Congressional Budget Resolutions:
Historical Information

Bill Heniff Jr.
Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process
Justin Murray
Information Research Specialist
January 29, 2010
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RL30297
CRS Report for Congress
P
repared for Members and Committees of Congress

Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Summary
The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (Titles I-IX of P.L. 93-344, as amended; 2 U.S.C. 601-
688) provides for the annual adoption of a concurrent resolution on the budget. The congressional
budget resolution is an agreement between the House and Senate on a budget plan for the
upcoming fiscal year and at least the following four fiscal years. As a concurrent resolution, it is
not presented to the President for his signature and thus does not become law. The budget
resolution, however, provides Congress a framework for subsequent legislative action on budget
matters during each congressional session.
Congress has adopted 39 budget resolutions during the 35 years that the congressional budget
process has been in effect. At least one budget resolution has been adopted every year except
1998 (for FY1999), 2002 (for FY2003), 2004 (for FY2005), and 2006 (for FY2007). A second
budget resolution was adopted in each of the first seven years and a third budget resolution was
adopted in one year (for FY1977). Since 1982, Congress has adopted only one budget resolution
for each fiscal year. Congress initially was required to cover only the upcoming fiscal year in the
budget resolution, but over the years Congress has expanded this time frame. Currently, the
budget resolution must include at least five fiscal years.
The budget resolution may include reconciliation directives, instructing one or more committees
to recommend legislative changes to meet the direct spending and revenue levels included in the
budget resolution. In the past 35 years, Congress included reconciliation directives in 21 budget
resolutions, leading to the enactment of 19 reconciliation measures.
During the past 35 years, the House has considered and adopted fewer amendments to the budget
resolution than the Senate. The House has considered, on average, seven amendments per budget
resolution. For more than two decades, the House has considered the budget resolutions under
special rules that generally have made in order only amendments in the nature of a substitute. In
all but one year, the House has rejected all such amendments. In contrast, the Senate has
considered, on average, over 46 amendments per budget resolution, adopting, on average, over 26
of these.
The congressional budget timetable sets April 15 as a target date for completing action on the
annual budget resolution (prior to 1986, the date was May 15). During the past 35 years,
Congress has completed action on the budget resolution by the date set forth in the timetable only
six times, most recently in 2003 with the FY2004 budget resolution. Budget resolutions have
been adopted, on average, almost 37 days after the target date.
This report will be updated as warranted.

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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
Formulation and Content of the Budget Resolution ..................................................................... 9
Formulation of the Budget Resolution ................................................................................... 9
Content of the Budget Resolution........................................................................................ 11
Number of Years Covered by the Budget Resolution ........................................................... 16
Consideration and Adoption of the Budget Resolution............................................................... 19
Amendments to the Budget Resolution................................................................................ 22
Amendments in the House............................................................................................. 22
Amendments in the Senate ............................................................................................ 27
Timing of Action on the Budget Resolution......................................................................... 29

Tables
Table 1. Congressional Budget Resolutions, FY1976-FY2010 ..................................................... 3
Table 2. U.S. Statutes-at-Large Citations of Budget Resolutions, FY1976-FY2010...................... 7
Table 3. Budget Resolutions Rejected in the House, FY1976-FY2010 ......................................... 8
Table 4. Committee Reports to Budget Resolutions, FY1976- FY2010 ........................................ 9
Table 5. Selected Components Included in Budget Resolutions, FY1976-FY2010 ..................... 12
Table 6. Budget Resolutions and Associated Reconciliation Acts, FY1976-FY2010................... 14
Table 7. Number of Years Covered by Budget Resolutions, FY1976-FY2010 ............................ 17
Table 8. Special Rules Providing for the Consideration of Budget Resolutions in the
House, FY1976-FY2010 ........................................................................................................ 19
Table 9. Number of Amendments to Budget Resolutions Considered in the House,
FY1976-FY2010.................................................................................................................... 22
Table 10. Amendments in the Nature of a Substitute to Budget Resolutions Made in
Order by a Special Rule in the House, FY1976-FY2010 ......................................................... 24
Table 11. Number of Amendments to Budget Resolutions Considered in the Senate,
FY1976-FY2010.................................................................................................................... 27
Table 12. Dates of Final Adoption of the Annual Budget Resolution, FY1976-FY2010.............. 29
Table 13. Timing of House Action on Budget Resolutions, FY1976-FY2010 ............................. 30
Table 14. Timing of Senate Action on Budget Resolutions, FY1976-FY2010............................. 32

Appendixes
Appendix. Modifications to the Procedures and Requirements Pertaining to the
Formulation, Content, and Consideration of the Budget Resolution ........................................ 35

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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Contacts
Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 38
Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................... 38

Congressional Research Service

Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Introduction
The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (Titles I-IX of P.L. 93-344, as amended; 2 U.S.C. 601-
688) provides for the annual adoption of a concurrent resolution on the budget. The annual budget
resolution is an agreement between the House and Senate on a budget plan for the upcoming
fiscal year and at least the following four fiscal years. As a concurrent resolution, it is not
presented to the President for his signature and thus does not become law. The budget resolution,
however, provides the framework for subsequent legislative action on the annual appropriations
bills, revenue measures, debt-limit legislation, reconciliation legislation, and any other budgetary
legislation.
This report provides current and historical information on the budget resolution. It provides a list
of the budget resolutions adopted and rejected by Congress since implementation of the Budget
Act, including the U.S. Statutes-at-Large citations and committee report numbers, and describes
their formulation and content. The report provides a table of selected optional components, a list
of reconciliation measures, and information on the number of years covered by budget
resolutions. It also provides information on the consideration and adoption of budget resolutions,
including an identification of the House special rules that provided for consideration of budget
resolutions; the amendments in the nature of a substitute to the budget resolution considered in
the House; the number and disposition of House and Senate amendments to budget resolutions;
and dates of House and Senate action on budget resolutions.
Congress has modified the congressional budget process several times since it was first
established in 1974. The Appendix identifies laws, budget resolutions, and other resolutions that
modified the procedures and requirements pertaining to the formulation, content, and
consideration of the budget resolution.
As originally enacted, the Budget Act required that Congress adopt two budget resolutions each
year. The first budget resolution, which was to be adopted by May 15, was advisory in nature.
The second budget resolution, which was to be adopted by September 15 (about two weeks
before the beginning of the fiscal year), was binding. The second budget resolution revised or
reaffirmed the first budget resolution by taking into account budget and economic changes in the
months since the first resolution. Additional budget resolutions could be adopted at any time.
The Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Title II of P.L. 99-177, 99
Stat. 1038-1101) eliminated the requirement for a second budget resolution beginning in FY1987.
For several preceding years, for FY1983-FY1986, Congress did not adopt a second budget
resolution, but instead included a provision in the first budget resolution that made the spending
and revenue totals in it binding automatically as of the beginning of the fiscal year.
During the 35 years that the congressional budget process has been in effect, Congress has
adopted 39 budget resolutions. At least one budget resolution has been adopted every year except
1998 (for FY1999), 2002 (for FY2003), 2004 (for FY2005), and 2006 (for FY2007).1 Congress
also adopted a second budget resolution in seven of the 35 years. In two of these years (1979 for

1 In the absence of an agreed-upon budget resolution, the House (for FY1999, FY2003, FY2005 and FY2007) and
Senate (for FY1999, FY2005, and FY2007) each have agreed to “deeming resolution” provisions for budget
enforcement purposes. For further information on “deeming resolution” provisions, see CRS Report RL31443, The
“Deeming Resolution”: A Budget Enforcement Tool
, by Robert Keith.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

FY1980 and 1981 for FY1982), the House adopted the Senate version of the second budget
resolution rather than adopting its own; no conference report, therefore, was necessary for these
budget resolutions. In 1977, Congress adopted a third budget resolution for FY1977, further
revising the previous first and second budget resolutions for FY1977.
Table 1 lists all budget resolutions adopted by Congress, with the House and Senate votes on
initial passage and adoption of the conference report. The U.S. Statutes-at-Large citations for
adopted budget resolutions are listed in Table 2. (Although concurrent resolutions such as budget
resolutions have no statutory authority, they are compiled in a special section of the U.S. Statutes-
at-Large
.) Table 3 lists the budget resolutions rejected in the House. No budget resolutions were
rejected in the Senate.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Table 1. Congressional Budget Resolutions, FY1976-FY2010
Initial Passage
Conference Report
Congress
Fiscal Year
Budget Resolution (Companion Measure)
Typea
House Vote
Senate Vote
House Vote
Senate Vote
94th
1976
H.Con.Res. 218 (S.Con.Res. 32)
first
200-196
69-22
230-193
Voice


H.Con.Res. 466 (S.Con.Res. 76)
second
225-191
69-23
189-187
74-19

1977
S.Con.Res. 109 (H.Con.Res. 611)
first
221-155
62-22
224-170
65-29


S.Con.Res. 139 (H.Con.Res. 728)
second
227-151
55-23
234-143
66-20
95th

S.Con.Res. 10 (H.Con.Res. 110)
third
239-169
72-20
226-173
Voice

1978
S.Con.Res. 19 (H.Con.Res. 214)
first
213-179
56-31
221-177
54-23


H.Con.Res. 341 (S.Con.Res. 43)
second
199-188
63-21
215-187
68-21

1979
S.Con.Res. 80 (H.Con.Res. 559)
first
201-197
64-27
201-198
Voice


H.Con.Res. 683 (S.Con.Res. 104)
second
217-178
56-18
225-162
47-7
96th
1980
H.Con.Res. 107 (S.Con.Res. 22)
first
220-184
64-20
202-196
72-17


S.Con.Res. 53 (H.Con.Res. 186)b second
206-186
57-20



1981
H.Con.Res. 307 (S.Con.Res. 86)
first
225-193c
68-28 205-195
61-26
241-174


H.Con.Res. 448 (S.Con.Res. 119)
second
203-191
48-46
voice
50-38
97th
1982
H.Con.Res. 115 (S.Con.Res. 19)
first
270-154
78-20
244-155
76-20


S.Con.Res. 50 (H.Con.Res. 230)d second
206-200
49-48



1983
S.Con.Res. 92 (H.Con.Res. 352)

219-206
49-43
210-208
51-45
98th
1984
H.Con.Res. 91 (S.Con.Res. 27)

229-196
50-49
239-186
51-43

1985
H.Con.Res. 280 (S.Con.Res. 106)

250-168
41-34
232-162
voice
99th
1986
S.Con.Res. 32 (H.Con.Res. 152)

258-170
voice
309-119
67-32

1987
S.Con.Res. 120 (H.Con.Res. 337)

245-179
70-25
333-43
voice
100th
1988
H.Con.Res. 93 (S.Con.Res. 49)

voice
56-42
215-201
53-46

1989
H.Con.Res. 268 (S.Con.Res. 113)

319-102
69-26
201-181
58-29
101st
1990
H.Con.Res. 106 (S.Con.Res. 30)

263-157
68-31
241-185
63-37
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Initial Passage
Conference Report
Congress
Fiscal Year
Budget Resolution (Companion Measure)
Typea
House Vote
Senate Vote
House Vote
Senate Vote
1991
H.Con.Res. 310 (S.Con.Res. 110)

218-208
voice
250-164
66-33
102nd
1992
H.Con.Res. 121 (S.Con.Res. 29)

261-163
voice
239-181
57-41

1993
H.Con.Res. 287 (S.Con.Res. 106)

215-201e
voice 209-207
52-41
224-191
103rd
1994
H.Con.Res. 64 (S.Con.Res. 18)

243-183
54-45
240-184
55-45

1995
H.Con.Res. 218 (S.Con.Res. 63)

223-175
57-40
220-183
53-46
104th
1996
H.Con.Res. 67 (S.Con.Res. 13)

238-193
57-42
239-194
54-46

1997
H.Con.Res. 178 (S.Con.Res. 57)

226-195
53-46
216-211
53-46
105th
1998
H.Con.Res. 84 (S.Con.Res. 27)

333-99
78-22
327-97
76-22
1999f
H.Con.Res. 284 (S.Con.Res. 86)

216-204
57-41


106th
2000
H.Con.Res. 68 (S.Con.Res. 20)

221-208
55-44
220-208
54-44

2001
H.Con.Res. 290 (S.Con.Res. 101)

211-207
51-45
220-208
50-48
107th
2002
H.Con.Res. 83 (no companion measure)g
— 222-205 63-35 221-207 53-47
2003h
H.Con.Res. 353 (S.Con.Res. 100)

