The Federal Budget Process, V.2
The Federal Budget Process, V.2

Author: Bill Heniff Jr.

Publisher: The Capitol Net Inc

Published: 2018-06-20

Total Pages: 390

ISBN-13: 1587332949

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Budgeting for the federal government is an enormously complex process. It entails dozens of subprocesses, countless rules and procedures, the efforts of tens of thousands of staff persons in the executive and legislative branches, and the active participation of the President, congressional leaders, Members of Congress, and members of the executive branch. This analysis shows the various elements of the federal budget process including the President's budget submission, framework, timetable, the budget resolution, reconciliation, the "Byrd Rule," appropriations, authorizations, and budget execution. Congress is distinguished from nearly every other legislature in the world by the control it exercises over fashioning the government's budgetary policies. This power, referred to as "the power of the purse," ensures Congress' primary role in setting revenue and borrowing policies for the federal government and in determining how these resources are spent. The congressional power of the purse derives from several key provisions in the Constitution. Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 (Power to tax and spend) declares in part that Congress shall have the power to raise (that is, "to lay and collect") revenues of various types, including taxes and duties, among other things. Article I, Section 8, Clause 2 (Borrowing power) declares that the power to borrow funds "on the credit of the United States" belongs to Congress. In addition to its powers regarding revenues and borrowing, Congress exerts control over the expenditure of funds. Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 declares in part that funds can be withdrawn from the Treasury only pursuant to laws that make appropriations. Under the Constitution, revenue measures must originate in the House of Representatives. Beyond this requirement, however, the Constitution does not prescribe how the House and Senate should organize themselves, or the procedures they should use, to conduct budgeting. Over the years, however, both chambers have developed an extensive set of rules (some set forth in statute) and precedents that lay out complicated, multiple processes for making budgetary decisions. The House and Senate have also created an intricate committee system to support these processes. As American society has grown and become ever more complex, and as the role of the federal government in the national economy has steadily expanded, Congress also has increasingly shared power over budgetary matters with the president and the executive branch. It has refashioned the president’s role in budgeting by requiring him to submit to Congress each year a budget for the entire federal government and giving him responsibilities for monitoring agencies’ implementation of spending and revenue laws. Accordingly, the president also exercises considerable influence over key budget decisions. Table of Contents 1. "Introduction to the Federal Budget Process," CRS Report 98-721, December 3, 2012 (38-page PDF) 2. "The Executive Budget Process: An Overview," CRS Report R42633, July 27, 2012 3. "The Executive Budget Process Timetable," CRS Report RS20152, December 5, 2012 (8-page PDF) 4. "The Congressional Budget Process: A Brief Overview," CRS Report RS20095, August 22, 2011 5. "Budget Resolution Enforcement," CRS Report 98-815, August 12, 2008 6. "Deeming Resolutions: Budget Enforcement in the Absence of a Budget Resolution," CRS Report R44296, June 26, 2017 7. "Legislating in Congress: Federal Budget Process," Contributing Author Bill Heniff Jr., with updates by Robert Keith and Megan Lynch 8. "The Budget Reconciliation Process: Stages of Consideration," CRS Report R44058, January 4, 2017 9. "The Budget Reconciliation Process: The Senate's 'Byrd Rule'," CRS Report RL30862, November 22, 2016 (44-page PDF) 10. "The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction," CRS Report R42388, November 30, 2016 (28-page PDF) 11. "Allocations and Subdivisions in the Congressional Budget Process," CRS Report RS20144, November 29, 2010 12. "Omnibus Appropriations Acts: Overview of Recent Practices," CRS Report RL32473, January 14, 2016 13. "Appropriations Report Language: Overview of Development, Components, and Issues for Congress," CRS Report R44124 July 28, 2015 14. "Overview of the Authorization-Appropriations Process," CRS Report RS20371, November 26, 2012 (5-page PDF) 15. "Points of Order in the Congressional Budget Process," CRS Report 97-865, October 20, 2015 (21-page PDF) 16. "The Budget Control Act: Frequently Asked Questions," CRS Report R44874, February 23, 2018 17. "Budget 'Sequestration' and Selected Program Exemptions and Special Rules," CRS Report R42050, June 13, 2013 (35-page PDF) 18. "Continuing Resolutions: Overview of Components and Recent Practices," CRS Report R42647, January 14, 2016 19. Additional Resources Federal Budget Links and Research Tools Laws, web sites, and books TCNBudget.com Custom On-Site Training Understanding Congressional Budgeting and Appropriations, TCNUCBA.com Advanced Federal Budget Process, TCNAFBP.com Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Process, TCNCDLP.com Capitol Learning Audio Courses TM Appropriations Process in a Nutshell with James Saturno, ISBN 1-58733-043-1 Authorizations and Appropriations in a Nutshell with James Saturno, ISBN 1-58733-029-6 The Federal Budget Process with Philip Joyce, ISBN 1-58733-083-0 IndexFederalBudgetProcess.com

Introduction to the Federal Budget Process
Introduction to the Federal Budget Process

Author: Bill Heniff, Jr.

