Budget Archives

The Budget Reconciliation Process: The Senate's "Byrd Rule"

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The Federal Budget Process:
A description of the federal and congressional budget processes, including timelines

Compiled by TheCapitol.Net
Authors: Sandy Streeter, James Saturno, Bill Heniff Jr., and Robert Keith

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, and budget execution.

2009, 319 pages
ISBN: 1587331519 ISBN 13: 978-1-58733-151-0
Softcover book: $19.95

For more information, see FederalBudgetProcess.com

March 22, 2010 05:17 PM Link Comments (0)

President Obama’s Management Agenda

The Obama administration will overhaul the Bush administration’s methods of evaluating program performance of federal agencies according to recently released budget documents. Contained in the section, “Building a High-Performing Government” of the analytical perspectives volume of the fiscal 2010 budget, the Obama administration set forth its plan to replace the Performance Assessment Rating Tool (PART) with a new performance improvement and analysis framework.
This framework will switch the focus from grading programs as successful or unsuccessful to requiring agency leaders to set priority goals, demonstrate progress in achieving goals, and explain performance trends.

In developing this approach, the administration will engage the public, Congress, and outside experts to develop a better and more open performance measurement process that improves results and outcomes for federal government programs while reducing waste and inefficiencies.

As stated in the analytical perspectives, the administration will work with agency leaders and the Program Improvement Council (PIC) in the coming months “to develop options for:

Establishing a comprehensive program and performance measurement system that shows how Federal programs link to agency and Government-wide goals;
Reforming program assessment and performance measurement processes to emphasize the reporting of performance trends, explanations for the trends, mitigation of implementation risks, and plans for improvement with accountable leads;
Streamlining reporting requirements under GPRA and PART to reduce the burden on agencies and OMB;
Improving the communication of performance results to Congress, the public, and other stakeholders through better data display in agency reports and the ExpectMore.gov website; and
Launching a comprehensive research program to study the comparative effectiveness of different program strategies to ensure that programs achieve their ultimate desired outcomes.”

SOURCE: Government Executive.com, “Obama Team Outlines Its Management Agenda” by Elizabeth Newell, May 11, 2009.

If you would like to learn more about these reform efforts, TheCapitol.Net offers “Advanced Federal Budget Process: Integrating Performance and the Budget.” See www.BudgetProcess.com for more information.

Also see "The Age of Debt: Barack Obama's first budget promises 'fiscal responsibility'--and delivers the opposite."

From Political Math

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May 18, 2009 05:27 PM Link Comments (0)

The Federal Budget Process: A description of the federal and congressional budget processes, including timelines

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, and budget execution.

Table of Contents

2. "Overview of the Executive Budget Process," by Bill Heniff Jr., CRS Report for Congress RS20175, June 17, 2008 . . . . . . . 33

3. "The Executive Budget Process Timetable," by Bill Heniff Jr., CRS Report for Congress RS20152, June 17, 2008 . . . . . . . 35

4. "The Congressional Budget Process: A Brief Overview," by James V. Saturno, CRS Report for Congress RS20095, November 26, 2008 . . . . . . . 37

5. "The Congressional Budget Process Timetable," by Bill Heniff Jr., CRS Report for Congress 98-472 GOV, March 20, 2008 . . . . . . . 45

6. "Budget Resolution Enforcement," by Bill Heniff, Jr., CRS Report for Congress 98-815, August 12, 2008 . . . . . . . 49

7. "The Budget Reconciliation Process: The Senate's 'Byrd Rule,'" by Robert Keith, CRS Report for Congress RL30862, March 20, 2008 . . . . . . . 55

8. "The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction," by Sandy Streeter, CRS Report 97-684, December 2, 2008 . . . . . . 91

9. "Reforming the Federal Budget Process," Testimony of Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director of OMB, before the Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process, Committee on Rules, U.S. House of Representatives, March 23, 2004 . . . . . . 119

10. From the Congressional Deskbook: Chapter 9, "Legislating in Congress: Federal Budget Process," by Bill Heniff Jr. and Robert Keith . . . . 133

Resources from TheCapitol.Net . . . . . . 179

11. Capitol Learning Audio Courses

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 Budget Execution Process with Carl Moravitz, ISBN 978-1-58733-136-7
Budget Formulation, Justification, and Execution: A How-To for Budget Analysts with James Capretta, ISBN 1-58733-060-1
The Federal Budget Process with Philip Joyce, ISBN 1-58733-083-0
The Budget Resolution in a Nutshell with Roy Meyers, ISBN 1-58733-085-7