221-209



108th
2004
H.Con.Res. 95 (S.Con.Res. 23)

215-212
56-44
216-211
51-50
2005i
S.Con.Res. 95 (H.Con.Res. 393)

215-212
51-45
216-213

109th
2006
H.Con.Res. 95 (S.Con.Res. 18)

218-214
51-49
214-211
52-47
2007j
H.Con.Res. 376 (S.Con.Res. 83)

218-210
51-49


110th
2008
S.Con.Res. 21 (H.Con.Res. 99)

216-210
52-47
214-209
52-40

2009
S.Con.Res. 70 (H.Con.Res. 312)

212-207
51-44
214-210
48-45
111th
2010
S.Con.Res. 13 (H.Con.Res. 85)

233-196
55-43
233-193
53-43
Source: Legislative Information System of the U.S. Congress http://www.congress.gov.
a. “Type” refers to whether the budget resolution was the first, second, or third for the fiscal year. For the first seven years of the congressional budget process,
Congress adopted multiple budget resolutions each year. Since the FY1983 budget resolution, Congress has adopted only one a year.
b. The House rejected its version of the budget resolution (see Table 3 of this report) and adopted the Senate’s version of the budget resolution; no conference report
was necessary.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

c. The question was divided, with separate votes on sections 1-5 and 7, and on section 6 (revised FY1980 budget resolution).
d. The House laid its version of the budget resolution on the table by unanimous consent and adopted the Senate’s version of the budget resolution; no conference
report was necessary.
e. The question was divided, with separate votes on sections 1, 2 and 4, and on section 3 (revised the spending and revenue levels if certain legislation was not enacted
into law before conferees on the budget resolution were appointed).
f.
Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY1999. In the absence of a budget resolution, the House agreed to H.Res. 477 on June 19, 1998, and
H.Res. 5 on Jan. 6, 1999, both deeming the budget levels contained in the House-adopted FY1999 budget resolution (H.Con.Res. 284) general y to have been adopted
by Congress, for budget enforcement purposes. Likewise, the Senate agreed to S.Res. 209 on Apr. 2, 1998, and S.Res. 312 on Oct. 21, 1998, both setting forth budget
levels to be enforced as if they were included in a budget resolution agreed to by Congress.
g. The Senate Budget Committee did not mark up or report a budget resolution for FY2002. Instead, the Senate considered the House-passed budget resolution after
the Senate Budget Committee was discharged from its consideration.
h. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2003. In the absence of a budget resolution, the House agreed to H.Res. 428 on May 22, 2002, and
H.Res. 5 on Jan. 7, 2003, deeming the House-adopted FY2003 budget resolution (H.Con.Res. 353, 107th Congress) to have been adopted by Congress, for budget
enforcement purposes. The Senate did not take similar action.
i.
Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2005. The House agreed to the conference report to S.Con.Res. 95 (H.Rept. 108-498) on May 19,
2004, but the Senate never considered it. In the absence of a budget resolution, the House included a provision (Section 2) in the special rule (H.Res. 649) governing
the consideration of the conference report to S.Con.Res. 95 “deeming” the conference report to have been agreed to by Congress. The Senate included a provision
(Section 14007) in the Defense Appropriations Act, 2005 (P.L. 108-287) setting forth the FY2005 spending al ocations for the Senate Appropriations Committee.
j.
Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2007. In the absence of a budget resolution, the House agreed to a provision in the special rule
(Section 2 of H.Res. 818) governing the consideration of the FY2007 Interior Appropriations Act, (H.R. 5286) “deeming” the House-passed FY2007 budget resolution
(H.Con.Res. 376) to have been agreed to by Congress. he Senate included a provision (section 7035) in the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense,
the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006, (P.L. 109-234) setting forth the FY2007 spending al ocations for the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Table 2. U.S. Statutes-at-Large Citations of Budget Resolutions, FY1976-FY2010
Congress Fiscal Year
Typea
Budget Resolution
U.S. Statutes-at-Large Citation
94th
1976 first H.Con.Res. 218
89 Stat. 1197-1198
second
H.Con.Res. 466
89 Stat. 1209-1210


1977 first S.Con.Res. 109
90 Stat. 3029-3030
second
S.Con.Res. 139
90 Stat. 3044-3045
95th
1977
third
S.Con.Res. 10
91 Stat. 1666-1667

1978 first S.Con.Res. 19
91 Stat. 1670-1673
second
H.Con.Res. 341
91 Stat. 1683-1684

1979 first S.Con.Res. 80
92 Stat. 3870-3872
second
H.Con.Res. 683
92 Stat. 3878-3879
96th
1980 first H.Con.Res. 107
93 Stat. 1413-1416
second
S.Con.Res. 53
93 Stat. 1428-1433


1981 first H.Con.Res. 307
94 Stat. 3655-3668
second
H.Con.Res. 448
94 Stat. 3680-3688
97th
1982 first H.Con.Res. 115
95 Stat. 1743-1759
second
S.Con.Res. 50
95 Stat. 1778


1983

S.Con.Res. 92
96 Stat. 2647-2661
98th
1984

H.Con.Res. 91
97 Stat. 1501-1523

1985

H.Con.Res. 280
98 Stat. 3484-3498
99th
1986

S.Con.Res. 32
99 Stat. 1941-1959

1987

S.Con.Res. 120
100 Stat. 4354-4370
100th
1988

H.Con.Res. 93
101 Stat. 1986-2003

1989

H.Con.Res. 268
102 Stat. 4875-4886
101st
1990

H.Con.Res. 106
103 Stat. 2540-2554

1991

H.Con.Res. 310
104 Stat. 5163-5181
102nd
1992

H.Con.Res. 121
105 Stat. 2414-2433

1993

H.Con.Res. 287
106 Stat. 5165-5189
103rd
1994

H.Con.Res. 64
107 Stat. 2508-2538

1995

H.Con.Res. 218
108 Stat. 5075-5103

1996

H.Con.Res. 67
109 Stat. 996-1030
104th

1997

H.Con.Res. 178
110 Stat. 4434-4482
105th
1998

H.Con.Res. 84
111 Stat. 2710-2760

1999b —


106th
2000

H.Con.Res. 68
113 Stat. 1968-1999

2001

H.Con.Res. 290
114 Stat. 3139-3173
107th
2002

H.Con.Res. 83
115 Stat. 2486-2516

2003c



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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Congress Fiscal Year
Typea
Budget Resolution
U.S. Statutes-at-Large Citation
108th
2004

H.Con.Res. 95
117 Stat. 2910-2942

2005d
— —

109th
2006

H.Con.Res. 95
119 Stat. 3633-3658

2007e

— —
110th
2008

S.Con.Res. 21
not available

2009

S.Con.Res. 70
not available
111th
2010

S.Con.Res. 13
not available
Source: U.S. Statutes-at-Large, various volumes.
Notes: Although concurrent resolutions such as budget resolutions have no statutory authority, they are
compiled in a special section of the U.S. Statutes-at-Large.
a. “Type” refers to whether the budget resolution was the first, second, or third for the fiscal year. For the
first seven years of the congressional budget process, Congress adopted multiple budget resolutions each
year. Since the FY1983 budget resolution, Congress has adopted only one a year.
b. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY1999.
c. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2003.
d. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2005.
e. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2007.
Table 3. Budget Resolutions Rejected in the House, FY1976-FY2010
Congress Fiscal
Year Budget
Resolution Date
Vote
95th 1978
H.Con.Res.
195
04-27-1977
84-320
96th 1980
H.Con.Res.
186a 09-19-1979 192-213
97th 1983
H.Con.Res.
345
05-27-1982
159-265
99th 1987
H.Con.Res.
296
03-13-1986
12-312
101st
1991
H.Con.Res. 310
10-05-1990 179-254
(conf. rept.)b
104th 1996 H.Con.Res.
122
12-19-1995
0-412
Source: Legislative Information System of the U.S. Congress http://www.congress.gov.
Notes: No budget resolutions in the Senate were rejected on roll-call votes. All budget resolutions listed were
first budget resolutions, except for FY1980, which was a second budget resolution.
a. House subsequently adopted the Senate’s version of the second budget resolution for FY1980 (S.Con.Res.
53).
b. After this conference report (H.Rept. 101-802) was rejected, another conference report to H.Con.Res. 310
(H.Rept. 101-820) was agreed to on October 8, 1990, by a vote of 250-164.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Formulation and Content of the Budget Resolution
Formulation of the Budget Resolution
Following the submission of the President’s budget in January or February, Congress begins
formulating its budget resolution. The House and Senate Budget Committees are responsible for
developing and reporting the budget resolution.
Within six weeks after the President’s budget submission, each House and Senate committee is
required to submit its “views and estimates” relating to budget matters under their jurisdiction to
their respective Budget Committee (Section 301(d) of the Budget Act). These views and
estimates, often submitted in the form of a letter to the chair and ranking Member of the Budget
Committee, typically include comments on the President’s budget proposals and estimates of the
budgetary impact of any legislation likely to be considered during the current session of
Congress. The Budget Committees are not bound by these recommendations. The views and
estimates often are printed in the committee report accompanying the resolution in the Senate or
compiled in a separate committee print in the House.
The budget resolution was designed to provide a framework to make budget decisions, leaving
specific program determinations to the Appropriations Committees and other committees with
spending and revenue jurisdiction. In many instances, however, particular program changes are
considered when formulating the budget resolution. Program assumptions are sometimes referred
to in the reports of the Budget Committees or may be discussed during floor action. Although
these program changes are not binding, committees may be strongly influenced by these
recommendations when formulating appropriations bills, reconciliation measures, or other
budgetary legislation.
Table 4 provides a list of the House, Senate, and conference reports to the first budget resolutions
adopted by Congress each year.
Table 4. Committee Reports to Budget Resolutions, FY1976- FY2010
Budget Resolution
Senate
Fiscal Year (Companion Measure)
House Report
Report/Print
Conference Report(s)
1976
H.Con.Res. 218
H.Rept. 94-145
S.Rept. 94-77
H.Rept. 94-198
(S.Con.Res. 32)
S.Rept. 94-113
1977 S.Con.Res.
109
H.Rept. 94-1030
S.Rept. 94-731
H.Rept. 94-1108
(H.Con.Res. 611)
S.Rept. 94-805
1978
S.Con.Res. 19
H.Rept. 95-239
S.Rept. 95-90
H.Rept. 95-291
(H.Con.Res. 214)
S.Rept. 95-134
1979
S.Con.Res. 80
H.Rept. 95-1055
S.Rept. 95-739
H.Rept. 95-1173
(H.Con.Res. 559)
S.Rept. 95-866
1980
H.Con.Res. 107
H.Rept. 96-95
S.Rept. 96-68
H.Rept. 96-211
(S.Con.Res. 22)
S.Rept. 96-192
1981
H.Con.Res. 307
H.Rept. 96-857
S.Rept. 96-654
H.Rept. 96-1051
(S.Con.Res. 86)
S.Rept. 96-792
1982 H.Con.Res.
115
H.Rept. 97-23
S.Rept. 97-49
H.Rept. 97-46
(S.Con.Res. 19)
S.Rept. 97-86
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Budget Resolution
Senate
Fiscal Year (Companion Measure)
House Report
Report/Print
Conference Report(s)
1983
S.Con.Res. 92
H.Rept. 97-597
S.Rept. 97-385
H.Rept. 97-614
(H.Con.Res. 352)
S.Rept. 97-478
1984 H.Con.Res.
91
H.Rept. 98-41
S.Rept. 98-63
H.Rept. 98-248
(S.Con.Res. 27)
S.Rept. 98-155
1985
H.Con.Res. 280
[none]
S.Rept. 98-399
H.Rept. 98-1079
(S.Con.Res. 106)
1986
S.Con.Res. 32
H.Rept. 99-133
S.Rept. 99-15
H.Rept. 99-249
(H.Con.Res. 152)
1987 S.Con.Res.
120
H.Rept. 99-598
S.Rept. 99-264
H.Rept. 99-664
(H.Con.Res. 337)
1988 H.Con.Res.
93
[none] [none] H.Rept.
100-175
(S.Con.Res. 49)
S.Rept. 100-76
1989
H.Con.Res. 268
H.Rept. 100-523
S.Rept. 100-311
H.Rept. 100-658
(S.Con.Res. 113)
1990
H.Con.Res. 106
H.Rept. 101-42
S.Rept. 101-20
H.Rept. 101-50
(S.Con.Res. 30)
1991
H.Con.Res. 310
H.Rept. 101-455
[none]
H.Rept. 101-820
(S.Con.Res. 110)
1992
H.Con.Res. 121
H.Rept. 102-32
S.Rept. 102-40
H.Rept. 102-69
(S.Con.Res. 29)
1993
H.Con.Res. 287
H.Rept. 102-450
[none]
H.Rept. 102-529
(S.Con.Res. 106)
1994 H.Con.Res.
64
H.Rept. 103-31
S.Rept. 103-19
H.Rept. 103-48
(S.Con.Res. 18)
1995
H.Con.Res. 218
H.Rept. 103-428
S.Rept. 103-238
H.Rept. 103-490
(S.Con.Res. 63)
1996
H.Con.Res. 67
H.Rept. 104-120
S.Rept. 104-82
H.Rept. 104-159
(S.Con.Res. 13)
1997
H.Con.Res. 178
H.Rept. 104-575
S.Rept. 104-271
H.Rept. 104-612
(S.Con.Res. 57)
1998 H.Con.Res.
84
H.Rept. 105-100
[none]
H.Rept. 105-116
(S.Con.Res. 27)
1999a
H.Con.Res. 284
H.Rept. 105-555
S.Rept. 105-170
(S.Con.Res. 86)
2000
H.Con.Res. 68
H.Rept. 106-73
S.Rept. 106-27
H.Rept. 106-91
(S.Con.Res. 20)
2001 H.Con.Res.
290
H.Rept. 106-530
S.Rept. 106-251
H.Rept. 106-577
(S.Con.Res. 101)
2002 H.Con.Res.
83
H.Rept. 107-26
[none]
H.Rept. 107-60
(no companion measure)b
2003c H.Con.Res.
353
H.Rept. 107-376
S.Rept. 107-141

