Consideration of Budgetary Legislation During Presidential Transition Years: A Brief Overview

When a presidential transition occurs, the incoming President usually submits the budget for the upcoming fiscal year (under current practices) or revises the budget submitted by his predecessor (under past practices). Under either circumstance, the details of the President’s budgetary proposals typically are provided to Congress about two months later than would be the case in a non-transition year. Consequently, concerns arise over the potential impact of delayed budget submission on the timetable for budgetary actions taken by the House and Senate.

This report examines the timing of presidential budget submissions during the past five transition years—including submissions by Presidents Jimmy Carter in 1977, Ronald Reagan in 1981, George H.W. Bush in 1989, Bill Clinton in 1993, and George W. Bush in 2001—and the timeliness of House and Senate actions in those years regarding the consideration of budgetary measures.

The budgetary legislation typically considered by the House and Senate during a session may be divided into several categories: budget resolutions, budget reconciliation acts, annual appropriations and other spending acts, and revenue and debt-limit acts.

Congress and the President successfully completed action on key budgetary legislation during each presidential transition year, with many, but not all, actions completed in a timely manner:

in each instance, the House and Senate reached final agreement on the annual budget resolution, and did so no later than May 21;

the optional budget reconciliation process was invoked in four of five years, leading to the enactment of four budget reconciliation acts;

regular, supplemental, and continuing appropriations acts were enacted in each year, although few (or none) of the regular appropriations acts were enacted by October 1 (the first day of the fiscal year) in four instances;

in each instance, a major revenue bill was enacted (three of the five bills were reconciliation measures); and

between one and three debt-limit measures were enacted each year, except during the George W. Bush Administration (when no such measures were needed).

Consideration of Budgetary Legislation During Presidential Transition Years: A Brief Overview

July 20, 2009 (R40085)

Contents

Summary

When a presidential transition occurs, the incoming President usually submits the budget for the upcoming fiscal year (under current practices) or revises the budget submitted by his predecessor (under past practices). Under either circumstance, the details of the President's budgetary proposals typically are provided to Congress about two months later than would be the case in a non-transition year. Consequently, concerns arise over the potential impact of delayed budget submission on the timetable for budgetary actions taken by the House and Senate.

This report examines the timing of presidential budget submissions during the past five transition years—including submissions by Presidents Jimmy Carter in 1977, Ronald Reagan in 1981, George H.W. Bush in 1989, Bill Clinton in 1993, and George W. Bush in 2001—and the timeliness of House and Senate actions in those years regarding the consideration of budgetary measures.

The budgetary legislation typically considered by the House and Senate during a session may be divided into several categories: budget resolutions, budget reconciliation acts, annual appropriations and other spending acts, and revenue and debt-limit acts.

Congress and the President successfully completed action on key budgetary legislation during each presidential transition year, with many, but not all, actions completed in a timely manner:

  • in each instance, the House and Senate reached final agreement on the annual budget resolution, and did so no later than May 21;
  • the optional budget reconciliation process was invoked in four of five years, leading to the enactment of four budget reconciliation acts;
  • regular, supplemental, and continuing appropriations acts were enacted in each year, although few (or none) of the regular appropriations acts were enacted by October 1 (the first day of the fiscal year) in four instances;
  • in each instance, a major revenue bill was enacted (three of the five bills were reconciliation measures); and
  • between one and three debt-limit measures were enacted each year, except during the George W. Bush Administration (when no such measures were needed).


Consideration of Budgetary Legislation During Presidential Transition Years: A Brief Overview

When a presidential transition occurs, the incoming President usually submits the budget for the upcoming fiscal year (under current practices) or revises the budget submitted by his predecessor (under past practices). Under either circumstance, the details of the President's budgetary proposals typically are provided to Congress about two months later than would be the case in a non-transition year. Consequently, concerns arise over the potential impact of delayed budget submission on the timetable for budgetary actions taken by the House and Senate.

This report examines the timing of presidential budget submissions during the past five transition years—including submissions by Presidents Jimmy Carter in 1977, Ronald Reagan in 1981, George H.W. Bush in 1989, Bill Clinton in 1993, and George W. Bush in 2001—and the timeliness of House and Senate actions in those years regarding the consideration of budgetary measures.

Background

When a new Congress convenes in January, one of its first orders of business is to receive the annual budget submission of the President for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins later in the session.1 The President's budget consists of a set of proposals pertaining to spending, revenue, and debt levels. In the course of responding to the President's budget, Congress may accept, reject, or modify the proposals as it sees fit. While much of the spending and revenue in the federal budget is derived automatically each year from existing law, the remainder is provided through the enactment of legislation.

The deadline for submission of the budget has changed several times over the years, as is discussed in more detail below. Currently, the deadline is the first Monday in February.

Following receipt of the President's budget, Congress begins the consideration of the budget resolution and other budgetary legislation. The budget resolution, which takes the form of a concurrent resolution, reflects the agreement of the House and Senate on a budgetary "blueprint" that guides and constrains the subsequent consideration of individual spending, revenue, and debt measures. The consideration of significant spending, revenue, and debt measures by the House and Senate during a session may entail action on dozens of separate measures.