Publisher: Createspace Independent Pub

Published: 2013-01-04

Total Pages: 36

ISBN-13: 9781481908009

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Budgeting for the federal government is an enormously complex process. It entails dozens of subprocesses, countless rules and procedures, the efforts of tens of thousands of staff persons in the executive and legislative branches, millions of work hours each year, and the active participation of the President and congressional leaders, as well as other members of Congress and executive officials. The enforcement of budgetary decisions involves a complex web of procedures that encompasses both congressional and executive actions. In the last four decades or so, these procedures have been rooted principally in two statutes—the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. The 1974 act established a congressional budget process in which budget policies are enforced by Congress during the consideration of individual measures. The 1985 act embodies additional statutory enforcement procedures, substantially modified in 1990 and 1997, that have been used by the executive to enforce budget policies after the end of a congressional session. The 1997 iteration of these enforcement procedures were set aside in the latter years of their existence and effectively expired toward the end of the 107th Congress. Efforts to renew them in the 108th through 110th Congresses were not successful. In the 111th Congress, the pay-as-you-go procedures affecting direct spending and revenue legislation were restored in a modified version by the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010. More recently, in the 112th Congress, statutory limits on discretionary spending and a new automatic process to reduce spending were established by the Budget Control Act of 2011. The President's budget is required by law to be submitted to Congress early in the legislative session. While the budget is only a request to Congress, the power to formulate and submit the budget is a vital tool in the President's direction of the executive branch and of national policy. The President's proposals often influence congressional revenue and spending decisions, though the extent of the influence varies from year to year and depends more on political and fiscal conditions than on the legal status of the budget. The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 establishes the congressional budget process as the means by which Congress coordinates the various budget-related actions (such as the consideration of appropriations and revenue measures) taken by it during the course of the year. The process is centered on an annual concurrent resolution on the budget that sets aggregate budget policies and functional spending priorities for at least the next five fiscal years. Because a concurrent resolution is not a law—it cannot be signed or vetoed by the President—the budget resolution does not have statutory effect; no money can be raised or spent pursuant to it. Revenue and spending amounts set in the budget resolution establish the basis for the enforcement of congressional budget policies through points of order. Congress implements budget resolution policies through action on individual revenue and debt limit measures, annual appropriations acts, and direct spending legislation. In some years, Congress considers reconciliation legislation pursuant to reconciliation instructions in the budget resolution. Reconciliation legislation is used mainly to bring existing revenue and direct spending laws into conformity with budget resolution policies. Initially, reconciliation was a major tool for deficit reduction; in later years, reconciliation was used mainly to reduce revenues.

The Pig Book
The Pig Book

Author: Citizens Against Government Waste

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 2005-04-06

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 9780312343576

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A compendium of the most ridiculous examples of Congress's pork-barrel spending.

A Brief Introduction to the Federal Budget Process
A Brief Introduction to the Federal Budget Process

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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Each year, the federal government raises and spends more than $1.5 trillion through its budget process. The federal budget process is widely regarded as a complex, time-consuming, and arcane set of activities often suffused with controversy, frustration, and delay. These characteristics of the process are attributable to various factors, including the vast scope and complexity of federal activities and the numerous types of financial transactions needed to fund them, the profusion of participants in the budget process and the wide dispersal of budgetary power, and the far-reaching economic and political consequences of budgetary decision-making. The federal budget cycle begins each year with the preparation and submission to Congress of the President's budget. The President's budget is only a request to Congress; Congress is not required to adopt his recommendations. Nevertheless, the President's budgetary proposals often guide congressional revenue and spending decisions, though the extent of the influence varies from year to year and depends more on political and fiscal conditions than on the legal status of the budget. The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, as amended, establishes the congressional budget process as the means by which Congress coordinates its various budget-related actions. The process is centered around an annual concurrent resolution on the budget that sets aggregate budget policies and functional priorities for a multiyear period. Because a concurrent resolution is not a law ' it cannot be signed or vetoed by the President ' the budget resolution does not have statutory effect; no money can be raised or spent pursuant to it. The main purpose of the budget resolution is to establish the framework within which Congress considers separate revenue, spending, and other budget-related legislation. Revenue and spending amounts set in the budget resolution establish the basis for the enforcement of congressional budget policies through points of order. The budget resolution also initiates the reconciliation process for conforming existing revenue and spending laws to congressional budget policies. Budget resolution policies are implemented by Congress through the enactment of annual appropriation and other spending measures, revenue measures, debt-limit legislation, and reconciliation bills. Each class of budgetary legislation is considered under its own set of rules and procedures. The President may avail himself of special authority to impound appropriated funds. Under the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, the President may propose the cancellation of spending; special procedures are included in the act to provide for House and Senate action on these proposals. Beginning in January of 1997, the President has had special line-item veto authority to cancel not only discretionary appropriations, but new entitlement spending and targeted tax benefits as well. The line-item veto procedures provide that the President's recommendations go into effect unless disapproved by Congress within a relatively short period of time.