(S.Con.Res. 100)
2004 H.Con.Res.
95
H.Rept. 108-37
S.Prt. 108-19
H.Rept. 108-71
(S.Con.Res. 23)
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Budget Resolution
Senate
Fiscal Year (Companion Measure)
House Report
Report/Print
Conference Report(s)
2005d S.Con.Res.
95
H.Rept. 108-441
S.Prt. 108-365
H.Rept. 108-498
(H.Con.Res. 393)
2006 H.Con.Res.
95
H.Rept. 109-17
S.Prt. 109-18
H.Rept. 109-62
(S.Con.Res. 18)
2007e H.Con.Res.
376
H.Rept. 109-402
S.Prt. 109-57

(S.Con.Res. 83)
2008 S.Con.Res.
21
H.Rept. 110-69
S.Prt. 110-19
H.Rept. 110-153
(H.Con.Res. 99)
2009 S.Con.Res.
70
H.Rept. 110-543
S.Prt. 110-39
H.Rept. 110-659
(H.Con.Res. 312)
2010 S.Con.Res.
13
H.Rept. 111-60
S.Prt. 111-16
H.Rept. 111-89
(H.Con.Res. 85)
Source: Legislative Information System of the U.S. Congress http://www.congress.gov.
Notes: This list includes first budget resolutions only.
a. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY1999.
b. The Senate Budget Committee did not mark up or report a budget resolution for FY2002. Instead, the
Senate considered the House-passed budget resolution after the Senate Budget Committee was discharged
from its consideration.
c. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2003.
d. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2005. The House agreed to the conference
report to S.Con.Res. 95 on May 19, 2004, but the Senate did not consider it.
e. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2007.
Content of the Budget Resolution
Section 301(a) of the Budget Act requires that the budget resolution include the following matters
for the upcoming fiscal year and at least the ensuing four fiscal years:
• aggregate levels of new budget authority, outlays, the budget surplus or deficit,
and the public debt;
• aggregate levels of federal revenues and the amount, if any, by which the
aggregate levels of federal revenues should be increased or decreased by
legislative action;
• amounts of new budget authority and outlays for each of the major functional
categories; and
• for purposes of Senate enforcement procedures, Social Security outlays and
revenues (although these amounts are not included in the budget surplus or
deficit totals due to their off-budget status).
In addition to the content required by the Budget Act, Section 301(b) lists several other matters
that may be included in the budget resolution. Table 5 provides a table indicating selected
components included in first budget resolutions for FY1976-FY2010.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Table 5. Selected Components Included in Budget Resolutions, FY1976-FY2010
Fiscal
Budget
Reconciliation
Credit
Number
Number of
Number of
Year
Resolution
Directives
Levels
of Reserve
Declaratory
Procedural
Fundsa
Statementsb
Provisionsc
1976 H.Con.Res.
218


0
0
0
1977 S.Con.Res.
109


0
0
0
1978 S.Con.Res.
19


0
1
0
1979
S.Con.Res. 80


0
0
0
1980 H.Con.Res.
107


0
0
0
1981 H.Con.Res.
307
X
X
0
3
1
1982 H.Con.Res.
115
X
X
0
2
1
1983 S.Con.Res.
92
X
X
0
3
6
1984 H.Con.Res.
91
X
X
1d 3 3
1985 H.Con.Res.
280

X
0
1
3
1986 S.Con.Res.
32
X
X
0
7
2
1987 S.Con.Res.
120
X
X
2
8
1
1988
H.Con.Res.
93 X X 3
3
4
1989 H.Con.Res.
268

X
3
3
1
1990 H.Con.Res.
106
X
X
2
2
1
1991 H.Con.Res.
310
X
X
1
0
1
1992 H.Con.Res.
121

X
5
2
3
1993 H.Con.Res.
287

X
5
8
4
1994
H.Con.Res.
64 X X 7
29
4
1995 H.Con.Res.
218

X
13
14
4
1996
H.Con.Res.
67 X X 2
14
5
1997 H.Con.Res.
178
X
X
3
39
3
1998 H.Con.Res.
84
X
X
10
40
3
1999e H.Con.Res.
284
X

0
7
1


4f
16
0
S.Con.Res. 86
2000 H.Con.Res.
68
X

7
22
3
2001 H.Con.Res.
290
X

10
44
13
2002 H.Con.Res.
83
X

9
14
5
2003g H.Con.Res.
353


6
7
1
S.Con.Res. 100


3
27
6
2004 H.Con.Res.
95
X

8
16
5
2005h S.Con.Res.
95
X

9
15
5
2006 H.Con.Res.
95
X

10
8
6
2007i H.Con.Res.
376
X

8
4
7
S.Con.Res. 83
X

22
0
6
2008 S.Con.Res.
21
X

23
17
9
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Fiscal
Budget
Reconciliation
Credit
Number
Number of
Number of
Year
Resolution
Directives
Levels
of Reserve
Declaratory
Procedural
Fundsa
Statementsb
Provisionsc
2009 S.Con.Res.
70


37
13
8
2010 S.Con.Res.
13
X

34
9
11
Sources: U.S. Statutes-at-Large, various volumes, and the respective conference reports on the budget
resolutions.
Notes: This list includes first budget resolutions only.
a. “Reserve fund” refers to any provision establishing procedures to revise spending or revenue levels, or
both, if certain legislation is enacted or some other condition is met.
b. Declaratory statements express, in non-binding terms, the sense of the Congress, the sense of the House,
or the sense of the Senate on various issues.
c. Some examples of the procedural provisions include deferred enrol ment; automatic second budget
resolutions; special budgetary treatment of certain activities, such as the sale of government assets; and
more recently, enforcement of a pay-as-you-go rules in the Senate, and limits on advance appropriations.
The number of procedural provisions does not include reconciliation instructions or reserve funds.
d. The FY1984 budget resolution provided for a single deficit-neutral reserve fund for all legislative initiatives
included in the Manager’s Statement.
e. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY1999. Entries represent FY1999 budget
resolutions agreed to by the respective chamber.
f.
This number does not include a provision allowing for revisions in spending levels if the line-item veto was
ruled unconstitutional.
g. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2003. Entries represent FY2003 budget
resolutions agreed to by the House and reported by the Senate Budget Committee, respectively.
h. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2005. Entries represent the conference
report to S.Con.Res. 95 (H.Rept. 108-498). The House agreed to the conference report on May 19, 2004,
but the Senate did not consider it.
i.
Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2007. Entries represent FY2007 budget
resolutions agreed to by the respective chamber.
The most important of the optional matters is the inclusion of reconciliation directives provided
by Section 310 of the Budget Act. Budget reconciliation is an optional two-step process Congress
may use to bring direct spending, revenue, and debt-limit levels into compliance with those set
forth in budget resolutions.2 In order to accomplish this, Congress first includes reconciliation
directives in a budget resolution directing one or more committees in each chamber to
recommend changes in statute to achieve the levels of direct spending, revenues, debt limit, or a
combination thereof, agreed to in the budget resolution. The legislative language recommended
by committees then is packaged “without any substantive revision” into one or more
reconciliation bills, as set forth in the budget resolution, by the House and Senate Budget
Committees. In some instances, a committee may be required to report its legislative
recommendations directly to its chamber.
Once the Budget Committees, or individual committees if so directed, report reconciliation
legislation to their respective chambers, consideration is governed by special procedures.3 These

2 For a more detailed discussion of the reconciliation process, see CRS Report RL33030, The Budget Reconciliation
Process: House and Senate Procedures
, by Robert Keith and Bill Heniff Jr.
3 For a brief summary of these procedures, see CRS Report 98-814, Budget Reconciliation Legislation: Development
(continued...)
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

special rules serve to limit what may be included in reconciliation legislation, to prohibit certain
amendments, and to encourage its completion in a timely fashion.
During the 35-year period since the congressional budget process was established, Congress has
included reconciliation directives to House and Senate committees in 21 budget resolutions.4 The
directives resulted in the enactment of 19 reconciliation measures. On four occasions (in 1982,
1986, 1997, and 2006), Congress adopted two reconciliation measures in one year. Four
reconciliation measures have been vetoed, in 1975, 1995, 1999, and 2000. Table 6 lists the
budget resolutions that contained reconciliation directives and the associated reconciliation acts.
Table 6. Budget Resolutions and Associated Reconciliation Acts, FY1976-FY2010
Fiscal Years
Fiscal
Budget
Covered by
Year
Resolution
Reconciliation
Associated Reconciliation Acts
Date Enacted
(or Vetoed)
Directives
1976 H.Con.Res.
466a
1976
Revenue Adjustment Act of 1975 (H.R. 5559)
12-17-1975
(vetoed)
1981 H.Con.Res.
307 1980-1981b
Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-
12-05-1980
499)
1982 H.Con.Res.
115 1981-1984c
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981
08-13-1981
(P.L. 97-35)
1983 S.Con.Res.
92 1983-1985
Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of
09-03-1982
1982 (P.L. 97-248)
09-08-1982
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1982
(P.L. 97-253)
1984 H.Con.Res.
91 1984-1986
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1983
04-18-1984
(P.L. 98-270)
1986 S.Con.Res.
32 1986-1988
Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation
04-07-1986
Act of 1985
(P.L. 99-272)
1987 S.Con.Res.
120 1987-1989
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986
10-21-1986
(P.L. 99-509)
1988 H.Con.Res.
93 1988-1990
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987
12-22-1987
(P.L. 100-203)

