Congressional Budget Process in the United States
The Congressional Budget Process in the Federal Budget Process
Congressional Budget Process in the congressional and executive budget processes (GAO source): Once the President submits his budget request, the congressional phase begins. Since the constitutional power of the purse is vested solely in Congress, the President’s budget request is just that—a request. Congress, of course, may choose to adopt, modify, or ignore the President’s budget proposals when adopting its budget resolution and when enacting appropriations and other laws. (See fig. 2 in app. II.)
The Congressional Budget Act establishes the following key steps in the congressional budget process.
Guide to U.S. Federal Congressional Budget Process
- Congressional Budget Process
- Budget Committees
- Estimates Reports
- Budget Resolution
- Fiscal Legislation
Guide to Stages of the Federal Budgeting Process
- Federal Budget Execution
- Federal Budget Development
- Executive Budget Formulation
- Next Budget Request
- Initial Budget Request Materials
- OMB Passback Decisions
- President Budget Request
- Mid-Session Review Document
- Congressional Budget Process
- Budget Committees
- Estimates Reports
- Budget Resolution
- Fiscal Legislation
- Federal Budget Control
- Impoundment
Congressional Budget Process
In Legislation
Congressional Budget Process in the U.S. Code: Title 2, Chapter 17A, Subchapter I
The current, permanent, in-force federal laws regulating congressional budget process are compiled in the United States Code under Title 2, Chapter 17A, Subchapter I. It constitutes “prima facie” evidence of statutes relating to Congress (including congressional budget process) of the United States. The reader can further narrow his/her legal research of the general topic (in this case, Budget and Congress of the US Code, including congressional budget process) by chapter and subchapter.
Resources
See Also
- Federal Appropriations
- Entries about the United States Budget Process in the Encyclopedia (including Congressional Budget Process)
- Public Debt
Further Reading
- Legislatures and the budget process: the myth of fiscal control
(J Wehner, 2010)
- Reconcilable Differences?: Congress, the Budget Process, and the Deficit (JB Gilmour, 1990)
- Fiscal institutions and fiscal performance
(JM Poterba, J von Hagen, 2008)