R Budget Makin= g
Thu= rsday, March 12, 2009
7:5= 6 PM
Increasingly l= arge part of Congress
In the 1920's allowed the budget to be made by the president's Office of Management and Budget
Also if Congre= ss majority differs from president it will also produce its own budget
Congress has t= he 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 increm= ental
Only need to discuss what actually changes
Very little often changes
Don't have to debate entire budget
All that matters is changes
Spends slightl= y 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 ideol= ogical realignments
Contract with America
Obama's Blueprint for America (get it: blue)
Since the 1970= s 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 $$ allocated to them
Both must pass= in House and Senate
Often Auth bef= ore Approp
Budgeting rule= s laid out in House and Senate rules; which change frequently
Committees on = that topic review each agencies' request
Often very closely
But final auth= ority rests with Appropriations committee
13 subcommittees for each section
Assigns spending limit for each area
And then subcommittee debate on it
Also have a bu= dget committee
Created in 1974
On big issues like economic forecasting, fiscal planning, controlling overall spending
Sets out a non-binding proposal
Committees hold hearings but they are really sideshows
Real decisions= made in direct, private negotiations
Rest of congre= ss then faced with "take it or leave it" approach
R Budget Makin= g
Thu= rsday, March 12, 2009
7:5= 6 PM
Increasingly l= arge part of Congress
In the 1920's allowed the budget to be made by the president's Office of Management and Budget
Also if Congre= ss majority differs from president it will also produce its own budget
Congress has t= he Congressional Budget Office (CBO) which it consults
Responsible to both parties
Provides info separately from president and executive branch
Where the real priorities lie
Usually increm= ental
Only need to discuss what actually changes
Very little often changes
Don't have to debate entire budget
All that matters is changes
Spends slightl= y more before an election on agencies
Also increases= in times of unemployment and shrinks in times of inflation
Except war and domestic crisis
Also big ideol= ogical realignments
Contract with America
Obama's Blueprint for America (get it: blue)
Since the 1970= s been split up into 13 different bills
Goes through similar, yet more complex process than other bills
Authorizations
Acts that create agencies and allow them to continue operating
Establish guidelines for the agency
Do not provide actual funding; may contain funding levels
Appropriations
Give federal agencies the authority to spend the $$ allocated to them
Both must pass= in House and Senate
Often Auth bef= ore Approp
Budgeting rule= s laid out in House and Senate rules; which change frequently
Committees on = that topic review each agencies' request
Often very closely
But final auth= ority rests with Appropriations committee
13 subcommittees for each section
Assigns spending limit for each area
And then subcommittee debate on it
Also have a bu= dget 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 congre= ss then faced with "take it or leave it" approach