(...continued)
and Consideration, by Bill Heniff Jr.
4 The number (19) of budget resolutions containing reconciliation directives includes the FY1976 second budget
resolution (H.Con.Res. 466). There has been an ongoing controversy about whether the directive in this budget
resolution was a reconciliation directive as set forth in Section 310 of the Congressional Budget Act. The Senate treated
it as such and considered the resultant legislation (H.R. 5559, as reported by the Senate Finance Committee, 94th
Congress) under the reconciliation procedures. The House did not, however, consider and adopt its version of the
resultant legislation as a reconciliation measure, and thus it presumably did not consider the directive as a reconciliation
directive. See Floyd M. Riddick and Alan S. Frumin, Riddick’s Senate Procedure: Precedents and Practices (Rev. ed.),
S.Doc. 101-28, 101st Cong., 1st sess. (Washington: GPO, 1992), pp. 622-623. The legislation subsequently was adopted
by the Senate and House but was vetoed by the President. For further information on these directives, see (1) CRS
Congressional distribution memorandum, Reconciliation Directives to House Committees in Budget Resolutions for
FY1976-FY2005
, by Bill Heniff Jr.; and (2) CRS Congressional distribution memorandum, Reconciliation Directives to
Senate Committees in Budget Resolutions for FY1976-FY2005
, by Bill Heniff Jr. (both available from the author).
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Fiscal Years
Fiscal
Budget
Covered by
Year
Resolution
Reconciliation
Associated Reconciliation Acts
Date Enacted
(or Vetoed)
Directives
1990
H.Con.Res. 106
1990 (Senate)
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989
12-19-1989
1990-1991 (House)
(P.L. 101-239)
1991 H.Con.Res.
310 1991-1995
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990
11-05-1990
(P.L. 101-508)
1994 H.Con.Res.
64 1994-1998
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
08-10-1993
(P.L. 103-66)
1996
H.Con.Res. 67
1996-2002
Balanced Budget Act of 1995 (H.R. 2491)
12-06-1995
(vetoed)
1997 H.Con.Res.
178 1997-2002
Personal Responsibility and Work
08-22-1996
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L.
104-193)
1998
H.Con.Res. 84
1998-2002
Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-33)
08-05-1997
Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-34)
08-05-1997
2000
H.Con.Res. 68
2000-2009
Taxpayer Refund and Relief Act of 1999 (H.R.
09-23-1999
2488)
(vetoed)
2001 H.Con.Res.
290 2001-2005
Marriage
Tax
Relief Reconciliation Act of 2000 08-05-2000
(H.R. 4810)
(vetoed)
2002
H.Con.Res. 83
2001-2011
Economic Growth and Tax Relief
07-07-2001
Reconciliation Act of 2001
(P.L. 107-16)
2004
H.Con.Res. 95
2003-2013
Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act 05-28-2003
of 2003 (P.L. 108-27)
2006 H.Con.Res.
95 2005-2010
Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-171)
02-08-2006
2006-2010
Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation
05-17-2006
Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-222)
2008
S.Con.Res. 21
2007-2012
College Cost Reduction and Access Act (P.L.
09-27-2007
110-84)
Sources: U.S. Statutes-at-Large, various volumes, and the Legislative Information System of the U.S. Congress
http://www.congress.gov/. For further information on reconciliation measures, see CRS Report RL33030, The
Budget Reconciliation Process: House and Senate Procedures, by Robert Keith and Bill Heniff Jr.
Notes: Each budget resolution listed was the first, or sole, budget resolution for the fiscal year, except for
FY1976, which was the second budget resolution for that year.
a. There has been an ongoing controversy about whether the directive in this budget resolution was a
reconciliation directive as set forth in Section 310 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. The Senate
treated it as such and considered the resultant legislation (H.R. 5559, as reported by the Senate Finance
Committee, 94th Congress) under the reconciliation procedures. The House did not, however, consider and
adopt its version of the resultant legislation as a reconciliation measure, and thus it presumably did not
consider the directive as a reconciliation directive. See Floyd M. Riddick and Alan S. Frumin, Riddick’s
Senate Procedure: Precedents and Practices (Rev. ed.), S.Doc. 101-28, 101st Cong., 1st sess. (Washington:
GPO, 1992), pp. 622-623.
b. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees were instructed in the budget resolution to submit
legislation (e.g., rescissions of previously enacted appropriations) to reduce spending for FY1980.
c. The Senate Appropriations Committee was instructed in the budget resolution to submit legislation to
reduce spending for FY1981 (budget authority and outlays) and FY1982-1984 (outlays only).
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Beginning with the FY1981 budget resolution, Congress also included amounts for federal credit
activities. The 1985 Balanced Budget Act permanently required the inclusion of aggregate and
functional levels of direct loan obligations and primary loan guarantee commitments in budget
resolutions. The inclusion of federal credit levels, however, was made optional by the Budget
Enforcement Act of 1997 (Title X of P.L. 105-33; 111 Stat. 677-712). Of the 27 first budget
resolutions adopted by Congress, 18 budget resolutions included federal credit amounts.
Another optional component of budget resolutions has been the inclusion of reserve funds. The
reserve fund provisions generally provide for the revision of budget resolution aggregates,
functional allocations, and committee allocations if certain deficit-neutral legislation is enacted or
some other condition is met. Over the last decade, Congress often has included several reserve
funds in budget resolutions (as indicated in Table 5). For instance, the FY2010 budget resolution
(S.Con.Res. 13, 111th Congress) included 34 reserve funds.
As an indication of policy intent, Congress has often included declaratory statements in budget
resolutions. These nonbinding statements express the sense of Congress, the sense of the House,
or the sense of the Senate on various issues. As indicated in Table 5, Congress has included, on
average, almost 22 declaratory statements in the last 13 budget resolutions (not including budget
resolutions for FY1999, FY2003, FY2005, and FY2007 because Congress did not complete
action on these measures) but only, on average, about two and a half declaratory statements in the
first 18 budget resolutions.
The annual budget resolution also may require a deferred enrollment procedure (see Section
301(b)(3) of the Budget Act), under which all or certain bills providing new budget authority or
new entitlement authority for the upcoming fiscal year cannot be enrolled until Congress has
completed action on a reconciliation measure (or, prior to FY1987, a reconciliation measure or
the second budget resolution). Budget resolutions for FY1981, FY1982, FY1983, and FY1984
contained deferred enrollment provisions.5
Lastly, Congress has included several other procedural provisions in budget resolutions. Under
Section 301(b)(4) of the Budget Act, the so-called elastic clause, Congress may “set forth such
other matters, and require such other procedures, relating to the budget, as may be appropriate to
carry out the purposes of” the Congressional Budget Act in the budget resolution. The number of
procedural provisions included in budget resolutions is listed in the last column of Table 5. Some
of these procedural provisions include deferred enrollment; automatic second budget resolutions;
special budgetary treatment of certain activities, such as the sale of government assets; and more
recently, enforcement of a pay-as-you-go requirement in the Senate, and limits on advance
appropriations.
Number of Years Covered by the Budget Resolution
Originally, the Budget Act mandated that budget resolutions cover only the upcoming fiscal year
beginning on October 1 (referred to as the budget year). A desire to use the budget resolution as a
tool for budget planning and other factors prompted Congress to expand this time frame to
include the upcoming fiscal year as well as the two ensuing fiscal years. Congress used the
authority provided by the elastic clause of the Budget Act to adopt three-year budget resolutions

5 The FY1983 budget resolution exempted legislation dealing with certain trust funds from its deferred enrollment
provision.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

for the period covering the second budget resolution for FY1980 through the FY1986 budget
resolution. The practice of including three fiscal years was formalized by the 1985 Balanced
Budget Act.
The Budget Enforcement Act (BEA) of 1990 (Title XIII of P.L. 101-508, Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1990, 104 Stat. 1388-573-1388 through 630) temporarily extended to five
fiscal years the period the budget resolution is required to cover. The 1990 BEA provision
originally covered five-year periods beginning in FY1991 and continuing through FY1995; this
provision was extended to cover the FY1996 through FY1998 budget resolutions in 1993 (Title
XIV of P.L. 103-66, Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, 107 Stat. 683-685). As an
integral part of Congress’s goal of achieving a balanced budget by FY2002, the FY1996 and
FY1997 budget resolutions covered seven and six fiscal years, respectively. The Budget
Enforcement Act of 1997 (Title X of P.L. 105-33, Balanced Budget Act of 1997, 111 Stat. 677-
712) amended the Budget Act to require permanently that a budget resolution cover the budget
year and at least the four ensuing fiscal years.
Table 7 provides information regarding the number of years covered by the budget resolutions
agreed to by Congress.
Congress also may revise budget levels for the current year in the budget resolution, pursuant to
Section 304 of the Budget Act. Congress has adopted 15 first budget resolutions that revised
current-year budget levels.
Table 7. Number of Years Covered by Budget Resolutions, FY1976-FY2010
Number of Years
Fiscal Year
Budget Resolution
Fiscal Year(s)
Current Fiscal
Covered,
Covered
Year Revision
Excluding Current
Year
1976 H.Con.Res.
218
1976

1
1977
S.Con.Res. 109
1976-1977
1976
1
1978
S.Con.Res. 19
1978

1
1979 S.Con.Res.
80
1979

1
1980 H.Con.Res.
107 1979-1980
1979
1
1981 H.Con.Res.
307 1980-1983
1980
3
1982 H.Con.Res.
115 1981-1984
1981
3
1983
S.Con.Res. 92
1982-1985
1982
3
1984 H.Con.Res.
91
1983-1986
1983
3
1985 H.Con.Res.
280 1984-1987
1984
3
1986
S.Con.Res. 32
1985-1988
1985
3
1987
S.Con.Res. 120
1987-1989

3
1988 H.Con.Res.
93
1988-1990

3
1989 H.Con.Res.
268 1989-1991

3
1990 H.Con.Res.
106 1990-1992

3
1991 H.Con.Res.
310 1991-1995

5
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Number of Years
Fiscal Year
Budget Resolution
Fiscal Year(s)
Current Fiscal
Covered,
Covered
Year Revision
Excluding Current
Year
1992 H.Con.Res.
121 1991-1996
1991
5
1993 H.Con.Res.
287 1993-1997

5
1994 H.Con.Res.
64
1994-1998

5
1995 H.Con.Res.
218 1995-1999

5
1996 H.Con.Res.
67
1996-2002

7
1997 H.Con.Res.
178 1997-2002

6
1998 H.Con.Res.
84
1998-2002

5
1999a
H.Con.Res. 284
1998-2003
1998
5
S.Con.Res. 86
1998-2003
1998
5
2000 H.Con.Res.
68
2000-2009

10
2001 H.Con.Res.
290 2000-2005
2000
5
2002
H.Con.Res. 83
2001-2011
2001
10
2003b
H.Con.Res. 353
2003-2007

5
S.Con.Res. 100
2003-2012

10
2004 H.Con.Res.
95
2003-2013
2003
10
2005c
S.Con.Res. 95 2005-2009

5
2006 H.Con.Res.
95
2005-2010
2005
5
2007d
H.Con.Res. 376
2007-2011

5
S.Con.Res. 83
2006-2011
2006
5
2008 S.Con.Res.
21
2007-2012
2007
5
2009 S.Con.Res.
70
2008-2013
2008
5
2010 S.Con.Res.
13
2009-2014
2009
5
Sources: U.S. Statutes-at-Large, various volumes, and the respective conference reports on the budget
resolutions.
Notes: This list includes first budget resolutions only.
a. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY1999. Entries represent FY1999 budget
resolutions agreed to by the respective chamber.
b. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2003. Entries represent FY2003 budget
resolutions agreed to by the House and reported by the Senate Budget Committee, respectively.
c. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2005. Entry represents the conference
report to S.Con.Res. 95 (H.Rept. 108-498). The House agreed to the conference report on May 19, 2004,
but the Senate did not consider it.
d. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2007. Entries represent FY2007budget
resolutions agreed to by the respective chamber.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Consideration and Adoption of the
Budget Resolution

Floor consideration of the budget resolution differs in the House and Senate. Section 305 of the
Budget Act sets forth special procedures for the consideration of the budget resolution, generally
to expedite its consideration. The House, however, regularly adopts a special rule, a simple House
resolution, setting forth the terms for consideration of the measure. In particular, special rules
have been used for more than a decade to limit the offering of amendments to a few major
substitutes. Table 8 lists the special rules that provided for the consideration of budget resolutions
in the House.
In contrast, floor consideration in the Senate is governed by the procedures set forth in the
Congressional Budget Act. The procedures generally limit debate and prohibit certain
amendments and motions.6
Table 8. Special Rules Providing for the Consideration of Budget Resolutions
in the House, FY1976-FY2010
Fiscal Year
Special Rule
Budget Resolution
Date Special Rule
Was Adopteda
Vote
1976 [none]
H.Con.Res.
218