12. Live Training

Understanding Congressional Budgeting and Appropriations
www.CongressionalBudgeting.com
Advanced Federal Budget Process
www.BudgetProcess.com
Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Process
www.CongressionalDynamics.com
The President’s Budget
www.PresidentsBudget.com
The Defense Budget
www.TheDefenseBudget.com

Other Resources . . . . . . 180

13. Books
14. Laws
15. Web Sites

Softcover, 2009, 192 pages, $27.50
ISBN: 1587331519 ISBN 13: 978-1-58733-151-0

Complete Table of Contents, sample pages, and online ordering here.

May 13, 2009 07:27 AM Link Comments (0)

The Budget Reconciliation Process

Reconciliation legislation is used by Congress to bring existing revenue and spending law into conformity with the policies in a budget resolution. Reconciliation is an optional process, but since 1980, Congress has used reconciliation legislation to implement many of its most significant budget policies.

The reconciliation process has two stages--the adoption of reconciliation directives in the budget resolution and the enactment of reconciliation legislation that implements changes in revenue or spending laws.

Reconciliation is used to change the amount of revenues, budget authority, or outlays generated by existing law. In a few instances, reconciliation has been used to adjust the public debt limit. On the spending side, the process focuses on entitlement laws, but it may not be used to impel changes in Social Security law.

The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 created reconciliation. (See Pub.L. 93-344, § 310; 88 Stat. 297; 2 USC § 641.)
“The Budget Reconciliation Process,” Parliamentary Outreach Program, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Rules
“Legislating in Congress: Federal Budget Process” by Bill Heniff Jr. and Robert Keith, Ch. 9 in the Congressional Deskbook (TheCapitol.Net 2007) www.CongressionalDeskbook.com
The "Byrd Rule" (2 USC § 644) outlines what reconciliation can and cannot be used for.
"Summary of the Byrd Rule," Parliamentary Outreach Program, U.S. House of Representatives
"The Budget Reconciliation Process: The Senate’s 'Byrd Rule',” by Robert Keith, CRS Report for Congress RL30862, March 20, 2008 (35-page pdf )

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April 10, 2009 11:57 AM Link Comments (0)

Understanding Congressional Budgeting and Appropriations

Understanding Congressional Budgeting and Appropriations

Who has the most to gain in the budgeting process? Where are you most effective? Where does your power lie in the budget process?

This engaging course explores basic congressional budget process concepts along with key players, their roles and relationships. Learn about discretionary and mandatory spending, the budget resolution and reconciliation process. Students also learn about the relationship of authorization and appropriations legislation. Hear real, modern-day examples that illustrate the process, and gain ample time to discuss concerns and roadblocks encountered with the budget process.

Friday, September 12, 2008
8:30 am to 4:00 pm
More information here

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August 25, 2008 11:37 AM Link Comments (0)

The Budget Resolution in a Nutshell

The Budget Resolution in a Nutshell

A Telephone Seminar

Rules and regulations governing the contents and consideration of the budget resolution. Topics include:

Enforcement by points of order
Implementation
The budget resolution in relation to other budgetary legislation
Reserve funds

Open Q&A with the faculty included: Roy Meyers.

Thursday, August 21, 2008
2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
More information here

The Budget Resolution in a Nutshell
Capitol Learning Audio Course
Includes seminar materials.
Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling

July 25, 2008 08:17 AM Link Comments (0)

Advanced Federal Budget Process

Advanced Federal Budget Process

In this 2-day course in Washington, DC you learn how the federal budget process really works from faculty members with years of subject-matter expertise. Study important terminology and get tips to protect your budgetary interests.

We provide a comprehensive overview of current budget politics and the federal budgeting process, so you gain the awareness and guidance necessary to increase your chance of boosting funds and minimizing cuts. Understand the budget resolution process as well as the differences between authorizations and appropriations.

Learn how to recognize various budget documents so you can use them most effectively. Students also discover performance-based budgeting principles and issues and OMB's tools for program performance assessment. Finally, we explore professional online budget research tips.

