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Order Code 98-815 GOV
Updated July 17, 2003
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Budget Resolution Enforcement
Bill Heniff Jr.
Analyst in American National Government
Government and Finance Division
The annual budget resolution sets forth Congress's budget plan for a period of at
least five fiscal years. It includes total levels of spending, revenues, and the debt limit for
each of the fiscal years covered. While the budget resolution does not become law, the
Congressional Budget Act (CBA) of 1974 (Titles I-IX of P.L. 93-344), as amended,
provides for the enforcement of its provisions as they are implemented in subsequent
annual appropriations bills, revenue measures, and other budgetary legislation. For more
information on budget process, see [http://www.crs.gov/products/guides/guidehome.
shtml].
Under Section 303(a) of the CBA, the House and Senate are prohibited from
considering any budgetary legislation for the upcoming fiscal year before a budget
resolution has been adopted. The House, however, may consider appropriations bills after
May 15 if a budget resolution has not been adopted by that date. In addition, the House
and Senate may waive this provision by a simple majority.
Once the budget resolution is adopted, Congress may enforce its provisions, through
points of order, at several levels: the aggregate levels of spending and revenue, the level
of resources allocated to committees, and the level of resources allocated to the
appropriations subcommittees. Congress also may use reconciliation legislation to
enforce the direct spending and revenue provisions of a budget resolution.
At the aggregate level, Section 31 (a) of the CBA prohibits the House or Senate
from considering any measure that would cause the spending or revenue totals for the first
fiscal year, or the revenue totals for the full period, covered by the budget resolution to
be breached. In the House, however, any measure that would not also cause the relevant
committee allocation to be exceeded is exempt from this point of order by Section 311 (c)
of the CBA.
While Congress sets budget priorities by allocating spending among each major
functional category in a budget resolution, these amounts are not binding or enforceable
in subsequent budgetary legislation. The functional category amounts are allocated to the
relevant House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over spending under Section
302(a) of the CBA, and are published in the joint explanatory statement accompanying
the conference report on a budget resolution. Section 302(a) allocations of new budget
authority and outlays may not exceed the total new budget authority and outlays set forth
in the budget resolution. Committee allocations are enforceable by points of order on the
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