Librarian for Public Policy & Urban Planning
Overview
Who’s involved in creating the federal budget?
Federal Fiscal Year Runs Oct 1 to Oct 1
- President: submits a budget “request”; tool to set national policy
- Office of Management and Budget (executive agency): Formulates, prepares, and oversees the president’s budget
- Congress
- Senate Budget Committee
- House Budget Committee
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- House Appropriations Committee
- Congressional Budget Office
The budget sets “broad areas of spending; appropriations define the allocation of money for very specific programs and items”. Congress implements budget resolution policies through action on individual revenue and debt-limit measures, annual appropriations acts, and direct spending legislation.
References:
Keith, Robert. (2008). CRS Report for Congress: Introduction to the Federal Budget Process. Congressional Research Service, Washington, D.C. Available online: http://opencrs.com/document/98-721/2008-03-07
Sears, J. L., & Moody, M. K. (2001). Using government information sources: Electronic and print. Phoenix, Ariz: Oryx Press.
Guides to the Federal Budget Process
Who's Involved with the Federal Budget Process?
- President's Budget, 2009The President submits a budget “request”; which is a tool to set national policy and the Office of Management and Budget (executive agency) formulates, prepares, and oversees the president’s budget. The budget sets “broad areas of spending; appropriations define the allocation of money for very specific programs and items”.
- Congressional Budget Office, Budget and Economic InformationCongress implements budget resolution policies through action on individual revenue and debt-limit measures, annual appropriations acts, and direct spending legislation.
Federal Budget Timetable
From the US Code Online via GPO Access [www.gpoaccess.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 3, 2007] [CITE: 2USC631] 2006 Edition
TITLE 2--THE CONGRESS
CHAPTER 17A--CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET AND FISCAL OPERATIONS
SUBCHAPTER I--CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET PROCESS
Sec. 631. Timetable
The timetable with respect to the congressional budget process for any fiscal year is as follows:
| On or before: | Action to be completed: |
| First Monday in February | President submits his budget. |
| February 15 | Congressional Budget Office submits report to Budget Committees. |
| Not later than 6 weeks | Committees submit views and estimates after President submits to Budget Committees |
| April 1 | Senate Budget Committee reports concurrent resolution on the budget. |
| April 15 | Committees submit views and estimates after President submits to Budget Committees |
| May ? | Something |
| June 10 | House Appropriations Committee reports last annual appropriation bill. |
| June 15 | Congress completes action on reconciliation legislation. |
| June 30 | House completes action on annual appropriation bills. |
| October 1 | Fiscal year begins. |