Breaking preside… budget into law
You're referring to the process of passing a budget through the legislative process in the United States!
Here's a step-by-step breakdown of how a budget is typically broken down and passed into law:
- Budget Proposal: The President submits a budget proposal to Congress, outlining the administration's spending priorities and revenue projections for the upcoming fiscal year.
- Committee Review: The budget proposal is reviewed by the House Budget Committee and the Senate Budget Committee, which hold hearings and mark up the proposal with their own recommendations.
- House and Senate Votes: The budget proposal is then voted on in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. If it passes in both chambers, it is sent to a conference committee to iron out any differences.
- Conference Committee: The conference committee, composed of members from both the House and Senate, meets to reconcile the differences between the two versions of the budget. They may make changes to the budget, including adding or removing provisions.
- Final Vote: The conference committee's report is then voted on in both the House and Senate. If it passes, it is sent to the President for signature.
- Signing or Veto: The President can either sign the budget into law, which makes it official, or veto it, which sends it back to Congress with suggested changes. If the President vetoes the budget, Congress can try to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate.
- Omnibus or Continuing Resolution: If the budget is not passed by the end of the fiscal year (September 30th), Congress may pass an omnibus spending bill or a continuing resolution to keep government agencies funded temporarily until a new budget is passed.
Throughout this process, lawmakers may also consider various budgetary tools, such as:
- Reconciliation: A process that allows Congress to pass budget-related legislation with a simple majority vote, rather than the usual three-fifths majority required for most legislation.
- Budget reconciliation instructions: Instructions given to committees to develop budget-related legislation, which can be used to make changes to existing laws or programs.
- Budget points of order: Rules that allow lawmakers to raise points of order to challenge the constitutionality or procedural soundness of budget-related legislation.
The budget process can be complex and contentious, with various stakeholders and interest groups vying for influence. However, the end result is a critical document that outlines the government's spending priorities and revenue projections for the upcoming fiscal year.