August 4-5, 2008
8:30 am to 4:00 pm both days
More information here

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July 14, 2008 08:37 AM Link Comments (0)

The Federal Budget Process

The Federal Budget Process

A Telephone Seminar

Phil Joyce provides an introduction to the federal budget process. Topics covered include:

Federal budget process chronology
The President's budget
Players in the congressional budget process
Key federal budget terms
Three different processes
The budget resolution and reconciliation

Open Q&A with the faculty included.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008
2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
More information here

The Federal Budget Process
Capitol Learning Audio Course
Includes seminar materials.
Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling

July 13, 2008 01:07 PM Link Comments (0)

2008 Congressional Pig Book

The Congressional Pig Book is CAGW's annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget. The 2008 Pig Book identified 11,610 projects at a cost of $17.2 billion in the 12 Appropriations Acts for fiscal 2008. A "pork" project is a line-item in an appropriations bill that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose in circumvention of established budgetary procedures. To qualify as pork, a project must meet one of seven criteria that were developed in 1991 by CAGW and the Congressional Porkbusters Coalition.

Citizens Against Government Waste

A pork-barrel project is a line-item in an appropriations or authorization bill that designates funds for a specific purpose in circumvention of the normal procedures for budget review. To qualify as pork, a project must meet one of seven criteria that were developed in 1991 by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) and the Congressional Porkbusters Coalition:
Requested by only one chamber of Congress;
Not specifically authorized;
Not competitively awarded;
Not requested by the President;
Greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding;
Not the subject of congressional hearings; or
Serves only a local or special interest.

The pork label is not a subjective judgment of a project’s merit. Rather, it refers to lapses in the procedures erected by Congress to review and consider the wise expenditure of taxpayer dollars.

"All About Pork: The Abuse of Earmarks and the Needed Reforms," by Tom Finnigan, Citizens Against Government Waste, March 7, 2007

Also see CAGW's blog, The Swine Line.

For links to selected CRS Reports, legislation and articles on earmarks, see our Federal Budget Links and Research Tools. Also see our blog posts about earmarks and OMB's Earmarks database.

Earmarks: Results-Oriented Strategies and Tactics in Light of Statutory and Internal Congressional Rule Changes

Capitol Learning Audio Course

April 3, 2008 10:37 AM Link Comments (0)

Earmarks: Everything You Need to Know

This important course gives students a solid overview of the federal budget process, highlighting ways beneficiaries of earmarks, i.e., directed congressional appropriations, influence the legislative process. Students also learn how to formulate and implement political and lobbying strategies when making their case on the Hill.

Earmarks: Everything You Need to Know, 8:30 am - 4:15 pm, March 6, 2008, Washington, DC

For links to selected CRS Reports, legislation and articles on earmarks, see our Federal Budget Links and Research Tools. Also see our blog posts about earmarks and OMB's Earmarks database.

March 3, 2008 05:07 PM Link Comments (0)

Earmarks

OMB's Earmarks database is online. And the WaPo has finished its 27-part series on lobbying.

Also see our Earmarks course.

April 8, 2007 03:57 PM Link Comments (0)

Earmarks

Congressional members, led by appropriators and an army of staff, have already figured out a new way to keep their favors in the money, and it might as well be called 1-800-EARMARKS (which unfortunately is already taken). All across Washington, members are at this moment phoning budget officers at federal agencies--Interior, Defense, HUD, you name it--privately demanding that earmarks in previous legislation be fully renewed again this year. There might not be a single official earmark in the 2007 spending bill, but thousands are in the works all the same.

And getting far less scrutiny than before--if that's even possible. Under this new regime, members don't even have to go to the trouble of slipping an earmark into a committee report, where it might later (once the voting is over) come in for criticism.

"It's a Trough Life: The secret new way of earmarks," by Kimberley A. Strassell, The Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2007

We are offering a course about earmarks on February 23, 2007: Earmarks: Everything You Need to Know.

February 12, 2007 08:07 PM Link Comments (0)

FY 2008 Budget Proposal

On Monday, February 5, 2007, President Bush will submit his fiscal 2008 budget proposal. We are offering 2 courses that will examine the President's proposed budget:

The President's Budget, February 22, 2007
The President's Defense Budget, February 28, 2007

Throughout the week of February 5, Congressional Quarterly's Budget Tracker will offer:

The entire budget proposal and relevant documents within hours of their release.
Agency statements about their sections of the budget.
Congressional reactions to the budget proposal from key members.
Transcripts of hearings with the OMB director and original reporting on all major agency proposals.

For a free trial of CQ Budget Tracker, click here.