From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 Panel 1: The History of the 1921 and 1974 Budget Acts The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 (Pub.L. 67-13, 42 Stat. 20–27) required for the first time that the president submit to Congress each year a … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Executive Branch EXECUTIVE BRANCH – Cram for the Exam The president is the head of the executive branch of the government, which includes many departments and agencies. The power of the Executive Branch is vested in the President of the United States, who … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Federal Register / Rulemaking / Unified Agenda In the course of its lawmaking, Congress often delegates quasi-legislative authority to executive departments and agencies so that they might effectively implement laws and carry out the broader policy determinations that Congress itself made. Departments and agencies engage … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Legislative Branch Agencies / Architect of the Capitol / AOC To ensure that Congress has independent sources of information from the executive branch to support it in its legislative and oversight responsibilities, Congress formed several legislative branch agencies. Stone Preservation on Capitol Hill … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Government Accountability Office / GAO / Comptroller General The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan legislative agency that works for Congress. Often called the “congressional watchdog,” GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. The head of GAO, the Comptroller General … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 The 1974 Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act (Pub.L. 93-344, 88 Stat. 297, July 12, 1974) 2 U.S.C. Chapter 17A, Congressional Budget and Fiscal Operations) requires the House and Senate each year to adopt a concurrent resolution … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Impoundments photo credit: oddsock Any action taken by the executive branch that delays or precludes the obligation or expenditure of budget authority appropriated by Congress. The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 was enacted after frequent use of impoundments by President Richard Nixon. … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Mixed-Ownership Government Corporation photo credit: Lori L. Stalteri An enterprise or business activity designated by the Government Corporation Control Act (31 U.S.C. § 9101) or some other statute as a mixed-ownership government corporation. The fiscal activities of some mixed-ownership government corporations appear in the budget. … Read more
What to Do Before the Hearing As soon as practicable in the witness preparation stage, a witness should become familiar with the issue of the hearing and the subject matter of the testimony. This is a critical step in preparing to be an effective witness. Usually the witness is a principal or officer in the … Read more