1977 [none]
H.Con.Res.
611


1978 H.Res.
515
H.Con.Res. 195b
04-26-1977
400-1
[none]
H.Con.Res. 214


1979 [none]
H.Con.Res.
559


1980 [none]
H.Con.Res.
107


1981 H.Res.
642
H.Con.Res. 307
04-23-1980
261-143
H.Res. 649c
H.Con.Res. 307
04-30-1980
voice
1982
H.Res. 134
H.Con.Res. 115
04-30-1981
328-76
1983 H.Res.
447
H.Con.Res. 345b
05-21-1982
voice
H.Res. 496
H.Con.Res. 32
06-10-1982
339-72
1984 H.Con.Res.
144
H.Con.Res. 91
03-22-1983
230-187
H.Res. 243
H.Con.Res. 91
06-23-1983
voice
(conf. rept.)
1985
H.Res. 476
H.Con.Res. 280
04-04-1984
302-89
1986 H.Res.
177
H.Con.Res. 152
05-22-1985
273-141
H.Res. 253
S.Con.Res. 32
08-01-1985
voice
(conf. rept.)
1987 H.Res.
397
H.Con.Res. 296b
03-13-1986
239-168
H.Res. 455
H.Con.Res. 337
05-14-1986
voice

6 For a discussion of these procedures, see CRS Report 98-511, Consideration of the Budget Resolution, by Bill Heniff
Jr.
Congressional Research Service
19

Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Date Special Rule
Fiscal Year
Special Rule
Budget Resolution
Was Adopteda
Vote
1988 H.Con.Res.
139
H.Con.Res. 93
04-08-1987
241-168
H.Res. 201
H.Con.Res. 93
06-23-1987
voice
(conf. rept.)
1989 H.Res.
410
H.Con.Res. 268
03-23-1988
voice
H.Res. 461
H.Con.Res. 268
05-26-1988
voice
(conf. rept.)
1990
H.Res. 145
H.Con.Res. 106
05-03-1989
voice
1991 H.Res.
382
H.Con.Res. 310
04-26-1990
voice
H.Res. 488
H.Con.Res. 310b
10-04-1990
339-94
H.Res. 496d
(conf. rept.)
10-06-1990
285-105
H.Con.Res. 310
(conf. rept.)
1992 H.Res.
123
H.Con.Res. 121
04-16-1991
392-9
H.Res. 157
H.Con.Res. 121
05-22-1991
257-164
(conf. rept.)
1993 H.Res.
386
H.Con.Res. 287
03-04-1992
239-183
H.Res. 463
H.Con.Res. 287
05-21-1992
253-160
(conf. rept.)
1994 H.Res.
131
H.Con.Res. 64
03-17-1993
voice
H.Res. 133e
H.Con.Res. 64
03-18-1993
251-172
H.Res. 145
H.Con.Res. 64
03-31-1993
250-172
(conf. rept.)
1995 H.Res.
384
H.Con.Res. 218
03-10-1994
245-171
H.Res. 418
H.Con.Res. 218
05-05-1994
228-168
(conf. rept.)
1996 H.Res.
149
H.Con.Res. 67
05-17-1995
225-168
H.Res. 175
H.Con.Res. 67
06-29-1995
234-180
H.Res. 309
(conf. rept.)
12-19-1995
229-189
H.Con.Res. 122b
1997 H.Res.
435
H.Con.Res. 178
05-16-1996
227-196
H.Res. 450
H.Con.Res. 178
06-12-1996
232-190
(conf. rept.)
1998 H.Res.
152
H.Con.Res. 84
05-20-1997
278-142
H.Res. 160
H.Con.Res. 84
06-05-1997
373-47
(conf. rept.)
1999
H.Res. 455
H.Con.Res. 284
06-04-1998
216-197
2000 H.Res.
131
H.Con.Res. 68
03-25-1999
228-194
H.Res. 137
H.Con.Res. 68
04-14-1999
221-205
(conf. rept.)
2001 H.Res.
446
H.Con.Res. 290
03-23-2000
228-194
H.Res. 474
H.Con.Res. 290
04-13-2000
221-205
(conf. rept.)
2002 H.Res.
100
H.Con.Res. 83
03-28-2000
282-130
H.Res. 134f
H.Con.Res. 83
409-1
H.Res. 136
(conf. rept.)
05-08-2001
218-208
H.Con.Res. 83
05-09-2001
(conf. rept.)
2003
H.Res. 372
H.Con.Res. 353
03-05-2002
222-206
Congressional Research Service
20

Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Date Special Rule
Fiscal Year
Special Rule
Budget Resolution
Was Adopteda
Vote
2004 H.Res.
151
H.Con.Res. 95
03-20-2003
voice
H.Res. 191
H.Con.Res. 95
04-11-2003
221-202
(conf. rept.)
2005 H.Res.
574
H.Con.Res. 393
03-25-2004
voice
H.Res. 649
S.Con.Res. 95
05-19-2004
220-204
(conf. rept.)
2006 H.Res.
154
H.Con.Res. 95
03-16-2005
228-196
H.Res. 248
H.Con.Res. 95
04-28-2005
voice
(conf. rept.)
2007 H.Res.
766g
H.Con.Res. 376
04-06-2006
225-196
H.Res. 817
05-17-2006
226-193
H.Con.Res. 376
2008 H.Res.
275h
H.Con.Res. 99
03-28-2007
229-197
H.Res. 409
S.Con.Res. 21
05-17-2007
225-194
(conf. rept.)
2009 H.Res.
1036i
H.Con.Res. 312
03-12-2008
223-195
H.Res. 1214
S.Con.Res. 70
05-21-2008
220-199
(conf. rept.)
2010 H.Res.
305j
H.Con.Res. 85
04-01-2009
234-179
H.Res. 316
H.Con.Res. 85
04-02-2009
242-182
H.Res. 371
S.Con.Res. 13
04-28-2009
234-185
(conf. rept.)
Source: Legislative Information System of the U.S. Congress http://www.congress.gov.
Notes: A special rule is a simple resolution reported by the House Rules Committee to provide for
consideration of legislation by the House. This list includes first budget resolutions only.
a. No special rules were rejected.
b. The budget resolution was rejected (see Table 3 in this report).
c. The special rule provided for technical corrections of H.Res. 642.
d. The special rule provided for consideration of a revised conference report (H.Rept. 101-820); the original
conference report (H.Rept. 101-802) was rejected (see Table 3 in this report).
e. The special rule provided for further consideration of H.Con.Res. 64.
f.
The special rule provided for the recommittal of the conference report to the conference committee; two
pages reportedly were missing from the original printed conference report (H.Rept. 107-55).
g. H.Res. 766 provided for debate only.
h. The House also considered and adopted H.Res. 370, which provided for the consideration of S.Con.Res. 21,
as amended by the text of H.Con.Res. 99, as adopted by the House, in order to facilitate a conference with
the Senate on S.Con.Res. 21. The House adopted H.Res. 370 by a vote of 221-197 on May 8, 2007.
i.
The House also considered and adopted H.Res. 1190, which provided for the consideration of S.Con.Res.
70, as amended by the text of H.Con.Res. 312, as adopted by the House, in order to facilitate a conference
with the Senate on S.Con.Res. 70. The House adopted H.Res. 1190 by a vote of 214-203 on May 14, 2008.
j.
H.Res. 305 provided for debate only.
Congressional Research Service
21

Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Amendments to the Budget Resolution
Amendments in the House
The House has considered, on average, almost seven amendments per budget resolution.7 The
largest number of amendments considered was 45 in 1979; the largest number agreed to was 11 in
1979 (the first FY1983 budget resolution also was amended 11 times, but it subsequently was
rejected). Table 9 identifies the number of accepted and rejected amendments to budget
resolutions considered in the House. The amending activity in the House during the last several
years is in marked contrast to the early years of the congressional budget process. During the first
eight years, the House considered, on average, 16 amendments per budget resolution, agreeing to,
on average, four of these. In contrast, during the past 27 years, the House has considered very few
amendments to budget resolutions, averaging three per budget resolution, and agreeing to even
fewer of these. Of the 96 amendments considered by the House during this time period, only four
were adopted. Since 1992, the House has rejected all amendments.
Contributing to this trend, 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 1983 and
2009 (for the FY1984-FY2010 budget resolutions), 91 out of the 96 amendments to the budget
resolution made in order by the special rule were amendments in the nature of a substitute. Only
one of these 91 amendments in the nature of a substitute was agreed to; that one contained the
budget resolution text recommended by the House Budget Committee offered by its chair at the
time, Representative William H. Gray III (PA). Table 10 lists the amendments in the nature of a
substitute to the budget resolution made in order by the special rule.
Table 9. Number of Amendments to Budget Resolutions Considered in the House,
FY1976-FY2010
Amendmentsa
Fiscal Year
Budget Resolution
Accepted Rejected
Total Success
Rateb
1976 H.Con.Res.
218 3
3
6
50%
1977 H.Con.Res.
611 2
14
16
13%
1978 H.Con.Res.
195c
6
10
16
60%
H.Con.Res. 214
2
6
8
25%
1979 H.Con.Res.
559 3
13
16
19%
1980 H.Con.Res.
107 11
34
45
24%
1981 H.Con.Res.
307 1
10
11
9%
1982 H.Con.Res.
115 2
2
4
50%
1983 H.Con.Res.
345c
11
27
38
29%
H.Con.Res. 352
1
1
2
50%
1984 H.Con.Res.
91
0
0
0

1985 H.Con.Res.
280 0
7
7
0%

7 The averages presented in this section are derived from all first budget resolutions considered on the House floor,
including those ultimately rejected by the House.
Congressional Research Service
22

Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Amendmentsa
Fiscal Year
Budget Resolution
Accepted Rejected
Total Success
Rateb
1986 H.Con.Res.
152 1
6
7
14%
1987 H.Con.Res.
296c
0
0
0

H.Con.Res. 337
0
3
3
0%
1988 H.Con.Res.
93
1
3
4
25%
1989 H.Con.Res.
268 0
3
3
0%
1990 H.Con.Res.
106 1
4
5
20%
1991 H.Con.Res.
310 0
3
3
0%
1992 H.Con.Res.
121 1
3
4
25%
1993 H.Con.Res.
287 0
3
3
0%
1994 H.Con.Res.
64
0
3
3
0%
1995 H.Con.Res.
218 0
4
4
0%
1996 H.Con.Res.
67
0
3
3
0%
H.Con.Res. 122c
0
0
0

1997 H.Con.Res.
178 0
3
3
0%
1998 H.Con.Res.
84
0
5
5
0%
1999 H.Con.Res.
284 0
2
2
0%
2000 H.Con.Res.
68
0
3
3
0%
2001 H.Con.Res.
290 0
5
5
0%
2002 H.Con.Res.
83
0
4
4
0%
2003 H.Con.Res.
100 0
0
0

2004 H.Con.Res.
95
0
4
4
0%
2005 H.Con.Res.
393 0
4
4
0%
2006 H.Con.Res.
95
0
4
4
0%
2007 H.Con.Res.
376 0
3
3
0%
2008 H.Con.Res.
99
0
3
3
0%
2009 H.Con.Res.
312 0
3
3
0%
2010 H.Con.Res.
85
0
4
4
0%
Source: Legislative Information System of the U.S. Congress http://www.congress.gov.
Notes: This list includes first budget resolutions only. The number of amendments in this table does not include
any amendments automatically agreed to upon the adoption of the special rule reported by the House Rules
Committee providing for the consideration of the budget resolution.
a. No amendments were withdrawn or ruled out of order.
b. “Success rate” is the percentage of amendments accepted.
c. The budget resolution was rejected (see Table 3 in this report).
Congressional Research Service
23

Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Table 10. Amendments in the Nature of a Substitute to Budget Resolutions Made in
Order by a Special Rule in the House, FY1976-FY2010
Fiscal
Budget
Amendment
Year
Resolution
Sponsor Date Vote
Disposition
1976 H.Con.Res.
218a
— — — —
1977 H.Con.Res.
611a
— — — —
1978 H.Con.Res.
195b




H.Con.Res. 214a




1979 H.Con.Res.
559a
— — — —
1980 H.Con.Res.
107a
— — — —
1981 H.Con.Res.
307 Obey
04-30-1980
201-213
rejected
Ottinger
04-30-1980
70-336
rejected
Holt
05-01-1980
164-246
rejected
Rousselot
05-06-1980
191-218
rejected
Latta
05-06-1980
175-242
rejected
1982 H.Con.Res.
115 Fauntroy
05-06-1981
69-356
rejected
Obey
05-06-1981
119-303
rejected
Latta
05-07-1981
253-176
accepted
1983 H.Con.Res.
345c
Miller (CA)
05-24-1982
181-225
rejected