In establishing and revising the deadline for submission of the President's budget, Congress has sought to reconcile two conflicting objectives. First, Congress is motivated to set the deadline as early as possible in order to maximize the time available to it for completing action on the budget resolution and other budgetary legislation before the new fiscal year begins. Although the completion of some budgetary legislation typically carries over into the period beyond the start of the fiscal year, the goal is to enact as much significant budgetary legislation as possible in a timely manner.

Second, Congress also is impelled to afford the President as much time as necessary to finalize his budget submission following the completion of legislative action in the prior session. In recent decades, the House and Senate sometimes have not completed action on significant budgetary legislation until December; in some instances, several major bills spanning hundreds of pages have been finalized in the last few days of the year.

Seeking to draw a balance between the two competing motivations, Congress has set the deadline as early as the first week in January and as late as the first week in February. Under current law, the President may submit the budget as early as the first Monday in January, but he must submit it no later than the first Monday in February. Beginning with the FY1992 budget, Presidents have taken advantage of the full amount of time afforded them under law and submitted their budgets on the first Monday in February.

The Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as amended, establishes an annual timetable for congressional action on budgetary legislation, beginning with the adoption of a budget resolution by the House and Senate no later than April 15.2 In an effort to provide Congress with more time to process budgetary legislation during the session, Section 501 (88 Stat. 321) of the act moved the start of the fiscal year from July 1 to October 1. The change became effective for FY1976, following a three-month transition quarter. The congressional budget process established by the 1974 act became fully effective in 1976 for FY1977, following a "dry run" in the prior year.

Presidential Submission of Transition Budgets

During the period that the congressional budget process under the 1974 act has been in effect, five persons have assumed the presidency – Jimmy Carter in 1977, Ronald Reagan in 1981, George H.W. Bush in 1989, Bill Clinton in 1993, and George W. Bush in 2001. The requirements for budget submission applicable to these Presidents and the record of pertinent actions is discussed briefly below.

Submission Requirements for Transition Budgets

The transition from one presidential administration to another raises special issues regarding the annual budget submission.3 Key questions include, which President—the outgoing President or the incoming one—is required to submit the budget, and how will the transition affect the timing and form of the submission?

The deadline for submission of the budget, first set in 1921 as "on the first day of each regular session," has changed several times over the years:

  • in 1950, to "during the first 15 days of each regular session";
  • in 1985, to "on or before the first Monday after January 3 of each year (or on or before February 5 in 1986)"; and
  • in 1990, to "on or after the first Monday in January but not later than the first Monday in February of each year."

The 20th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1933, requires each new Congress to convene on January 3 (unless the date is changed by the enactment of a law) and provides a January 20 beginning date for a new President's four-year term of office. Therefore, under the legal framework for the beginning of a new Congress, the beginning of a new President's term, and the deadline for the submission of the budget, all outgoing Presidents prior to the 1990 change were obligated to submit a budget.4 All incoming Presidents before 1990, except for Roosevelt, Truman, and Johnson, modified their predecessor's policies by submitting budget revisions within a few months after taking office. The 1990 change in the deadline made it possible for an outgoing President to leave the annual budget submission to his successor.

Budget Submissions During the Past Five Transitions

During the period covering the past five presidential transitions, the three outgoing Presidents required to submit a budget during this period (Ford, Carter, and Reagan) did so on or before the statutory deadline. Two of the incoming Presidents during this period, Carter and Reagan, submitted budget revisions and one, George H. W. Bush, did not. The FY1978 revisions by President Carter (a 101-page document) were submitted on February 22, 1977, and the FY1982 revisions by President Reagan (an initial 159-page document and a subsequent 435-page document) were submitted on March 10 and April 7, 1981, respectively.

Because President George H. W. Bush chose not to submit a budget for FY1994 (and was not obligated to do so), President Clinton submitted the original budget for FY1994 rather than budget revisions. Similarly, the budget for FY2002 was submitted by the incoming President George W. Bush, rather than by outgoing President Clinton. Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush submitted the original budgets for FY1994 and FY2002 on April 8, 1993 and April 9, 2001, respectively.

The experience with transition budgets during the period that the congressional budget process has been in operation is roughly comparable, in terms of timing, with the experience of earlier years. Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Nixon submitted their revised budget messages to Congress on April 30, March 24, and April 12 of their first year as President, respectively.

Although Presidents Reagan, Clinton, and George W. Bush did not submit detailed budget proposals during their transitions until early April, each of them advised Congress regarding the general contours of their economic and budgetary policies in special messages submitted to Congress in February concurrently with a presentation made to a joint session of Congress:

  • on February 18, 1981, President Reagan submitted a document containing an economic plan and initial budget proposals for FY1982, America's New Beginning: A Program for Economic Recovery, in conjunction with an address to a joint session of Congress.
  • on February 17, 1993, President Clinton submitted to Congress a budgetary document, A Vision of Change for America, to accompany his address to a joint session of Congress. The 145-page document outlined the President's economic plan and provided initial budget proposals in key areas.
  • on February 28, 2001, President George W. Bush submitted a 207-page budget summary to Congress, A Blueprint for New Beginnings: A Responsible Budget for America's Priorities, the day after his address to a joint session of Congress.

