Federal Budget

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House Republican Rules Package Designed to Enable Skewed Priorities

January 11, 2023 | Joel Friedman

The House Republican majority recently adopted a rules package to guide that chamber’s legislative action that would put up steep barriers to investments in critical national needs while paving the way for ever more tax cuts, inevitably tilted toward the wealthy and profitable corporations.

Important Investments, Significant Disappointments in Year-End Legislation

December 20, 2022

Report

Portman Proposal for Automatic Continuing Resolution Not a Good Solution for Government Shutdowns

November 18, 2019

Blog

Debt Limit Threats Would Put the Global Economy at Risk

October 24, 2022

Blog

Debt Limit Threats Would Put the Global Economy at Risk

October 24, 2022 | Paul N. Van de Water

Blog

Building a Better Budget Process

February 26, 2018 | Paul N. Van de Water

New on this Topic

Report

Introduction to Budget “Reconciliation”

May 6, 2022

Blog

Failing to Suspend or Raise Debt Limit Would Have Wide-Ranging Effects

September 27, 2021

Report

Congress Must Suspend or Raise the Debt Limit

September 21, 2021

Blog

Enzi-Whitehouse Would Threaten Medicare and Medicaid

December 12, 2019

Report

Enzi-Whitehouse Budget Process Bill Includes Harmful Provision for Automatic Reconciliation

December 11, 2019

Report

House Appropriations Actions Set Stage for Battle Over 2020 Funding Levels and Priorities

July 2, 2019

Policy Basics

The budget process includes the President's budget proposal, Congress’ “budget resolution,” the “reconciliation” process to change tax or entitlement laws, and deficit-control measures such as spending caps, pay-as-you-go requirements, and sequestration.

We monitor the budget process and work to prevent harmful changes to it, such as requirements to balance the budget every year or arbitrary limits on total or low-income spending.

Introduction to the Federal Budget Process

The “Pay-As-You-Go” Budget Rule

View All Policy Basics

Debt Limit Threats Would Put the Global Economy at Risk

Using the debt ceiling as a bargaining chip is always irresponsible, but it’s especially dangerous at this moment, when monetary policy is tightening and the economic recovery is...

Failing to Suspend or Raise Debt Limit Would Have Wide-Ranging Effects

Were the nation to default on its legal obligations for the first time — which will occur if lawmakers don’t raise or suspend the debt limit in the coming days — that would have...

Congress Must Suspend or Raise the Debt Limit

Protecting the full faith and credit of the U.S. government by suspending or raising the debt limit should not be a partisan...

Enzi-Whitehouse Would Threaten Medicare and Medicaid

December 18: We’ve updated this post. Congress should reject efforts to attach, to end-of-year spending legislation, a bill from the Senate Budget Committee’s Chairman Mike Enzi...

Enzi-Whitehouse Budget Process Bill Includes Harmful Provision for Automatic Reconciliation

The bill could drive harmful budget cuts and unsound economic...

Portman Proposal for Automatic Continuing Resolution Not a Good Solution for Government Shutdowns

An automatic CR raises significant concerns and would cause serious problems of its own, undermining sound budgeting and diminishing Congress’ role in setting national...

House Appropriations Actions Set Stage for Battle Over 2020 Funding Levels and Priorities

Both defense and NDD funding would be above 2019 levels, with NDD programs receiving the larger boost, but these increases cannot become law without a bipartisan agreement to amend the BCA by raising...

5 Reasons to Reject Any Constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment

Members of Congress have proposed almost a dozen constitutional amendments this year requiring a balanced budget, all of which share serious drawbacks. Rep. Ben McAdams introduced the latest balanced...

Greenstein: President Trump’s Fiscal 2020 Budget Proposal a Troubling Vision for the Nation

The budget would make poverty deeper and more widespread, increase the ranks of the uninsured, exacerbate inequality and racial disparities, and shrink opportunities for those trying to get...

New Budget Deal Needed to Avert Cuts, Invest in National Priorities

Unless Congress and the President reach a new budget agreement, both non-defense and defense discretionary program areas will face deep cuts in 2020 and...

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