Congressional Record
Congressional Record

Author: United States. Congress

Publisher:

Published: 1952

Total Pages: 1414

ISBN-13:

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The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)

Introduction to the Federal Budget Process
Introduction to the Federal Budget Process

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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Budgeting for the federal government is an enormously complex process. It entails dozens of subprocesses, countless rules and procedures, the efforts of tens of thousands of staff persons in the executive and legislative branches, millions of work hours each year, and the active participation of the President and congressional leaders, as well as other Members of Congress and executive officials. The enforcement of budgetary decisions involves a complex web of procedures that encompasses both congressional and executive actions. In recent years, these procedures have been rooted principally in two statutes â€" the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and the Budget Enforcement Act (BEA). The 1974 act established a congressional budget process in which budget policies are enforced by Congress during the consideration of individual measures. The BEA is the most recent embodiment of additional enforcement procedures, first established in the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 and renewed with substantial modification in 1990 and 1997, that have been used by the executive to enforce budget policies after the end of a congressional session. The BEA enforcement procedures were waived in recent years and effectively expired toward the end of the 107th Congress. Efforts to renew them in the 108th Congress were not successful and it is not clear at this point whether they will be revived in the 109th Congress. The Presidentâ€TMs budget is required by law to be submitted to Congress early in the legislative session. While the budget is only a request to Congress, the power to formulate and submit the budget is a vital tool in the Presidentâ€TMs direction of the executive branch and of national policy. The Presidentâ€TMs proposals often influence congressional revenue and spending decisions, though the extent of the influence varies from year to year and depends more on political and fiscal conditions than on the legal status of the budget. The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 establishes the congressional budget process as the means by which Congress coordinates the various budget-related actions (such as the consideration of appropriations and revenue measures) taken by it during the course of the year. The process is centered around an annual concurrent resolution on the budget that sets aggregate budget policies and functional spending priorities for at least the next five fiscal years. Because a concurrent resolution is not a law â€" it cannot be signed or vetoed by the President â€" the budget resolution does not have statutory effect; no money can be raised or spent pursuant to it. Revenue and spending amounts set in the budget resolution establish the basis for the enforcement of congressional budget policies through points of order. Congress implements budget resolution policies through action on individual revenue and debt-limit measures, annual appropriations acts, and direct spending legislation. In some years, Congress considers reconciliation legislation pursuant to reconciliation instructions in the budget resolution. Reconciliation legislation is used mainly to bring existing revenue and direct spending laws into conformity with budget resolution policies Initially, reconciliation was a major tool for deficit reduction; in recent years, reconciliation has been used mainly to reduce revenues.

The Federal Budget
The Federal Budget

Author: Allen Schick

Publisher: Brookings Institution Press

Published: 2008-05-31

Total Pages: 362

ISBN-13: 0815777329

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The federal budget impacts American policies both at home and abroad, and recent concern over the exploding budgetary deficit has experts calling our nation's policies "unsustainable" and "system-dooming." As the deficit continues to grow, will America be fully able to fund its priorities, such as an effective military and looking after its aging population? In this third edition of his classic book The Federal Budget, Allen Schick examines how surpluses projected during the final years of the Clinton presidency turned into oversized deficits under George W. Bush. In his detailed analysis of the politics and practices surrounding the federal budget, Schick addresses issues such as the collapse of the congressional budgetary process and the threat posed by the termination of discretionary spending caps. This edition updates and expands his assessment of the long-term budgetary outlook, and it concludes with a look at how the nation's deficit will affect America now and in the future. "A clear explanation of the federal budget... [Allen Schick] has captured the politics of federal budgeting from the original lofty goals to the stark realities of today."—Pete V. Domenici, U.S. Senate