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Functional Categories of the Federal Budget

Description: This report discusses the functional categories, which provide a broad statement of budget priorities and facilitate the analysis of trends in related programs regardless of the type of financial transaction or agency organization.
Date: March 23, 1998
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Spending Pipeline: Stages of Federal Spending

Description: Federal government spending involves a multi-step process in which budget authority is enacted and obligated, and outlays are generated. Budget authority is enacted in law; it provides federal agencies the legal basis to incur obligations. Obligations, which reflect such activities as employing personnel, entering into contracts, and submitting purchase orders, establish financial liabilities of the federal government. Outlays are payments that liquidate these obligations. This multi-step proce… more
Date: April 23, 1998
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Basic Federal Budgeting Terminology

Description: In its most elemental form, the federal budget is a comprehensive accounting of the government’s spending, revenues, and borrowing. This fact sheet provides a brief overview of the basic terminology and concepts used in the federal budget process.
Date: April 27, 1998
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Debt-Limit Legislation in the Congressional Budget Process

Description: The gross federal debt consists of the debt held by the public plus the debt held by government accounts. Almost all of the gross federal debt is subject to a public debt limit, as set forth in statute (31 U.S.C. 3101).This report considers legislation needed to change the public debt limit.
Date: May 8, 1998
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Congressional Budget Process Timetable

Description: The Congressional Budget Act (CBA) of 1974 (P.L. 93-344), as amended, establishes the congressional budget process, which coordinates the legislative activities on the budget resolution, appropriations bills, reconciliation legislation, revenue measures, and other budgetary legislation. Section 300 of this act provides a timetable (see Table 1) so that Congress may complete its work on the budget by the start of the fiscal year on October 1.
Date: May 18, 1998
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Revenue Legislation in the Congressional Budget Process

Description: Most of the laws establishing the federal government's revenue sources are permanent and continue year after year without any additional legislative action. Congress, however, typically enacts revenue legislation, changing some portion of the existing tax system, every year. Revenue legislation may include changes to individual and corporate income taxes, social insurance taxes, excise taxes, or tariffs and duties. Congressional consideration of revenue legislation is governed by various consti… more
Date: May 18, 1998
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Consideration of the Budget Resolution

Description: Consideration of a concurrent budget resolution is governed by special procedures in the House and Senate. Although the procedures of each chamber differ, they serve generally to expedite consideration of the budget resolution.
Date: May 29, 1998
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Budget Act Points of Order

Description: Title III of the Congressional Budget Act (CBA) of 1974 (P.L. 93-344), as amended, establishes the points of order that are used to enforce congressional budget procedures and substantive provisions of a budget resolution. These points of order prohibit certain congressional actions and consideration of certain legislation.
Date: October 22, 1998
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Sequestration Process

Description: Sequestration is the cancellation of budgetary resources for the purpose of enforcing statutory budget limits and pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) requirements. This process is triggered automatically when these statutory limits or PAYGO rules have been violated as a result of legislative actions.
Date: December 28, 1998
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Timetable for Sequestration Actions

Description: Sequestration--the automatic across-the-board cancellation of budgetary resources for the purpose of enforcing budgetary goals--was first established by the 1985 Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act (Title II of P.L. 99-177). Section 254 of this act, as amended, provides a timetable for sequestration actions.
Date: December 28, 1998
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Pay-As-You-Go Rules in the Federal Budget Process

Description: The pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rules in the federal budget process require that new direct spending and revenue legislation be deficit neutral. The net effect of all such legislation enacted during a session must not cause a net increase in the budget deficit (or a net decrease in the budget surplus). If direct spending or revenue legislation causes an increase in the deficit, it must be offset by an equivalent amount of direct spending reductions, revenue increases, or a combination of both.
Date: February 15, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Baselines and Scorekeeping in the Federal Budget Process

Description: Baselines and scorekeeping are an integral part of the federal budget process, providing Congress and the President with a framework for making and enforcing budgetary decisions. A baseline serves as a benchmark for federal budget decisions. While the Office of Management and Budget (0MB) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) create different baselines, their baselines project federal spending, revenue, and budget surplus or deficit amounts that would occur if existing budget policies were … more
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Basic Federal Budgeting Terminology

Description: In its most elemental form, the federal budget is a comprehensive accounting of the government’s spending, revenues, and borrowing. This fact sheet provides a brief overview of the basic terminology and concepts used in the federal budget process.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Budget Resolution Enforcement

Description: 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.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Congressional Budget Process Timetable

Description: The Congressional Budget Act (CBA) of 1974 (P.L. 93-344), as amended, establishes the congressional budget process, which coordinates the legislative activities on the budget resolution, appropriations bills, reconciliation legislation, revenue measures, and other budgetary legislation. Section 300 of this act provides a timetable (see Table 1) so that Congress may complete its work on the budget by the start of the fiscal year on October 1.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Consideration of the Budget Resolution

Description: Consideration of a concurrent budget resolution is governed by special procedures in the House and Senate. Although the procedures of each chamber differ, they serve generally to expedite consideration of the budget resolution.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Debt-Limit Legislation in the Congressional Budget Process

Description: The gross federal debt consists of the debt held by the public plus the debt held by government accounts. Almost all of the gross federal debt is subject to a public debt limit, as set forth in statute (31 U.S.C. 3101).This report considers legislation needed to change the public debt limit.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Discretionary Spending Limits

Description: Discretionary spending limits are statutory caps on the level of budget authority and outlays determined through the annual appropriations process. They were initially established by the Budget Enforcement Act (BEA) of 1990 (Title XIII of P.L. 101-508) as part of an agreement between Congress and President George Bush to reduce the deficit. Twice since, they were extended to enforce agreements between Congress and President Bill Clinton, most recently to achieve a surplus.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Federal Fiscal Year

Description: This report discusses the federal fiscal year which is the accounting period of the federal government.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Formulation and Content of the Budget Resolution

Description: The Congressional Budget Act (CBA) of 1974 (Titles I-IX of P.L. 93-344), as amended, established the concurrent budget resolution as the centerpiece of the congressional budget process. This report discusses the budget resolution, which provides the framework for subsequent legislative action on the annual appropriations bills, revenue measures, debt-limit legislation, reconciliation legislation (if required), and any other budgetary legislation.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Sequestration Process

Description: Sequestration is the cancellation of budgetary resources for the purpose of enforcing statutory budget limits and pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) requirements. This process is triggered automatically when these statutory limits or PAYGO rules have been violated as a result of legislative actions.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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