The US Congress creates a budget resolution to establish the federal budget, which involves several committees and agencies. A concurrent resolution must be approved by both the House and Senate, but not the executive authority. The President presents the federal budget request in February, and the House and Senate committees work separately to establish the budget decision. The reconciliation process requires negotiations by both sides in a conference committee. Laws mandating the budget resolution process were established in 1921 and overhauled in 1974, 1985, and 1990 to control federal debt and deficit.
A budget resolution is a legislative document issued by the United States Congress that sets in motion the legislature’s responsibility to establish the federal budget. This is one of the major steps along the path of financing US government spending and activities. The budget resolution process uses strict rules and procedures involving several committees and government agencies.
The formation and approval of the federal budget require the approval of a concurrent resolution. This means that the approval of the measure must be obtained from both the House of Representatives and the Senate by simple majority. Unlike a joint bill or resolution, however, a concurrent resolution does not have to be approved by the executive authority. In terms of budget resolution, it simply states that the House and Senate have agreed to act on behalf of the government in securing the necessary funds for the budget.
Prior to the creation of the budget resolution, the President of the United States presents the federal budget request to Congress. Traditionally, this occurs on the first Monday in February. The Executive Office spends the months leading up to this job determining how much money all federal agencies and departments need. Specifically, the Office of Management and Budget creates proposals and studies showing how much funding the government needs to continue operating for the next fiscal year.
After the President presents his proposal, the House and Senate committees work separately to establish the budget decision. They add and edit the content of the president, eventually deciding on a budget that will work for members of both houses. Representatives and senators responsible for the budget process then meet to complete the reconciliation process. This requires negotiations by both sides in a conference committee. Once that is done, Congress produces a conference report, outlining the need for appropriation bills, bills that empower the government to spend money.
Laws mandating the budget resolution process were first established through the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921. It was heavily overhauled in 1974 with the passage of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act. made further changes such as the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 and the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990. The main purpose of these laws was to define the timing and process of the budget system as well as keep the federal debt and deficit under control .
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