Obey
05-24-1982
152-268
rejected
Fauntroy
05-24-1982
86-322
rejected
Rousselot
05-25-1982
182-242
rejected
Latta
05-27-1982
192-235
rejected
Aspin
05-27-1982
137-289
rejected
Jones (OK)
05-27-1982
171-253
rejected
H.Con.Res.
352
Latta
06-10-1982
220-207
accepted
Jones (OK)
06-10-1982
202-225
rejected
1984 H.Con.Res.
91 Lattad



1985 H.Con.Res.
280 Wirth
04-04-1984
1-401
rejected
Dannemeyer
04-04-1984
51-354
rejected
Roemer
04-04-1984
59-338
rejected
Dixon
04-05-1984
76-333
rejected
McHugh
04-05-1984
132-284
rejected
MacKay
04-05-1984
108-310
rejected
Latta
04-05-1984
107-311
rejected
1986 H.Con.Res.
152 Dannemeyer 05-22-1985
39-382
rejected
Pursell
05-22-1985
87-335
rejected
Leland
05-22-1985
54-361
rejected
Latta
05-23-1985
102-329
rejected
1987 H.Con.Res.
296e









H.Con.Res. 337
Dannemeyer
05-15-1986
73-338
rejected
Leland
05-15-1986
61-359
rejected
Latta
05-15-1986
145-280
rejected
1988 H.Con.Res.
93 Gray (PA)
04-09-1987
230-192
accepted
Gray (PA)
04-09-1987
27-394
rejected

Dannemeyer
04-09-1987
47-369
rejected
Dymally
04-09-1987
56-362
rejected
Congressional Research Service
24

Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Fiscal
Budget
Amendment
Year
Resolution
Sponsor
Date Vote
Disposition
1989 H.Con.Res.
268 Dannemeyer 03-23-1988
75-347
rejected
Porter
03-23-1988
64-354
rejected
Penny
03-23-1988
27-394
rejected
1990 H.Con.Res.
106 Dannemeyer 05-04-1989
72-350
rejected
Dellums
05-04-1989
81-343
rejected
Kasich
05-04-1989
30-393
rejected
Gephardt
05-04-1989
49-373
rejected
1991 H.Con.Res.
310 Kasich
04-26-1990
106-305
rejected
Dannemeyer
04-26-1990
48-354
rejected
Dellums
05-01-1990
90-334
rejected
1992 H.Con.Res.
121 Dannemeyer 04-17-1991
79-332
rejected
Kasich
04-17-1991
114-303
rejected
Gradison
04-17-1991
89-335
rejected
1993 H.Con.Res.
287 Dannemeyer 03-04-1992
60-344
rejected
Gradison
03-04-1992
42-370
rejected
Towns
03-05-1992
77-342
rejected
1994 H.Con.Res.
64 Kasich
03-18-1993
135-295
rejected
Solomon
03-18-1993
20-409
rejected
Mfume
03-18-1993
87-335
rejected
1995
H.Con.Res. 218
Frank (MA)
03-10-1994
105-313
rejected
Solomon
03-10-1994
73-342
rejected
Mfume
03-11-1994
81-326
rejected
Kasich
03-11-1994
165-243
rejected
1996 H.Con.Res.
67 Gephardt
05-18-1995
100-325
rejected

Neumann
05-18-1995
89-342
rejected

Payne (NJ)
05-18-1995
56-367
rejected





H.Con.Res. 122f




1997
H.Con.Res. 178
Payne (NJ)
05-16-1996
63-362
rejected
Orton
05-16-1996
130-295
rejected
Sabo
05-16-1996
117-304
rejected
1998 H.Con.Res.
84 Doolittle
05-21-1997
119-313
rejected
Brown (CA)
05-21-1997
91-339
rejected
Waters
05-21-1997
72-358
rejected
Kennedy (MA)
05-21-1997
123-306
rejected
Shuster
05-21-1997
214-216
rejected
1999 H.Con.Res.
284 Neumann
06-05-1998
158-262
rejected
Spratt
06-05-1998
164-257
rejected
2000 H.Con.Res.
68 Coburn
03-25-1999
2-426
rejected
Minge
03-25-1999
134-295
rejected
Spratt
03-25-1999
173-250
rejected
2001 H.Con.Res.
290 Owens
03-23-2000
70-348
rejected
DeFazio
03-23-2000
61-351
rejected
Stenholm
03-23-2000
171-243
rejected
Sununu
03-23-2000
78-339
rejected
Spratt
03-23-2000
184-233
rejected
2002 H.Con.Res.
83 Kucinich
03-28-2001
79-343
rejected
Stenholm
03-28-2001
204-221
rejected
Flake
03-28-2001
81-341
rejected
Spratt
03-28-2001
183-243
rejected
Congressional Research Service
25

Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Fiscal
Budget
Amendment
Year
Resolution
Sponsor
Date Vote
Disposition
2003
H.Con.Res.
353
— — — —
2004 H.Con.Res. 95
Hill
03-20-2003
174-254
rejected
Toomey
03-20-2003
80-342
rejected
Cummings
03-20-2003
85-340
rejected
Spratt
03-20-2003
192-236
rejected
2005 H.Con.Res.
393 Cummings 03-25-2004
119-302
rejected
Stenholm
03-25-2004
183-243
rejected
Hensarling
03-25-2004
116-309
rejected
Spratt
03-25-2004
194-232
rejected
2006 H.Con.Res.
95 Hensarling 03-17-2005
102-320
rejected
Watt
03-17-2005
134-292
rejected
Spratt
03-17-2005
165-264
rejected
2007 H.Con.Res.
376 Watt
05-17-2006
131-294
rejected
Hensarling
05-18-2006
94-331
rejected
Spratt
05-18-2006
184-241
rejected
2008 H.Con.Res.
99 Kilpatrick
03-29-2007
115-312
rejected
Woolsey
03-29-2007
81-340
rejected
Ryan
03-29-2007
160-268
rejected
2009 H.Con.Res.
312 Kilpatrick
03-13-2008
126-292
rejected
Lee (CA)
03-13-2008
98-322
rejected
Ryan (WI)
03-13-2008
157-263
rejected
2010 H.Con.Res.
85 Woolsey
04-02-2009
84-348
rejected
Jordan (OH)
04-02-2009
111-322
rejected
Lee (CA)
04-02-2009
113-318
rejected
Ryan (WI)
04-02-2009
137-293
rejected
Source: Legislative Information System of the U.S. Congress http://www.congress.gov
Notes: See Table 8 for a list of special rules providing for consideration of budget resolutions in the House. An
amendment in the nature of a substitute strikes al text after the resolving clause and replaces it with a different
text. This list includes first budget resolutions only. Text of the amendments may be found in the Congressional
Record and the report accompanying the special rule.
a. The budget resolution was not considered under a special rule.
b. The budget resolution was considered under an open rule (H.Res. 515); no specific amendments in the
nature of a substitute were made in order. H.Con.Res. 195 was rejected (see Table 3 in this report).
c. H.Con.Res. 345 was rejected (see Table 3 in this report).
d. The special rule (H.Res. 144) made in order an amendment in the nature of a substitute by, and if offered
by, Rep. Latta, but he did not offer one.
e. The budget resolution was considered under a closed rule (H.Res. 397). H.Con.Res. 296 was rejected (see
Table 3 in this report).
f.
The budget resolution was considered under a closed rule (H.Res. 309). H.Con.Res. 122 was rejected (see
Table 3 in this report).
Congressional Research Service
26

Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Amendments in the Senate
Unlike the House, which has no reporting deadline for its budget committee to report a budget
resolution, the Senate has an April 1 reporting deadline for the budget resolution.8 In addition, the
terms of debate and the consideration of amendments are not structured by a special rule, as in the
House, but instead are governed by the procedures set forth in Section 305(b) of the Budget Act.
Typically, a larger number of amendments is considered, consisting of substitute amendments as
well as amendments that address specific issues.
During the period between 1975 and 2009, the Senate considered, on average, over 46
amendments per budget resolution, agreeing to, on average, over 26 of these.9 The largest number
of amendments considered was 121 in 2009; the largest number agreed to was 101, also in 2009.
Table 11 identifies the number of amendments accepted, rejected, withdrawn, and ruled out-of-
order during Senate consideration of budget resolutions. In contrast to the House, the number of
amendments considered by the Senate has increased over the last decade. For the last 16 budget
resolutions considered on the floor for example, the Senate considered, on average, almost 78
amendments per budget resolution, agreeing to, on average, almost 50 of these. Amendments
have been agreed to in the Senate at a much higher rate compared to the House as well. For
instance, in 12 of the past 16 years in which a budget resolution was considered on the floor, the
success rate for amendments has equaled or exceeded 60%.
Table 11. Number of Amendments to Budget Resolutions Considered in the Senate,
FY1976-FY2010
Amendments
Fiscal Budget
Fell on
Year
Resolution
Adopted
Rejected Point of
Success
(RC)
(RC)
Order
Withdrawn Total
(RC)
Ratea
(RC)
1976
S.Con.Res. 32
1 (0)
4 (4)
0
0
5 (4)
20%
1977
S.Con.Res. 109 1 (0)
7 (7)
0
0
8 (7)
13%
1978
S.Con.Res. 19
5 (3)
2 (2)
0
0
7 (5)
71%
1979
S.Con.Res. 80
0
10 (10)
0
0
10 (10)
0%
1980
S.Con.Res. 22
5 (4)
12 (12)
0
0
17 (16)
29%
1981
S.Con.Res. 86
12 (6)
30 (28)
0
0
42 (34)
29%
1982 S.Con.Res.
9b
4 (1)
31 (31)
1 (1)
5
41 (33)
10%

S.Con.Res. 19
2 (1)
17 (17)
0
1
20 (18)
10%
1983
S.Con.Res. 19
8 (1)
29 (27)
0
0
37 (28)
22%
1984
S.Con.Res. 27
7 (4)
24 (23)
0
0
31 (27)
23%
1985
S.Con.Res. 106 2 (0)
0
0
0
2 (0)
100%
1986
S.Con.Res. 32
15 (12)
24 (24)
0
0
39 (36)
38%

8 For further information, see CRS Report RS20541, Congressional Budget Resolutions: Reporting Deadline in the
Senate
, by Robert Keith.
9 The averages presented in this section are derived from all first budget resolutions considered on the Senate floor.
Accordingly, they do not include the FY2003 budget resolution because it was not considered on the Senate floor.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Amendments
Fiscal Budget
Fell on
Year
Resolution
Adopted
Rejected Point of
Success
(RC)
(RC)
Withdrawn Total
Order
(RC)
Ratea
(RC)
1987
S.Con.Res. 120 13 (5)
7 (7)
0
2
22 (12)
59%
1988
S.Con.Res. 49
5 (3)
8 (8)
0
2
15 (11)
33%
1989
S.Con.Res. 113 8 (4)
4 (4)
0
0
12 (8)
67%
1990
S.Con.Res. 30
23 (2)
2 (2)
0
1
26 (4)
88%
1991
S.Con.Res. 110 1 (0)
0
0
0
1 (0)
100%
1992
S.Con.Res. 29
7 (0)
5 (5)
1 (1)
1
14 (6)
50%
1993
S.Con.Res. 106 15 (5)
3 (3)
2 (2)
1
21 (10)
71%
1994
S.Con.Res. 18
22 (15)
28 (28)
0
0
50 (43)
44%
1995
S.Con.Res. 63
26 (3)
9 (9)
0
4
39 (12)
67%
1996
S.Con.Res. 13
26 (11)
33 (33)
12 (12)
1
72 (56)
36%
1997
S.Con.Res. 57
41 (18)
21 (20)
2 (2)
2
66 (40)
62%
1998
S.Con.Res. 27
39 (6)
12 (12)
1 (1)
11
63 (19)
62%
1999
S.Con.Res. 86
57 (15)
8 (6)
12 (12)
29
106 (33) 54%
2000
S.Con.Res. 20
57 (5)
8 (7)
9 (6)
20
95 (18)
60%
2001
S.Con.Res. 101 38 (10)
10 (10)
5 (5)
3
56 (25)
68%
2002 S.Con.Res.
83c
51 (12)
10 (7)
2 (2)
3
66 (21)
77%
2003 S.Con.Res.
100d —





