The Federal Budget Process, V2 A description of the federal and congressional budget processes, including timelines Compiled by TheCapitol.Net 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 … Read more
ALEXANDRIA, VA – (October 8, 2018) – Just in time for the November midterm elections, TheCapitol.Net is pleased to announce the publication of a major new reference work, Congressional Procedure: A Practical Guide to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress, by Richard A. Arenberg. If the U.S. Constitution is the rule book, this is … Read more
The Federal Budget Process A description of the federal and congressional budget processes, including timelines Compiled by TheCapitol.Net 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 … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Baseline / Baseline Budgeting / Scorekeeping Dan Mitchell Discussing Dishonest Budget Numbers with John Stossel Baseline: Projection of future revenues, budget authority, outlays, and other budget amounts under assumed economic conditions and participation rates without a change in current policy. The Congressional Budget … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Budget Deficit / Budget Surplus Lesson 1 National Debt & Budget Deficit Explained The relationship between spending and revenues is reflected in the surplus or deficit figure. A surplus is an excess of revenues over outlays, while a deficit is an excess of … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Byrd Rule The term, named for Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), refers to an amendment to the Congressional Budget Act that bars the inclusion of extraneous matter in any reconciliation legislation considered in the Senate. This provision defines different categories of extraneous matter in any … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Reconciliation photo credit: Ben Sutherland Reconciliation: Process by which Congress changes existing laws to conform revenue and spending levels to the limits set in a budget resolution. Limited to twenty hours of debate in the Senate. Reconciliation Instruction: A provision within a Budget Resolution directing … Read more
Congress has utilized reconciliation more often than not, beginning in 1980. This special type of legislation is often used for implementing significant budget policies and for bringing existing revenue and spending law in line with policies in a budget resolution. Although reconciliation is an entirely optional process, it has been increasingly used in recent years. … Read more