R Budget Making

Thursday,
March 12, 2009

7:56 PM

Increasingly large
part of Congress

In the 1920's
allowed the budget to be made by the president's Office of Management and
Budget

Also if Congress
majority differs from president it will also produce its own budget

Congress has the
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) which it consults

Responsible
to both parties

Provides
info separately from president and executive branch

Where the real
priorities lie

Usually incremental

Only
need to discuss what actually changes

Very
little often changes

Don't
have to debate entire budget

All that matters is changes

Spends slightly more
before an election on agencies

Also increases in
times of unemployment and shrinks in times of inflation

Except
war and domestic crisis

Also big ideological
realignments

Contract
with America

Obama's
Blueprint for America (get it: blue)

Since the 1970s been
split up into 13 different bills

Goes through
similar, yet more complex process than other bills

Authorizations

Acts
that create agencies and allow them to continue operating

Establish
guidelines for the agency

Do
not provide actual funding; may contain funding levels

Appropriations

Give
federal agencies the authority to spend the $$ allocated to them

Both must pass in
House and Senate

Often Auth before
Approp

Budgeting rules laid
out in House and Senate rules; which change frequently

Committees on that
topic review each agencies' request

Often
very closely

But final authority
rests with Appropriations committee

13
subcommittees for each section

Assigns
spending limit for each area

And
then subcommittee debate on it

Also have a budget
committee

Created
in 1974

On
big issues like economic forecasting, fiscal planning, controlling overall
spending

Sets
out a non-binding proposal

Committees hold
hearings but they are really sideshows

Real decisions made
in direct, private negotiations

Rest of congress
then faced with "take it or leave it" approach

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R Budget Making

Thursday,
March 12, 2009

7:56 PM

Increasingly large
part of Congress

In the 1920's
allowed the budget to be made by the president's Office of Management and
Budget

Also if Congress
majority differs from president it will also produce its own budget

Congress has the
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) which it consults

Responsible
to both parties

Provides
info separately from president and executive branch

Where the real
priorities lie

Usually incremental

Only
need to discuss what actually changes

Very
little often changes

Don't
have to debate entire budget

All that matters is changes

Spends slightly more
before an election on agencies

Also increases in
times of unemployment and shrinks in times of inflation

Except
war and domestic crisis

Also big ideological
realignments

Contract
with America

Obama's
Blueprint for America (get it: blue)

Since the 1970s been
split up into 13 different bills

Goes through
similar, yet more complex process than other bills

Authorizations

Acts
that create agencies and allow them to continue operating

Establish
guidelines for the agency

Do
not provide actual funding; may contain funding levels

Appropriations

Give
federal agencies the authority to spend the $$ allocated to them

Both must pass in
House and Senate

Often Auth before
Approp

Budgeting rules laid
out in House and Senate rules; which change frequently

Committees on that
topic review each agencies' request

Often
very closely

But final authority
rests with Appropriations committee

13
subcommittees for each section

Assigns
spending limit for each area

And
then subcommittee debate on it

Also have a budget
committee

Created
in 1974

On
big issues like economic forecasting, fiscal planning, controlling overall
spending

Sets
out a non-binding proposal

Committees hold
hearings but they are really sideshows

Real decisions made
in direct, private negotiations

Rest of congress
then faced with "take it or leave it" approach