Although President George H. W. Bush did not submit a revision of President Reagan's FY1990 budget, he submitted a 193-page message to Congress (Building a Better America) in conjunction with a joint address to Congress on February 9, 1989. The message included revised budget proposals.

Overview of Budgetary Actions by Administration

In a typical year, the unfolding of the federal budget process reflects both instances of cooperation and instances of conflict between the President and Congress (as well as between the House and the Senate, and between factions within each chamber). Cooperation promotes timely and successful action on budgetary legislation, while conflict leads to delay and ultimately may prevent the enactment of such legislation.

In order to fully advance his budgetary agenda, a President must reach agreement with Congress on legislation in several different phases of the budget process. Congress responds to the President's budgetary proposals by adopting an annual budget resolution, and then implements budget resolution policies through the enactment of separate spending, revenue, and debt legislation.

No President can be judged to be successful with respect to his budgetary agenda unless the House and Senate complete action on the requisite legislation, with timely rather than tardy enactment of legislation usually signifying greater success.

Table 1 summarizes legislative action on the major phases of the budget process during the past five transition years. As Table 1 shows, Congress and the President successfully completed action on key budgetary legislation during each presidential transition year, with many, but not all, actions completed in a timely manner:

  • in each instance, the House and Senate reached final agreement on the annual budget resolution, and did so no later than May 21;
  • the optional budget reconciliation process was invoked in four of five years, leading to the enactment of four budget reconciliation acts;
  • regular, supplemental, and continuing appropriations acts were enacted in each year, although few (or none) of the regular appropriations acts were enacted by October 1 (the first day of the fiscal year) in four instances;
  • in each instance, a major revenue bill was enacted (three of the five bills were reconciliation measures); and
  • between one and three debt-limit measures were enacted each year, except during the George W. Bush Administration (when no such measures were needed).

Table 1. Overview of Timing of Budgetary Actions, by Administration

President

Transition Budget

Budget Resolution

Budget Reconciliation Act

Annual Appropriations Acts

Selected Revenue Act

Debt-Limit Act(s)

Carter

02-22-1977

May 17

[none]

10 regular appropriations acts enacted by October 1; latest enacted on October 21.

3 continuing resolutions enacted.

4 supplemental appropriations acts enacted in February, March, and May (two acts).

05-23-1977

10-04-1977

Reagan

03-10-1981 and 04-07-1981

May 21

08-13-1981

No regular appropriations acts enacted by October 1; latest enacted on December 29.

3 continuing resolutions enacted.

2 supplemental appropriations acts enacted in June and July.

08-13-1981

02-07-1981 and 09-30-1981 (two acts)

G.H.W. Bush

[none]

May 18

12-19-1989

1 regular appropriations act enacted by October 1; latest enacted on November 21.

3 continuing resolutions enacted.

3 supplemental appropriations acts enacted in April, June, and September.

12-19-1989

08-08-1989 and 11-08-1989

Clinton

04-08-1993

April 1

08-10-1993

2 regular appropriations acts enacted by October 1; latest enacted on November 11.

3 continuing resolutions enacted.

4 supplemental appropriations acts enacted in April, July, August, and September.

08-10-1993

04-06-1993 and 08-10-1993

G.W. Bush

04-09-2001

May 10

06-07-2001

No regular appropriations acts enacted by October 1; latest enacted on January 10 of following year.

8 continuing resolutions enacted.

2 supplemental appropriations acts enacted in July and September.

06-07-2001

[none]

Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service.

Notes: Dates refer to: (1) date transition budget submitted to Congress; (2) date of final adoption of the budget resolution; or (3) date of enactment of legislation into law. In the case of the September 1993 supplemental appropriations act, supplemental appropriations were provided in a separate title of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act for FY1994.

Congressional Action on Major Budgetary Legislation

The budgetary legislation typically considered by the House and Senate during a session may be divided into several categories: budget resolutions, budget reconciliation acts, annual appropriations and other spending acts, and revenue and debt-limit acts. Information on the timing of House and Senate action on budgetary measures during each of the past five transition years is provided below by category of legislation.

Budget Resolutions

The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-344, as amended) requires that the House and Senate reach agreement each year on a concurrent resolution on the budget.5 Originally, the act set a deadline of May 15 for completion of action on the budget resolution; in 1985, the deadline was revised to April 15. During the period from 1984 through 1990, actions on several budget resolutions was not completed until August or October. In four instances, the House and Senate were not able to reach agreement on a budget resolution.6

As Table 2 (at the end of the report) shows, the House and Senate reached final agreement on a budget resolution in each of the five transition years. In four years, final agreement was reached in May (no later than May 21). During the first year of the Clinton Administration, the two chambers reached agreement even earlier, on April 1. In this case, the agreement on the budget resolution was reached a week before President Clinton submitted his budget to Congress, but extensive negotiations between Congress and the President ensured that the budget resolution accommodated his major budgetary proposals.

