SR 104-08: Finish the Damn Audit Resolution (Tabled)

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

This is a pretty simple resolution. I voted on HB 1283 all the way back when I was Representative. My administration completed a small portion of the audit, and the last news we had of it was in May of 2019, during tmth's SOTU address.

The GM team continues to work on the audit of the federal government as we eliminate excess waste.

Since then, we've had no word of it. The GM worked with my admin (specifically the DPC) when we completed the bit that we did. At the very least we need to remind the GM and this administration that part of what we can do to help folks is to make sure we aren't spending money where it isn't needed at all. That's what an audit would help do.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I was about to author a bill abolishing Selective Service only to realize we already did that, so I'm offering this amendment:

Section III. Content

1. The Senate of Atlasia calls for the federal audit described in HB 1283 to be completed as soon as reasonably possible, and for the completion of the audit to be a priority of the current administration.

2. This audit must include federal savings incurred from the dissolution of the Selective Service System.

Is the Selective Service even in the budget? I would assume not considering that was passed 5 years ago but perhaps I am wrong.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Alright, amendment is friendly. If we find out that it's not needed since it's already accounted for, then we can always strike it out with another amendment.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

In part I do actually agree with Sestak's comment. Perhaps we should do our own audit? I'm not entirely sure how we could do it but if the results were supposed to be publicly released anyway it would make sense to not keep it to only the executive and GM.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I'm not in favor of making the game even more tedious. It is supposed to be a fun way to pass time and have debates.

Still makes sense to not spend money that we could spend elsewhere without making any actual issues occur. Sometimes there's bureaucracy that isn't needed. We are supposed to have some sense of realism here. No rules makes things fun for a while but trying to do things with constraints can be, in my opinion, even more fun.

Hell even Peanut said we needed this to happen regularly waaaay back when we were talking about the audit in my admin

Peanut — 01/06/2019
That's what I mean, we should have an audit biannually, in June and December, maybe

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I'm willing to restructure the resolution to instead have a new audit conducted by the CG. I just think we seriously need to make sure that money isn't wasted.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Nay.

Anyone who thinks we should have an audit without even having the proper tools yet should volunteer for the job themselves.

I'm willing to help out. We got a whole department done in a night under my admin. The tools are there  and it won't take much effort to get them. I would assume the GM still has the info that my GM had.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Alright. If WB is able to conduct the audit, far be it for me to prevent him. I change my vote to Nay.

I want to point out that I didn’t say that I was volunteering to do it entirely on my own, but I want to get the ball rolling here and I’m willing to work on any info that we are provided with the President and his cabinet. But it’s easy enough to ask for the information, which is in part what this resolution is meant to do. With that we can finally start something that should have been done years ago.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I also think it would be in the interest of the executive branch or the Senate to designate a task force on government waste. But, do keep in mind that most government waste is a drop in the bucket and the only way to effectively reduce our deficit is through big defense cuts and tighter welfare and Social Security rules. (I will not support any proposal to cut public health funding or Social Security.)

That’s why, during our audit, the GM proposed cuts for each program. It being Mr. R, almost everything was a 25% cut. We obviously didn't always follow that advice. I remember that pretty well though I will need to find the conversation where this happened to demonstrate it. But what I’m saying is that an audit also will show where we can make cuts without actually hurting the vast majority of people.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

why are people voting on the tabling anymore? I assume no one here is a personification of Explorer right???

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I assume no one here is a personification of Explorer right???

personification of Explorer?

Slow/delayed responses

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Unless someone volunteers to be CG, I don't know what we can do with this.

honestly unless someone volunteers to be CG I don't know what we can do with pretty much any legislation that's meaningful.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

since this is just a resolution I ask that this be put up for a vote. I think we can agree it needs to be done, when a new CG is in office. After all, the resolution calls for the audit to be completed "as soon as reasonably possible", and as soon as reasonably possible will be after a CG is appointed. As much as I hate knowing this isn't gonna happen for a while I believe having it on our minds will help.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Withdrawing the request for a final vote. I’m gonna try to make this into a bill creating a task force to complete the audit. Idea off the top of my head is 6 members chosen to be proportionally similar to the Senate (so probably 3 lab, 2 fed, 1 DA/Ind for this next senate) and needing 4/6 votes to make cuts or to try and reverse previous cuts.

I’m somewhat sleep deprived so that idea might not be the best, I want to see how you all think first before making those changes.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Withdrawing the request for a final vote. I’m gonna try to make this into a bill creating a task force to complete the audit. Idea off the top of my head is 6 members chosen to be proportionally similar to the Senate (so probably 3 lab, 2 fed, 1 DA/Ind for this next senate) and needing 4/6 votes to make cuts or to try and reverse previous cuts.

Why would the commission do any cuts aside from cuts to the military seeing as nobody likes cuts.

You’d be surprised how my admin was with Reactionary’s cuts in the audit we did. We watered most of them down but we agreed to a lot more than you’d think especially considering that it was pretty left wing.

Either way doesn’t really matter, I forgot today was the last day of my term.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Withdrawing the request for a final vote. I’m gonna try to make this into a bill creating a task force to complete the audit. Idea off the top of my head is 6 members chosen to be proportionally similar to the Senate (so probably 3 lab, 2 fed, 1 DA/Ind for this next senate) and needing 4/6 votes to make cuts or to try and reverse previous cuts.

I’m somewhat sleep deprived so that idea might not be the best, I want to see how you all think first before making those changes.

I suppose I should work on this since I'm back hopefully I'll have that change done tonight.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Introducing this amendment:

A RESOLUTION
To create a Congressional task force to finish the audit

Be it enacted by the Senate of the Republic of Atlasia assembled,

Section I. Title

1. This bill may be known as the Finish the Damn Audit Resolution.

Section II. Background

1. The Congress of Atlasia, on July 28, 2018, passed HB 1283, the Audit the Federal Government Act. The federal audit described in HB 1283 has still yet to conclude.

Section III. Content
1. The Senate of Atlasia calls for the federal audit described in HB 1283 to be completed as soon as reasonably possible, and for the completion of the audit to be a priority of the current administration.
1. The Senate of Atlasia shall create a 6-member task force to conduct the audit described in HB 1283, including releasing all findings of the audit publicly.
2. The 6 members of the task force shall be members of the Senate, selected by the Senate by majority vote. The composition of the task force shall be politically similar to the composition of the Senate.
a. Should a member of the task force leave the Senate by any means, they shall be replaced by someone of the same party. Should no one from their party be available, or if they are an independent, the Senate shall select a replacement.
3. The Senate asks for any relevant documents that are necessary for the audit to be completed to be given to the Task Force as soon as possible.

Hopefully I covered all the bases here but I get the feeling I didn't. But hey that's what amendments are for, right?

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I'd be willing to scale it down to 3 and making the appointment process different.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

NAY