely availability of important national budgetary and security information. If implemented effectively, it could enhance the public's understanding of the government's priorities and strategies at the beginning of each year. This could be beneficial in holding the government accountable and facilitating more informed citizen discussions around national priorities.
On the flip side, should the bill lead to delays in the annual State of the Union Address, it might result in a temporary lack of clarity about the government's policy direction early in the year.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Congress: The legislators stand to benefit significantly from the implementation of this bill. Receiving the National Security Strategy and the President’s Budget Request on time would provide them with critical information ahead of the State of the Union Address, potentially leading to more robust and informed deliberations on upcoming legislation.
Presidential Administration: This bill might place additional logistical and bureaucratic pressures on the administration to meet these additional requirements in a timely manner. The administration might need to allocate more resources to ensure the simultaneous preparation of both comprehensive documents in time for early-year submission.
Executive Branch Agencies: Agencies involved in drafting the National Security Strategy and Budget Request might face increased demands to prepare these reports earlier in the fiscal year. The agencies would need to align their processes more closely with the proposed schedule, potentially requiring adjustments in internal timelines and resource allocation.
Overall, while the bill aims to enhance Congress’s readiness and enhance transparency, it faces practical implementation challenges that might necessitate amendments or further clarifications to make its provisions effective and feasible.
Issues
The bill does not specify consequences if the President fails to transmit the National Security Strategy and the Budget Request before delivering the State of the Union address. This could lead to ambiguity in enforcement and effectiveness (Section 4).
The requirement for the President to submit the National Security Strategy and Budget before the State of the Union Address might cause scheduling conflicts or delays and does not account for unexpected events or changes in the fiscal calendar (Section 4).
The bill does not stipulate any penalties or consequences for the President's failure to meet the deadlines outlined for the National Security Strategy and Budget Request submissions (Section 3).
There is a lack of analysis or explanation of the impact that delays in the National Security Strategy and Budget submissions have on Congress or national policymaking, which would be crucial for understanding the urgency of the bill’s requirements (Section 3).
Point (8) in Section 3 mentions 'variable timing' concerning National Security Strategy submissions but fails to provide specific impacts or consequences of this variability, which might cause confusion or misinterpretation.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of the bill states that this law can be referred to as the "Send Us Budget Materials and International Tactics In Time Act" or simply the "SUBMIT IT Act."
2. Definitions Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section defines two terms: "National Security Strategy," which refers to a specific report mentioned in the National Security Act of 1947, and "President’s Budget Request," which refers to materials described in the United States Code that must be submitted to Congress annually by a certain deadline.
3. Findings Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
Congress finds that while the Constitution requires the President to provide updates to Congress, it is customary for the President to deliver a State of the Union Address and submit budget and national security reports. However, recent Presidents, including Biden, Trump, Obama, and Bush, have submitted some of these reports late or inconsistently, which does not align with legal requirements.
4. State of the Union to follow the budget and security submissions Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The text outlines that the President cannot be invited to give a State of the Union Address to Congress until they have sent the National Security Strategy and the Budget Request for the next fiscal year to Congress. It also updates the law to require that this budget request be submitted before the first Monday in February each year.