Budget Reconciliation Acts

The budget reconciliation process is an optional procedure under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 that operates as an adjunct to the annual budget resolution process. The chief purpose of the reconciliation process is to enhance Congress's ability to change current law in order to bring revenue and spending levels into conformity with the policies of the budget resolution. Accordingly, reconciliation probably is the most potent budget enforcement tool available to Congress for a large portion of the budget.

Reconciliation was first used by the House and Senate in calendar year 1980 for FY1981. As an optional procedure, it has not been used every year. During the period from 1980 to 2008, 19 reconciliation measures were enacted into law and three were vetoed.

The congressional budget process timetable prescribes June 15 as the deadline for completing action on any required reconciliation legislation, but there is no explicit requirement to that effect. The record of experience with all 22 reconciliation measures passed by the House and Senate since 1980 indicates considerable variation in the time needed to process such measures. The interval from the date the reconciliation instructions take effect (upon final adoption of the budget resolution) until the resultant reconciliation legislation is approved or vetoed by the President ranged from a low of 27 days (for the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990) to a high of 384 days (for the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005). On average, the process was completed in nearly five months, more than twice the amount of time contemplated by the congressional budget process timetable.

With respect to the five transition years, Table 3 (at the end of the report) shows that reconciliation was used in four of the five instances. Reconciliation was not used during the Carter transition. In three instances, an omnibus budget reconciliation act was enacted into law between the spring and the summer recess. In 1989, an omnibus budget reconciliation was enacted late in the session, on November 22.

Annual Appropriations Acts

Total federal spending encompasses discretionary spending, which is provided in annual appropriations acts under the jurisdiction of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, and mandatory spending, which stems from substantive law under the jurisdiction of the legislative committees of the House and Senate. This section provides information on the three categories of annual appropriations legislation—regular, supplemental, and continuing appropriations acts; information on mandatory spending legislation is excluded.

Under the congressional budget process timetable, the House and Senate begin consideration of the regular appropriations acts following the adoption of the budget resolution with the aim of completing action on them by the start of the fiscal year on October 1. In addition, the two chambers act on at least one supplemental appropriations act, typically before consideration of the regular appropriations acts begins. Finally, the House and Senate usually consider at least one continuing resolution to provide stop-gap funding after the start of the fiscal year until action on all of the regular appropriations acts is completed.

During the period that the congressional budget process has been in effect, the House and Senate have completed action on the regular appropriations acts before the start of the year only four times (for FY1977, FY1989, FY1995, and FY1997); action on unfinished regular appropriations acts usually is completed by the end of the calendar year, but sometimes carries over into the following session. Accordingly, multiple continuing resolutions are enacted in a typical year.

Table 4, Table 5, and Table 6 (at the end of the report) provide information regarding congressional action on supplemental, regular, and continuing appropriations acts, respectively.

Table 4 shows that a total of 15 supplemental appropriations acts were enacted during the five transition years, ranging from two to four such acts each year. All but four of the acts were enacted between February and July; one was enacted in August and three were enacted in September.

Table 5 shows that while all thirteen of the regular appropriations bills were enacted during the transition years of the Carter, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush administrations, and nine of the thirteen were enacted during the transition year of the Reagan administration, not all of this was accomplished in the prescribed timeframe. During the Carter administration, 10 appropriations acts were enacted by October 1, but the during the other administrations, the number enacted by this date were none (Reagan, G.W. Bush), one (G.H.W. Bush), or two (Clinton). While the appropriations process was completed under most administrations by the end of the calendar year, the process extended into January under the G.W. Bush administration.

Table 6 shows that continuing appropriations acts were used in transition years during all five administrations. Under the Carter, Regan, G.H.W. Bush, and Clinton administrations, three continuing resolutions were enacted each year, while under the G.W. Bush administration eight continuing resolutions were enacted. In the case of the G.W. Bush administration, the final continuing resolution, enacted December 20, provided funding into January, when the last of his regular appropriations acts were completed.

Revenue Acts

As required by the Constitution, legislation affecting revenues originates in the House of Representatives, but the Senate has latitude to amend any revenue bills received from the House. Most laws that establish revenue sources are permanent and continue each year without legislative action, but in most years, Presidents propose changes in revenue law to alter tax rates, modify the distribution of the tax burden, or make other changes in revenue policy.

Revenue acts can also be initiated through the reconciliation process provided for in the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. The act provides for the adoption of a budget resolution (discussed above), which may contain reconciliation directives instructing the relevant congressional committees to report changes to existing revenue legislation to meet the recommended levels of revenues. The reconciliation process was used to enact revenue legislation under the G.H.W. Bush, Clinton, and G.W. Bush administrations.

The timing of action on major revenue legislation may vary considerably from one measure to the next. Some revenue measures may be enacted after only a few months of consideration, while the enactment of other revenue measures may not occur until well into the following year. This pattern also holds true for revenue measures considered under the reconciliation process.

