1.4: Congressional Budget Process

Strengthening the Congressional Budget Process

Other Information:

Summary: The current congressional budget process, far from encouraging fiscal discipline, works against a responsible approach to budgeting. The Budget Committees should be made instruments of House and Senate leadership and be given authority sufficient to shape annual budget legislation. The currently optional reconciliation process should be mandated annually until the publicly held federal debt is stabilized at 60 percent of GDP. To streamline Congress’s work, the authorizing and appropriations committees should be combined. To break the pattern of serial continuing resolutions that hamper effective administration, any appropriations bill should be required to provide at least a full year of appropriated funding in order to be considered on the floor of the House or Senate.

Stakeholder(s):

• Congresssional Budget Committees

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

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