The House of Representatives and the Power of the Purse

So why does the House of Representatives get the first say regarding federal spending?

It goes back to the Constitution. Article I, Section 7 clearly states, “All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives.” This provision is known as the “power of the purse,” and it’s one of the essential tools Congress has to shape policy and check executive power.

But why the House, specifically? Why not the Senate?

The Founding Fathers were very deliberate here. The House is the chamber closest to the people. Its members are elected every two years, and there are more of them, each representing a smaller segment of the population. This structure makes them more accountable and more attuned to what their constituents need and want.

James Madison wrote in The Federalist Papers that the House was designed to be “the immediate representatives of the people.” If the government is going to tax people’s paychecks, fund wars, or build highways, the Founders wanted those decisions to come from the body most directly tied to the public.

This decision wasn’t just a practical choice but a philosophical one. In a republic, the people should control the money, and the House was created to be their voice in the federal government.

Why the Founders Made It This Way: Fear of Tyranny, Hope for Accountability

The Founding Fathers had just fought a war against a monarchy that taxed them without representation. They were deeply skeptical of centralized power—especially over money. Parliament’s control over the royal budget had become a powerful check on the king in Britain. The American system borrowed that logic.

The Constitution created a system in which public money could only be spent with the people’s consent by giving the House control over revenue and spending bills. The president can propose a budget, and the Senate can negotiate it, but the House has to originate it.

This structure is one of the key checks and balances in the American system. It ensures that no single branch—or person—can unilaterally decide how to spend taxpayer money. Instead, it forces a debate, a vote, and, ultimately, accountability.