Table 7 illustrates that a major revenue measure was enacted into law during the transition year of each of the five administrations. Three of these revenue acts, under G.H.W. Bush, Clinton, and G.W. Bush, were reconciliation measures. Congressional action was fairly timely in four instances (with enactment occurring between May and August), but the 1989 legislation (under President G.H.W. Bush) was not enacted until November 22.

Debt-Limit Acts

Almost all borrowing by the federal government is conducted by the Treasury Department, within the restrictions established by a single, statutory limit on the total amount of debt that may be outstanding at any time. Most adjustments to the debt limit have been increases, but sometimes the change has been a reduction.7

The annual budget resolution includes recommended levels of the public debt limit for each fiscal year covered by the resolution. Because a budget resolution does not become law, Congress and the President must enact legislation in order to implement budget resolution policies. The House and Senate may develop and consider legislation adjusting the debt limit in any one of three ways: (1) under regular legislative procedures in both chambers, either as freestanding legislation or as a part of a measure dealing with other topics; (2) pursuant to House Rule XXVII (the so-called Gephardt rule); or (3) as part of the budget reconciliation process provided for under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. During the period from 1940 to the present, Congress and the President have enacted a total of 88 measures adjusting the public debt limit—70 under regular legislative procedures in both chambers, 14 under the Gephardt rule, and 4 under reconciliation procedures.

The timing of legislative action on measures adjusting the debt limit is not as predictable as the timing of action on other types of budgetary legislation. Legislative action can occur at any point in the session as the need to adjust the debt limit requires.

Table 8 shows that between one and three debt limit measures were enacted during each transition year, except during the G.W. Bush administration. All three methods of adjusting the debt limit were employed, but only one of the measures (in 1993 during the Clinton transition year) was a reconciliation act.


Table 2. Dates of House and Senate Action on First Budget Resolutions

Calendar Years 1977, 1981, 1989, 1993, and 2001

Measure

Calendar Year

Date of Initial House Passage

Date of Initial Senate Passage

Date House Agreed to Conference Report

Date Senate Agreed to Conference Report

President Jimmy Carter

First Budget Resolution for FY1978 (S.Con.Res. 19)

1977

May 5

May 4

May 17

May 13

President Ronald Reagan

First Budget Resolution for FY1982 (H.Con.Res. 115)

1981

May 7

May 12

May 20

May 21

President George H.W. Bush

Budget Resolution for FY1990 (H.Con.Res. 106)

1989

May 4

May 4

May 17

May 18

President Bill Clinton

Budget Resolution for FY1994 (H.ConRes. 64)

1993

March 18

March 25

March 31

April 1

President George W. Bush

Budget Resolution for FY2002 (H.Con.Res. 83)

2001

March 28

April 6

May 9

May 10

Source: CRS Report RL30297, Congressional Budget Resolutions: Selected Statistics and Information Guide, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

Notes: During the early years of the congressional budget process, the House and Senate were required to adopt a second budget resolution in the fall. The practice was abandoned during the 1980s. This table excludes House and Senate action on second budget resolutions in 1977 (for FY1978) and 1981 (for FY1982). In some instances, dates of initial Senate passage refer to action on a companion measure.


Table 3. Dates of House and Senate Action on Budget Reconciliation Acts

Calendar Years 1977, 1981, 1989, 1993, and 2001

Measure

Calendar Year

Date of Initial House Passage

Date of Initial Senate Passage

Date House Agreed to Conference Report

Date Senate Agreed to Conference Report

President Jimmy Carter

[none]

1977

President Ronald Reagan

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (P.L. 97-35; August 13, 1981)

1981

June 26

June 25

July 31

July 31

President George H.W. Bush

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 (P.L. 101-239; December 19, 1989)

1989

October 5

October 13

November 22

November 22

President Bill Clinton

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-66; August 10, 1993)

1993

May 27

June 25

August 5

August 6

President George W. Bush

Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-16; June 7, 2001)

2001

May 16

May 23

May 26

May 26

Source: CRS Report RL33030, The Budget Reconciliation Process: House and Senate Procedures, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

Notes: The 1989, 1993, and 2001 reconciliation acts included revenue changes and also are included in . In addition, the 1993 reconciliation act included an increase in the debt limit and also is included in Table 8. In some instances, dates of initial Senate passage refer to action on a companion measure.


Table 4. Dates of House and Senate Action on Supplemental Appropriations Acts

Calendar Years 1977, 1981, 1989, 1993, and 2001

Measure

Calendar Year

Date of Initial House Passage

Date of Initial Senate Passage

Date House Agreed to Conference Report

Date Senate Agreed to Conference Report

President Jimmy Carter

Urgent Power Supplemental, FY1977 (P.L. 95-3; February 16, 1977)

1977

February 7

February 7

Urgent Disaster Supplemental, FY1977 (P.L. 95-13; March 21, 1977)

1977

March 3

March 11

Supplemental, FY1977 (P.L. 95-26; May 4, 1977)

1977

March 16

April 1

April 21

April 22

Economic Stimulus Appropriations, FY1977 (P.L. 95-29; May 13, 1977)