2004
S.Con.Res. 23
44 (13)
35 (35)
2 (2)
1
82 (50)
54%
2005
S.Con.Res. 95
39 (5)
19 (17)
2 (2)
4
64 (24)
61%
2006
S.Con.Res. 18
48 (14)
24 (22)
0
1
73 (36)
66%
2007
S.Con.Res. 83
54 (9)
27 (25)
0
6
87 (34)
62%
2008
S.Con.Res. 21
63 (7)
24 (24)
1 (1)
3
91 (32)
69%
2009
S.Con.Res. 70
88 (16)
20 (20)
4 (4)
1
113 (40) 78%
2010
S.Con.Res. 13
101 (15)
17 (17)
3 (3)
0
121 (35) 83%
Source: Legislative Information System of the U.S. Congress http://www.congress.gov
Note: This list includes first budget resolutions only. “RC” refers to the number of amendments on which a roll
call vote occurred in relation to the amendment. For purposes of this table, roll call votes in relation to an
amendment to the budget resolution include rol cal votes on agreeing to an amendment, on a motion to table
an amendment, and on a motion to waive a point of order against an amendment.
a. “Success rate” is the percentage of amendments accepted.
b. The budget resolution was adopted by the Senate on April 2, 1981, by a vote of 88-10; no further action
was taken.
c. The Senate Budget Committee did not mark up or report a budget resolution for FY2002. Instead, the
Senate considered the House-passed budget resolution after the Senate Budget Committee was discharged
from its consideration.
d. The Senate Budget Committee reported the FY2003 budget resolution, but the ful Senate did not consider
it.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Timing of Action on the Budget Resolution
Congress is required to complete action on the budget resolution by April 15 each year. Table 12
lists the dates of final adoption of budget resolutions for FY1976-FY2010. Since 1974, Congress
has met the budget resolution deadline only six times, most recently in 2003 with the FY2004
budget resolution. Under the original timetable (prior to 1986, the deadline was May 15),
Congress adopted the annual budget resolution on time twice, in 1975 and 1976. After the target
date was changed to April 15 by the 1985 Balanced Budget Act, Congress has completed action
on the budget resolution by the target date four times, in 1993, 1999, 2000, and 2003. Further,
Congress did not adopt a budget resolution four times (in 1998 for FY1999, in 2002 for FY2003,
in 2004 for FY2005, and in 2006 for FY2007).
Table 12. Dates of Final Adoption of the Annual Budget Resolution, FY1976-FY2010
Fiscal Year
Date Adopted
Fiscal Year
Date Adopted
1977 05-13-1976 1994 04-01-1993
1978 05-17-1977 1995 05-12-1994
1979 05-17-1978 1996 06-29-1995
1980 05-24-1979 1997 06-13-1996
1981 06-12-1980 1998 06-05-1997
1982 05-21-1981 1999 [none]
1983 06-23-1982 2000 04-15-1999
1984 06-23-1983 2001 04-13-2000
1985 10-01-1984 2002 05-10-2001
1986 08-01-1985 2003 [none]
1987 06-27-1986 2004 04-11-2003
1988 06-24-1987 2005 [none]
1989 06-06-1988 2006 04-28-2005
1990 05-18-1989 2007 [none]
1991 10-09-1990 2008 05-17-2007
1992 05-22-1991 2009 06-05-2008
1993 05-21-1992 2010 04-29-2009
Source: Legislative Information System of the U.S. Congress http://www.congress.gov.
In those years in which Congress has adopted a budget resolution (that is, not including the
budget resolutions for FY1999, FY2003, FY2005, and FY2007), it has adopted the budget
resolution an average of almost 37 days after the target date. The FY1991 budget resolution was
adopted the latest, on October 9, 1990, or 177 days after the deadline. The earliest adoption of a
budget resolution was for FY1994, on April 1, 1993, or 14 days before the deadline. Table 13 and
Table 14 provide a list of dates related to the consideration and adoption of the budget resolution
in the House and the Senate, respectively.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Table 13. Timing of House Action on Budget Resolutions, FY1976-FY2010
Date
Fiscal
Budget Resolution
Date
Date of Initial Conference
Year
(Companion Measure)
Typea
Consideration Passage
Began
Report
Adopted
1976 H.Con.Res.
218
first
04-30-1975
05-01-1975
05-14-1975
(S.Con.Res. 32)
second
11-11-1975
11-12-1975
12-12-1975
H.Con.Res. 466
(S.Con.Res. 76)
1977 S.Con.Res.
109
first
04-27-1976
04-29-1976
05-13-1976
(H.Con.Res. 611)
second
09-08-1976
09-09-1976
09-16-1976
S.Con.Res. 139
third
02-22-1977
02-23-1977
03-03-1977
(H.Con.Res. 728)
S.Con.Res. 10
(H.Con.Res. 110)
1978 S.Con.Res.
19
first
05-05-1977
05-05-1977
05-17-1977
(H.Con.Res. 214)
second
09-07-1977
09-08-1977
09-15-1977
H.Con.Res. 341
(S.Con.Res. 43)
1979
S.Con.Res. 80
first
05-02-1978
05-10-1978
05-17-1978
(H.Con.Res. 559)
second
08-15-1978
08-16-1978
09-21-1978
H.Con.Res. 683
(S.Con.Res. 104)
1980 H.Con.Res.
107
first
04-30-1979
05-14-1979
05-24-1979
(S.Con.Res. 22)
second
11-28-1979
11-28-1979
—b
S.Con.Res. 53
(H.Con.Res. 186)
1981 H.Con.Res.
307
first
04-23-1980
05-07-1980
06-12-1980
(S.Con.Res. 86)
second
11-18-1980
11-18-1980
11-20-1980
H.Con.Res. 448
(S.Con.Res. 119)
1982 H.Con.Res.
115
first
04-30-1981
05-07-1981
05-20-1981
(S.Con.Res. 19)
second
12-10-1981
12-10-1981
—c
S.Con.Res. 50
(H.Con.Res. 230)
1983
S.Con.Res. 92
— 06-10-1982
06-10-1982
06-22-1982
(H.Con.Res. 352)
1984
H.Con.Res. 91
— 03-22-1983
03-23-1983
06-23-1983
(S.Con.Res. 27)
1985 H.Con.Res.
280
— 04-04-1984
04-05-1984
10-01-1984
(S.Con.Res. 106)
1986
S.Con.Res. 32
— 05-22-1985
05-23-1985
08-01-1985
(H.Con.Res. 152)
1987 S.Con.Res.
120
— 05-14-1986
05-15-1986
06-26-1986
(H.Con.Res. 337)
1988
H.Con.Res. 93
— 04-08-1987
04-09-1987
06-23-1987
(S.Con.Res. 49)
1989 H.Con.Res.
268
— 03-23-1988
03-23-1988
05-26-1988
(S.Con.Res. 113)
1990 H.Con.Res.
106
— 05-03-1989
05-04-1989
05-17-1989
(S.Con.Res. 30)
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Date
Fiscal
Budget Resolution
Date
Date of Initial Conference
Year
(Companion Measure)
Typea
Consideration
Began
Passage
Report
Adopted
1991 H.Con.Res.
310
— 04-25-1990
05-01-1990
10-08-1990
(S.Con.Res. 110)
1992 H.Con.Res.
121
— 04-16-1991
04-17-1991
05-22-1991
(S.Con.Res. 29)
1993 H.Con.Res.
287
— 03-04-1992
03-05-1992
05-21-1992
(S.Con.Res. 106)
1994
H.Con.Res. 64
— 03-17-1993
03-18-1993
03-31-1993
(S.Con.Res. 18)
1995 H.Con.Res.
218
— 03-10-1994
03-11-1994
05-05-1994
(S.Con.Res. 63)
1996
H.Con.Res. 67
— 05-17-1995
05-18-1995
06-29-1995
(S.Con.Res. 13)
1997 H.Con.Res.
178
— 05-15-1996
05-16-1996
06-12-1996
(S.Con.Res. 57)
1998
H.Con.Res. 84
— 05-20-1997
05-21-1997
06-05-1997
(S.Con.Res. 27)
1999d H.Con.Res.
284
— 06-04-1998
06-05-1998

(S.Con.Res. 86)
2000
H.Con.Res. 68
— 03-25-1999
03-25-1999
04-14-1999
(S.Con.Res. 20)
2001 H.Con.Res.
290
— 03-23-2000
03-23-2000
04-13-2001
(S.Con.Res. 101)
2002
H.Con.Res. 83
— 03-27-2001
03-28-2001
05-09-2001
(no companion measure)e
2003f H.Con.Res.
353
— 03-20-2002
03-20-2002

(S.Con.Res. 100)
2004
H.Con.Res. 95
— 03-20-2003
03-21-2003
04-11-2003
(S.Con.Res. 23)
2005g
S.Con.Res. 95
— 03-24-2004
03-25-2004
05-19-2004
(H.Con.Res. 393)
2006
H.Con.Res. 95
— 03-16-2005
03-17-2005
04-28-2005
(S.Con.Res. 18)
2007h
H.Con.Res. 376
— 04-06-2006
05-18-2006

(S.Con.Res. 83)
2008
S.Con.Res. 21
— 03-28-2007
03-29-2007
05-17-2007
(H.Con.Res. 99)
2009
S.Con.Res. 70
— 03-12-2008
03-13-2008
06-05-2008
(H.Con.Res. 312)
2010
S.Con.Res. 13
— 04-01-2009
04-02-2009
04-29-2009
(H.Con.Res. 85)
Source: Legislative Information System of the U.S. Congress http://www.congress.gov
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

a. ”Type” refers to whether the budget resolution was the first, second, or third for the fiscal year. For the
first seven years of the congressional budget process, Congress adopted multiple budget resolutions each
year. Since the FY1983 budget resolution, Congress has adopted only one a year.
b. The House rejected its version of the budget resolution (see Table 3 of this report) and adopted the
Senate’s version; no conference report was necessary.
c. The House laid its version of the budget resolution on the table by unanimous consent and adopted the
Senate’s version; no conference report was necessary.
d. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY1999.
e. The Senate Budget Committee did not mark up or report a budget resolution for FY2002. Instead, the
Senate considered the House-passed budget resolution after the Senate Budget Committee was discharged
from its consideration.
f.
Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2003.
g. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2005. The House agreed to the conference
report on S.Con.Res. 95, May 19, 2004; the Senate did not consider it.
h. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2007.
Table 14. Timing of Senate Action on Budget Resolutions, FY1976-FY2010
Date
Fiscal
Budget Resolution
Date of Initial
Conference
Year
(Companion Measure)
Typea
Date
Consideration
Passage
Report
Began
Adopted
1976 H.Con.Res.
218
first
04-29-1975
05-01-1975
05-14-1975
(S.Con.Res. 32)
second
11-19-1975
11-20-1975
12-11-1975
H.Con.Res. 466
(S.Con.Res. 76)
1977 S.Con.Res.
109
first
04-08-1976
04-12-1976
05-12-1976
(H.Con.Res. 611)
second
09-08-1976
09-09-1976
09-15-1976
S.Con.Res. 139
third
02-21-1977
02-22-1977
03-03-1977
(H.Con.Res. 728)
S.Con.Res. 10
(H.Con.Res. 110)
1978
S.Con.Res. 19
first
05-02-1977
05-04-1977
05-13-1977
(H.Con.Res. 214)
second
09-07-1977
09-09-1977
09-15-1977
H.Con.Res. 341
(S.Con.Res. 43)
1979
S.Con.Res. 80
first
04-24-1978
04-26-1978
05-15-1978
(H.Con.Res. 559)
second
08-25-1978
09-06-1978
09-23-1978
H.Con.Res. 683
(S.Con.Res. 104)
1980 H.Con.Res.
107
first
04-23-1979
04-25-1979 11-
05-23-1979
(S.Con.Res. 22)
second
11-16-1979
16-1979
—b
S.Con.Res. 53
(H.Con.Res. 186)
1981 H.Con.Res.
307
first
05-05-1980
05-12-1980
06-12-1980
(S.Con.Res. 86)
second
11-18-1980
11-19-1980
11-20-1980
H.Con.Res. 448
(S.Con.Res. 119)
1982 H.Con.Res.
115
first
05-07-1981
05-12-1981
05-21-1981
(S.Con.Res. 19)
second
12-08-1981
12-09-1981
—b
S.Con.Res. 50
(H.Con.Res. 230)
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Date
Fiscal
Budget Resolution
Date of Initial
Conference
Year
(Companion Measure)
Typea
Date
Consideration
Passage
Report
Began
Adopted
1983
S.Con.Res. 92
— 05-14-1982
05-21-1982
06-23-1982
(H.Con.Res. 352)
1984
H.Con.Res. 91
— 05-02-1983
05-19-1983
06-23-1983
(S.Con.Res. 27)
1985 H.Con.Res.
280
— 05-18-1984
05-18-1984
09-26-1984
(S.Con.Res. 106)
1986
S.Con.Res. 32
— 04-25-1985
05-09-1985
08-01-1985
(H.Con.Res. 152)
1987 S.Con.Res.
120
— 04-21-1986
05-01-1986
06-27-1986
(H.Con.Res. 337)
1988
H.Con.Res. 93
— 04-28-1987
05-06-1987
06-24-1987
(S.Con.Res. 49)
1989 H.Con.Res.
268
— 04-11-1988
04-14-1988
06-06-1988
(S.Con.Res. 113)
1990 H.Con.Res.
106
— 05-02-1989
05-04-1989
05-18-1989
(S.Con.Res. 30)
1991 H.Con.Res.
310
— 06-14-1990
06-14-1990
10-09-1990
(S.Con.Res. 110)
1992 H.Con.Res.
121
— 04-23-1991
04-25-1991
05-22-1991
(S.Con.Res. 29)
1993 H.Con.Res.
287
— 04-07-1992
04-10-1992
05-21-1992
(S.Con.Res. 106)
1994
H.Con.Res. 64
— 03-17-1993
03-25-1993
04-01-1993
(S.Con.Res. 18)
1995 H.Con.Res.
218
— 03-22-1994
03-25-1994
05-12-1994
(S.Con.Res. 63)
1996
H.Con.Res. 67
— 05-18-1995
05-25-1995
06-29-1995
(S.Con.Res. 13)
1997 H.Con.Res.
178
— 05-15-1996
05-23-1996
06-13-1996
(S.Con.Res. 57)
1998
H.Con.Res. 84
— 05-20-1997
05-23-1997
06-05-1997
S.Con.Res. 27
1999c H.Con.Res.
284
— 03-27-1998
04-02-1998

