Order Code 98-511 GOV
Updated July 17, 2003
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Consideration of the Budget Resolution
Bill Heniff Jr.
Analyst in American National Government
Government and Finance Division
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. For more information on
budget process, see [http://www.crs.gov/products/guides/guidehome.shtml].
Initial Consideration in the Senate
The Congressional Budget Act (CBA) of 1974 (Titles I-IX of P.L. 93-344), as
amended, outlines the congressional budget timetable in Section 300, and sets April 1 as
the date the Senate Budget Committee should report the budget resolution to the Senate
floor. Once on the floor, the budget resolution is considered under rules set forth in
Section 305(b) of the CBA. To expedite the consideration of the budget resolution, the
rules limit the amount of time for debate and prohibit certain amendments and motions.
Debate on the initial consideration of a budget resolution, and all amendments,
debatable motions, and appeals, is limited to not more than 50 hours. Generally, the time
allotted for debate on a budget resolution is equally divided between, and controlled by,
the majority leader and the minority leader or their designees, usually the chair and
ranking minority member of the Senate Budget Committee. Section 305(b)(5) of the
CBA prohibits debate on any motion further limiting debate. After opening statements,
up to four hours may be designated for debating economic goals and policies. Debate on
any amendments is limited to two hours each, equally divided between the mover of the
amendment and the budget resolution floor manager. Any amendment to an amendment,
debatable motion, or appeal is limited to one hour of debate. A motion to recommit may
be debated for no more than one hour. When the Senate considers a budget resolution
that revises a budget resolution already in place (under Section 304 of the CBA), debate
is limited to only 15 hours.
These provisions limit the length of debate, but do not limit the offering of
amendments or motions. After the 50 hours of debate has been reached, consideration of
amendments, motions, and appeals may continue, but without debate. The Senate,
however, usually adopts a unanimous consent agreement establishing what amendments
to a budget resolution will be considered. Notwithstanding a unanimous consent
agreement, the rules set forth in Section 305(b) of the CBA prohibit certain amendments
and motions, including any amendment not germane to the provisions of a budget
resolution; any amendment on economic goals and policies unless the budget resolution
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includes economic goals, and the amendment proposes to change such goals and the
budgetary levels to achieve those goals; and a motion to recommit, unless the motion
includes instructions to report back within a certain number of days, not to exceed three
days that the Senate is in session.
Initial Consideration in the House
In the House, there is no deadline for the House Budget Committee to report a
budget resolution to the floor, as there is in the Senate. When a budget resolution is
reported, it may be called up for consideration at any time thereafter, subject to the three-
day availability requirement under clause 4 of House Rule XIII. A motion to proceed to
consider a budget resolution is “highly privileged,” not debatable, and not amendable.
The CBA sets forth rules regarding House floor consideration of a budget resolution
similar to the Senate provisions, but the House regularly adopts a special rule establishing
the amount of time allotted for debate and what amendments will be in order, superseding
these provisions. General debate frequently is limited to about five hours. The House
special rule typically has allowed for consideration of only amendments in the nature of
a substitute to the budget resolution. For example, between 1982 and 2003, 71 out of 76
amendments to the budget resolution were amendments in the nature of a substitute.
Consideration of the Budget Resolution Conference Report
Although the concurrent budget resolution does not become law, it still must be
adopted in identical form by both the House and the Senate. Therefore, once each
chamber adopts its budget resolution, the differences must be resolved, usually in a
conference committee. The rules, and recent practices, governing the consideration of a
conference report on a budget resolution once again are intended to expedite final action
on the floor.
Section 305(c) of the CBA outlines several provisions relating to the consideration
of the conference report on a budget resolution in the Senate. A motion to proceed to
consider a budget resolution conference report may be made at any time, even when a
previous motion to the same effect has been defeated. Debate on the conference report,
and all amendments and debatable motions and appeals, is limited to not more than 10
hours. Any motion or appeal related to the conference report may be debated for no more
than one hour. As with the initial consideration of a budget resolution in the Senate, these
provisions may be superseded by a unanimous consent agreement.
While the CBA includes rules for House consideration of a conference report on a
budget resolution (Section 305(a)(6)), a conference report regularly is considered under
a special rule, usually limiting the length of debate to one hour.
The CBA requires final action on the budget resolution to be completed on or before
April 15. This date, however, is more a target than an enforceable deadline; there are no
procedural penalties if Congress does not adopt a budget resolution by this date. Congress
usually completes action on a budget resolution in May or June.

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