1977

March 15

May 2

May 4

May 5

President Ronald Reagan

Supplemental Appropriations and Rescission Act, FY1981 (P.L. 97-12; June 5, 1981)

1981

May 13

May 21

June 4

June 4

Urgent Supplemental, FY1981 (P.L. 97-26; July 29, 1981)

1981

July 23

July 23

President George H.W. Bush

Act to Implement the Bipartisan Accord on Central America (P.L. 101-14; April 18, 1989)

1989

April 13

April 13

Dire Emergency Supplemental, FY1989 (P.L. 101-45; June 30, 1989)

1989

May 18

May 18

Continuing Appropriations, FY1990, and Hurricane Hugo Relief, FY1989 (P.L. 101-100; September 29, 1989)

1989

September 26

September 28

President Bill Clinton

Emergency Supplemental, FY1994 (P.L. 103-24; April 23, 1993)

1993

March 19

April 21

Supplemental, FY1993 (P.L. 103-50; July 2, 1993)

1993

May 26

June 22

July 1

July 1

Emergency Supplemental, FY1993 (P.L. 103-75; August 12, 1993)

1993

July 27

August 4

Foreign Operations, FY1994 (Title VI, Supplemental, FY1993) (P.L. 103-87; September 30, 1993)

1993

June 17

September 23

September 29

September 30

President George W. Bush

Supplemental, FY2001 (P.L. 107-20; July 24, 2001)

2001

June 20

July 10

July 20

July 20

Emergency Supplemental, FY2001 (P.L. 107-38; September 18, 2001)

2001

September 14

September 14

Source: Legislative Information System and Congressional Budget Office, Supplemental Appropriations in the 1970s (July 1981), Supplemental Appropriations in the 1980s (February 1990), Supplemental Appropriations in the 1990s (March 2001), and Supplemental Appropriations from 2000 to 2009 (October 2008).

Notes: In some instances, dates of initial Senate passage refer to action on a companion measure. In instances where no conference action occurred, either one chamber passed the measure from the other chamber without amendment, or the two chambers resolved their differences by means of an "exchange of amendments" procedure rather than a conference.


Table 5. Dates of House and Senate Action on Regular Appropriations Acts

Calendar Years 1977, 1981, 1989, 1993, and 2001

Measure

Calendar Year

Date of Initial House Passage

Date of Initial Senate Passage

Date House Agreed to Conference Report

Date Senate Agreed to Conference Report

President Jimmy Carter

Agriculture, FY1978 (P.L. 95-97; August 12, 1977)

1977

June 21

June 29

July 27

July 29

Defense, FY1978 (P.L. 95-111; September 21, 1977)

1977

June 30

July 19

September 8

September 9

District of Columbia, FY1978 (P.L. 95-288; June 5, 1978)

1977

September 16

October 4

May 16 (1978)

May 23 (1978)

Foreign Assistance, FY1978 (P.L. 95-148; October 31, 1977)

1977

June 23

August 5

October 18

October 19

Interior, FY1978 (P.L. 95-74; July 26, 1977)

1977

June 9

June 17

July 12

July 13

HUD, FY1978 (P.L. 95-119; October 4, 1977)

1977

June 15

June 24

July 19

September 23

Labor, HEW, FY1978 (H.R. 7555)

1977

June 17

June 29

a

November 3

Legislative Branch (P.L. 95-94; August 5, 1977)

1977

June 29

July 18

July 26

July 26

Military Construction, FY1978 (P.L. 95-101; August 15, 1977)

1977

June 21

June 29

August 5

August 5

Public Works (P.L. 95-96; August 7, 1977)

1977

June 14

July 13

July 25

July 25

State, Justice (P.L. 95-86; August 2, 1977)

1977

June 13

June 24

July 18

July 19

Transportation (P.L. 95-85; August 2, 1977)

1977

June 8

June 23

July 18

July 20

Treasury, Postal (P.L. 95-81; July 31, 1977)

1977

June 8

June 20

July 14

July 14

President Ronald Reagan

Agriculture, FY1982 (P.L. 97-103; December 23, 1981)

1981

July 27

October 30

December 15

December 15

Commerce, Justice, State, FY1982 (H.R. 4169)

1981

September 9

b

b

b

Defense, FY1982 (P.L. 97-114; December 29, 1981)

1981

November 18

December 4

December 15

December 15

District of Columbia, FY1982 (P.L. 97-91; December 4, 1981)

1981

September 22

October 30

November 18

November 19

Energy and Water, FY1982 (P.L. 97-88; December 4, 1981)

1981

July 24

November 5

November 20

November 21

Foreign Assistance, FY1982 (P.L. 97-121; December 29, 1981)

1981

December 11

December 11

December 16

December 16

HUD, FY1982 (P.L. 97-101; December 23, 1981)

1981

July 21

July 30

September 15

November 21

Interior, FY1982 (P.L. 97-100; December 23, 1981)

1981

July 22

October 27

November 12

December 10

Labor, Health, Education, FY1982 (H.R. 4560)

1981

October 6

b

b

b

Legislative Branch, FY1982 (H.R. 4120)

