Federal Budget Process
How the Federal Budget Process Is Supposed to Work
The 1974 law set a strict budget calendar, but Congress almost never meets its deadlines, relying instead on stopgap funding and last-minute deals.
Federal Budget Process
The federal budget process is the yearly cycle by which the president proposes and Congress decides how the government raises and spends money. It includes budget resolutions, appropriations bills, authorizations, reconciliation, and stopgap measures. The White House, congressional committees, and federal agencies all take part.
People usually ask how a budget becomes law, what the difference is between authorizing and funding a program, and how mandatory and discretionary spending differ. They also ask what a continuing resolution is, how earmarks and special rules work, how the fiscal year is set, and what happens when deadlines pass without agreement.
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October 2last updated
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