S.Con.Res. 86
2000
H.Con.Res. 68
— 03-24-1999
03-25-1999
04-15-1999
(S.Con.Res. 20
2001 H.Con.Res.
290
— 04-04-2000
04-07-2000
04-13-2001
(S.Con.Res. 101)
2002
H.Con.Res. 83
— 04-02-2001
04-06-2001
05-10-2001
(no companion measure)d
2003e
H.Con.Res. 353
— — — —
(S.Con.Res. 100)
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Date
Fiscal
Budget Resolution
Date of Initial
Conference
Year
(Companion Measure)
Typea
Date
Consideration
Passage
Report
Began
Adopted
2004 H.Con.Res.
95
— 03-18-2003
03-26-2003
04-11-2003
(S.Con.Res. 23)
2005f
S.Con.Res. 95
— 03-08-2004
03-12-2004

(H.Con.Res. 393)
2006 H.Con.Res.
95
— 03-14-2005
03-17-2005
04-28-2005
(S.Con.Res. 18)
2007g H.Con.Res.
376
— 03-13-2006
03-16-2006

(S.Con.Res. 83)
2008
S.Con.Res. 21 (H.Con.Res.
— 03-20-2007
03-23-2007
05-17-2007
99)
2009
S.Con.Res. 70 (H.Con.Res.
— 03-10-2008
03-14-2008
06-04-2008
312)
2010
S.Con.Res. 13 (H.Con.Res.
— 03-30-2009
04-02-2009
04-29-2009
85)
Source: Legislative Information System of the U.S. Congress http://www.congress.gov
a. “Type” refers to whether the budget resolution was the first, second, or third for the fiscal year. For the
first seven years of the congressional budget process, Congress adopted multiple budget resolutions each
year. Since the FY1983 budget resolution, Congress has adopted only one a year.
b. The House adopted the Senate’s version of the budget resolution; no conference report was necessary.
c. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY1999.
d. The Senate Budget Committee did not mark up or report a budget resolution for FY2002. Instead, the
Senate considered the House-passed budget resolution after the Senate Budget Committee was discharged
from its consideration.
e. The Senate did not consider the FY2003 budget resolution on the floor; ultimately, Congress did not
complete action on a budget resolution for FY2003.
f.
Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2005. The House agreed to the conference
report on S.Con.Res. 95, May 19, 2004; the Senate did not consider it.
g. Congress did not complete action on a budget resolution for FY2007.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Appendix. Modifications to the Procedures and
Requirements Pertaining to the Formulation,
Content, and Consideration of the Budget
Resolution

Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978 (“Humphrey-Hawkins Act”; P.L. 95-
523; 92 Stat. 1887-1908; October 27, 1978)

• Called for a period of up to four hours for debate on economic goals and
priorities, following the presentation of opening floor statements on the budget
resolution.
Temporary Increase in the Public Debt Limit (P.L. 96-5; 93 Stat. 8; April 2, 1979)
• Mandated that the President’s budget and the Budget Committee’s reported
budget resolution for FY1981 and FY1982 be in balance. [Provision was
repealed in 1982.]
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Title II of P.L. 99-177; 99
Stat. 1038-1101; December 12, 1985)10

• Required Congress to complete action on a budget resolution by April 15 of each
year (deadline moved from May 15).
• Eliminated the requirement that Congress adopt a second budget resolution
annually by September 15.
• Formalized the practice of adopting a 3-year budget resolution, with the second
and third fiscal years non-binding. [Current law requires budget resolutions to
cover at least five fiscal years.]
• Called for off-budget entities, except Social Security, to be included in the budget
resolution and the President’s budget.
• Formalized the practice of including credit authority (direct and guaranteed
loans) in the budget resolution.
• Mandated that neither chamber may consider a budget resolution, amendment to
a budget resolution, or conference report on a budget resolution that recommends
a deficit amount greater than the applicable maximum deficit amount established
in the 1985 Balanced Budget Act.

10 For more information on changes made by the 1985 Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, see out-
of-print CRS Report 86-713, Changes in the Congressional Budget Process Made by the 1985 Balanced Budget Act
(P.L. 99-177)
, by Robert A. Keith; and out-of-print CRS Report 85-1130, Explanation of the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 – P.L. 99-177 (The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act)
, by Allen Schick. (Both
reports are available from the author.)
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

• Excluded Social Security from budget totals, except for purposes of calculating
the deficit in order to determine if sequestration is required. The budget
resolution may contain two deficit totals, one with Social Security, one without.
Budget Enforcement Act (BEA) of 1990 (Title XIII of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation
Act of 1990; P.L. 101-508; 104 Stat. 1388-573 through 630; November 5, 1990)11

• Added language to the Budget Act allowing the option to include pay-as-you-go
procedures for the Senate and House in the budget resolution (Sections 301(b)(7)
and 301(b)(8)).
• Required that the budget resolutions for FY1991-FY1995 cover five fiscal years.
[Current law permanently requires at least five fiscal years (see BEA of 1997
below).]
• In the Senate, prohibited the consideration of a reported budget resolution calling
for a reduction in Social Security surpluses.
• Changed deadline for submitting views and estimates reports from “on or before
February 25 of each year” to “within 6 weeks after the President submits a
budget.”
• Added language to the Budget Act allowing the option of including Social
Security outlays and revenues in the budget resolution for purposes of Senate
enforcement.
• In the Senate, created a point of order that prohibits the consideration of any
budget resolution that would exceed any of the discretionary spending limits.
[Initially, this point of order was added to the Budget Act as a temporary Section
(601(b)); the BEA of 1997 permanently added this point of order to the Budget
Act as Section 312(b) and applied the point of order to any legislation.]
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Title XIV of P.L. 103-66; 107 Stat. 683-685;
August 10, 1993)

• Extended through FY1998 the BEA requirement that budget resolutions cover
five fiscal years.
Budget Resolution for FY1995 (H.Con.Res. 218; 103rd Congress; May 12, 1994)12
• Made permanent a temporary modification found in the budget resolutions for
FY1993 and FY1994, which applied Section 301(i) to a budget resolution at any
stage of consideration. Section 301(i) of the Budget Act prohibits the Senate from
considering any reported budget resolution that would decrease the excess of
Social Security revenues over Social Security outlays for any of the fiscal years
covered by the resolution, subject to a three-fifths waiver requirement. This
creates a so-called “firewall” to protect Social Security balances.

11 See CRS Report 90-520, Budget Enforcement Act of 1990: Brief Summary, by Edward Davis and Robert Keith. (This
out-of-print report is available from the author.)
12 Although budget resolutions, which are agreed to in the form of a concurrent resolution, do not have the force of law,
they can contain changes in congressional budget procedures.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

Budget Enforcement Act of 1997 (Title X of P.L. 105-33; 111 Stat. 677-712; August 5, 1997)13
• Permanently required the budget resolution to cover at least five fiscal years.
• Made optional rather than mandatory the inclusion of total direct loan obligation
and total primary loan guarantee commitment levels in the budget resolution and
the accompanying report.
• Modified the optional contents of the budget resolution to include special pay-as-
you-go (PAYGO) procedures in the Senate pertaining to the use of reserve funds.
• Allowed the Budget Committees to set an alternative deadline for committees to
submit their views and estimates, instead of the usual deadline of within 6 weeks
after the President submits a budget.
• Applied the Senate point of order against a budget resolution recommending a
decrease in the projected surplus in the Social Security trust funds to all its
legislative stages.
Budget Resolution for FY2000 (H.Con.Res. 68; 106th Congress; April 15, 1999)
• Created a point of order that prohibited consideration of a revised FY2000 or a
FY2001 budget resolution setting forth an on-budget deficit for any fiscal year
(i.e., excluding any surplus resulting from the Social Security trust fund). The
provision did not apply if the deficit for a fiscal year resulted solely from
legislation that made structural programmatic reforms to enhance retirement
security.
Budget Resolution for FY2001 (H.Con.Res. 290; 106th Congress; April 13, 2000)
• Applied the point of order against budget resolutions setting forth an on-budget
deficit for any fiscal year (see FY2000 budget resolution) to a revised FY2001 or
a FY2002 budget resolution. The provision would not apply if the economy
experienced low growth in two consecutive quarters, or if a declaration of war
was in effect.
• Specified that amendments that contain predominately “precatory” language,
such as sense-of-the-Senate amendments, are not germane, effectively
prohibiting such amendments to budget resolutions and reconciliation legislation.
Budget Resolution for FY2004 (H.Con.Res. 95; 108th Congress; April 11, 2003)
• Extended through September 30, 2008, the three-fifths vote requirement in the
Senate to waive, and to sustain an appeal of a ruling of the chair on, certain
points of order specified in Sections 904(c)(2) and 904(d)(3) of the Budget Act.
Budget Resolution for FY2006 (H.Con.Res. 95; 109th Congress; April 28, 2005)
• Extended through September 30, 2010, the three-fifths vote requirement in the
Senate to waive, and to sustain an appeal of a ruling of the chair on, certain
points of order specified in Sections 904(c)(2) and 904(d)(3) of the Budget Act.

13 For more information on changes made by the Budget Enforcement Act of 1997, see CRS Report 97-931, Budget
Enforcement Act of 1997: Summary and Legislative History
, by Robert Keith.
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Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information

House Rule XXI, Clause 7 (H.Res. 6; 110th Congress; January 5, 2007)
• Created a point of order against the consideration of a budget resolution
containing reconciliation directives having a net effect of reducing the surplus or
increasing the deficit.
Budget Resolution for FY2008 (S.Con.Res. 21; 110th Congress; May 17, 2007)
• Extended through September 30, 2017, the three-fifths vote requirement in the
Senate to waive, and to sustain an appeal of a ruling of the chair on, certain
points of order specified in Sections 904(c)(2) and 904(d)(3) of the Budget Act.

Author Contact Information

Bill Heniff Jr.
Justin Murray
Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process
Information Research Specialist
wheniff@crs.loc.gov, 7-8646
jmurray@crs.loc.gov, 7-4092

Acknowledgments
Several analysts, including former CRS employees, assisted in compiling the information in this report and
contributed to its development. The current authors, however, assume responsibility for its current content.

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