1981

[not considered by either chamber]

Military Construction, FY1982 (P.L. 97-106; December 23, 1981)

1981

September 16

December 4

December 15

December 15

Transportation, FY1982 (P.L. 97-102; December 23, 1981)

1981

September 10

November 3

December 14

December 14

Treasury, FY1982 (H.R. 4121)

1981

July 30

c

c

c

President George H.W. Bush

Agriculture, FY1990 (P.L. 101-161; November 21, 1989)

1989

July 18

July 27

November 16

November 16

Commerce, Justice, State, Judiciary, FY1990 (P.L. 101-162; November 21, 1989)

1989

August 1

September 29

November 7 (second report)

November 8 (second report)

Defense, FY1990 (P.L. 101-165; November 21, 1989)

1989

August 4

September 29

November 15

November 17

District of Columbia, FY1990 (P.L. 101-168; November 21, 1989)

1989

August 3

September 14

d

d

Energy and Water, FY1990 (P.L. 101-101; September 29, 1989)

1989

June 28

July 27

September 12

September 14

Foreign Operations, FY1990 (P.L. 101-167; November 21, 1989)

1989

July 21

September 26

d

d

Interior, FY1990 (P.L. 101-121; October 23, 1989)

1989

July 12

July 26

October 3

October 7

Labor, HHS, Education, FY1990 (P.L. 101-166; November 21, 1989)

1989

August 2

September 26

d

d

Legislative Branch, FY1990 (P.L. 101-163; November 21, 1989)

1989

July 31

September 7

September 28

November 1

Military Construction, FY1990 (P.L. 101-148; November 10, 1989)

1989

July 31

September 15

October 26

October 27

Transportation, FY1990 (P.L. 101-164; November 21, 1989)

1989

August 3

September 27

October 31

November 9

Treasury, Postal, FY1990 (P.L. 101-136; November 3, 1989)

1989

July 28

August 4

October 17

October 18

VA, HUD, FY1990 (P.L. 101-144; November 9, 1989)

1989

July 20

September 28

October 24

October 27

President Bill Clinton

Agriculture, FY1994 (P.L. 103-111; October 21, 1993)

1993

June 29

July 27

August 6

September 23

Commerce, Justice, State, Judiciary, FY1994 (P.L. 103-121; October 27, 1993)

1993

July 20

July 29

October 19

October 21

Defense, FY1994 (P.L. 103-139; November 11, 1993)

1993

September 30

October 21

November 10

November 10

District of Columbia, FY1994 (P.L. 103-127; October 29, 1993)

1993

June 30

July 27

October 27

October 27

Energy and Water, FY1994 (P.L. 103-126; October 28, 1993)

1993

June 24

September 30

October 26

October 27

Foreign Operations, FY1994 (P.L. 103-87; September 30, 1993)

1993

June 17

September 23

September 29

September 30

Interior, FY1994 (P.L. 103-138; November 11, 1993)

1993

July 15

September 15

October 20

November 9

Labor, HHS, Education, FY1994 (P.L. 103-112; October 21, 1993)

1993

June 30

September 29

October 7

October 18

Legislative Branch, FY1994 (P.L. 103-69; August 11, 1993)

1993

June 10

July 23

August 6

August 6

Military Construction, FY1994 (P.L. 103-110; October 21, 1993)

1993

June 23

September 30

October 13

October 19

Transportation,FY1994 (P.L. 103-122; October 27, 1993)

1993

September 23

October 6

October 21

October 21

Treasury, Postal, FY1994 (P.L. 103-123; October 28, 1993)

1993

June 22

August 3

September 29

October 26

VA, HUD, FY1994 (P.L. 103-124; October 28, 1993)

1993

June 29

September 22

October 19

October 21

President George W. Bush

Agriculture, FY2002 (P.L. 107-76; November 28, 2001)

2001

July 11

October 25

November 13

November 15

Commerce, Justice, State, Judiciary, FY2002 (P.L. 107-77; November 28, 2001)

2001

July 18

September 13

November 14

November 15

Defense, FY2002 (P.L. 107-117; January 10, 2002)

2001

November 28

December 7

December 20

December 20

District of Columbia, FY2002 (P.L. 107-96; December 21, 2001)

2001

September 25

November 7

December 6

December 7

Energy and Water, FY2002 (P.L. 107-66; November 12, 2001)

2001

June 28

July 19

November 1

November 1

Foreign Operations, FY2002 (P.L. 107-115; January 10, 2002)

2001

July 24

October 24

December 19

December 20

Interior, FY2002 (P.L. 107-63; November 5, 2001)

2001

June 21

July 12

October 17

October 17

Labor, HHS, Education, FY2002 (P.L. 107-116; January 10, 2002)

2001

October 11

November 6

December 19

December 20

Legislative Branch, FY2002 (P.L. 107-68; November 12, 2001)

2001

July 31

July 19

November 1

November 1

Military Construction, FY2002 (P.L. 107-64; November 5, 2001)

2001

September 21

September 26

October 17

October 18

Transportation, FY2002 (P.L. 107-87; December 18, 2001)

2001

June 26

August 1

November 30

December 4

Treasury, Postal, FY2002 (P.L. 107-67; November 12, 2001)

2001

July 25

September 19

October 31

November 1

VA, HUD, FY2002 (P.L. 107-73; November 26, 2001)

2001

July 31

August 2

November 8

November 8

Source: Legislative Information System and Calendars of the House of Representatives.

