321 Budgets

Budget Reconciliation overview

an unorthodox lawmaking tactic to avoid the 60 vote threshold in the Senate and fast-track the mandatory spending budget. Permitted for items with budget impact and the debt limit

Budget reconciliation process

Budget resolution is formed from president’s proposal, budget res conference committees deliberate, 20 hours of debate time (no need to invoke cloture), passes with only 51 votes, amendable, must be signed by the president

Budget reconciliation and parliamentarian

Bills and amendments under budget reconciliation must comply with the Byrd rule, the parliamentarian decides if they do, their rulings can be waived with 60 votes

Budget reconciliation history

Law in 1974 created the budget reconciliation process but it has become a tool of unorthodox lawmaking and most often used when the same party controls both chambers of congress and the president

Budget resolution overview

Acts as the guide for the federal budget, devised from the president’s proposals, non-binding

Byrd rule

determinant for what is appropriate to deliberate on in budget reconciliation

Byrd rule specifications

cannot affect social security, budgetary impact must not be merely incidental, cannot increase deficit any year beyond the 10 year budget window

Appropriations bills

Authorization of spending of govt funds

Appropriations bills process

President submits his proposal, congress drafts appropriations bills based on this, House and Senate appropriations committees then draft these bills

Affordable care act overview

• Obama devised the ACA in his budget proposal and let Congress flesh out the details

• House negotiated a single bill to introduce to three key committees while the Senate’s committees met regularly but worked on separate versions 

• Senate budget chair resisted the ACA in budget resolution, which did not include the ACA

• The public option became the focus of debate in general pop. (lack of tactical messaging)