Notes: In some instances, dates of initial Senate passage refer to action on a companion measure. In instances where no conference action occurred, either one chamber passed the measure from the other chamber without amendment, or the two chambers resolved their differences by means of an "exchange of amendments" procedure rather than a conference.

a. The Senate agreed to a third conference report on the measure on November 3; the House did not agree to the conference report and further actions to resolve the differences between the two chambers on the bill were not successful.

b. The Senate did not consider the bill and no further action occurred.

c. The Senate considered, but did not pass, the bill and no further action occurred.

d. Following unsuccessful action on initial version(s) of the act, a subsequent measure was passed in identical form by the two chambers, obviating the need for a conference.


Table 6. Dates of House and Senate Action on Continuing Appropriations Acts

Calendar Years 1977, 1981, 1989, 1993, and 2001

Measure

Calendar Year

Date of Initial House Passage

Date of Initial Senate Passage

Date House Agreed to Conference Report

Date Senate Agreed to Conference Report

President Jimmy Carter

Continuing Appropriations for FY1978 (P.L. 95-130; October 13, 1977)

1977

October 13

October 13

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY1978 (P.L. 95-165; November 9, 1977)

1977

November 3

November 4

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY1978 (P.L. 95-205; December 9, 1977)

1977

December 6

December 6

President Ronald Reagan

Continuing Appropriations for FY1982 (P.L. 97-51; October 1, 1981)

1981

September 16

September 25

September 30

September 30

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY1982 (P.L. 97-85; November 23, 1981)

1981

November 23

November 23

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY1982 (P.L. 97-92; December 15, 1981)

1981

December 10

December 11

President George H.W. Bush

Continuing Appropriations for FY1990 (P.L. 101-100; September 29, 1989)

1989

September 26

September 28

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY1990 (P.L. 101-130; October 26, 1989)

1989

October 24

October 25

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY1990 (P.L. 101-154; November 15, 1989)

1989

November 15

November 15

President Bill Clinton

Continuing Appropriations for FY1994 (P.L. 103-88; September 30, 1993)

1993

September 29

September 29

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY1994 (P.L. 103-113; October 21, 1993)

1993

October 21

October 21

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY1994 (P.L. 103-128; October 29, 1993)

1993

October 28

October 28

President George W. Bush

Continuing Appropriations for FY2002 (P.L. 107-44; September 28, 2001)

2001

September 24

September 25

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY2002 (P.L. 107-48; October 12, 2001)

2001

October 11

October 12

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY2002 (P.L. 107-53; October 22, 2001)

2001

October 17

October 17

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY2002 (P.L. 107-58; October 31, 2001)

2001

October 25

October 25

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY2002 (P.L. 107-70; November 17, 2001)

2001

November 15

November 15

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY2002 (P.L. 107-79; December 7, 2001)

2001

December 5

December 5

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY2002 (P.L. 107-83; December 15, 2001)

2001

December 13

December 14

Further Continuing Appropriations for FY2002 (P.L. 107-97; December 21, 2001)

2001

December 20

December 20

Source: Legislative Information System and CRS Report RL32614, Duration of Continuing Resolutions in Recent Years, by [author name scrubbed].

Notes: Under President Reagan, a fourth continuing appropriations act for FY1982 was enacted in the following calendar year (P.L. 97-161; March 31, 1982). In instances where no conference action occurred, either one chamber passed the measure from the other chamber without amendment, or the two chambers resolved their differences by means of an "exchange of amendments" procedure rather than a conference.


Table 7. Dates of House and Senate Action on Selected Revenue Acts

Calendar Years 1977, 1981, 1989, 1993, and 2001

Measure

Calendar Year

Date of Initial House Passage

Date of Initial Senate Passage

Date House Agreed to Conference Report

Date Senate Agreed to Conference Report

President Jimmy Carter

Tax Reduction and Simplification Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-30; May 23, 1977)

1977

March 8

April 29

May 16

May 16

President Ronald Reagan

Economic Recovery Act of 1981 (P.L. 97-34; August 13, 1981)

1981

July 29

July 31

August 4

August 3

President George H.W. Bush

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989 (P.L. 101-239; December 19, 1989)

1989

October 5

October 13

November 22

November 22

President Bill Clinton

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-66; August 10, 1993)

1993

May 27

June 25

August 5

August 6

President George W. Bush

Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-16; June 7, 2001)

2001

May 16

May 23

May 26

May 26

Sources: Legislative Information System; Department of the Treasury, Office of Tax Analysis, Revenue Effects of Major Tax Bills, by Jerry Tempalski, OTA Working Paper 81, revised September 2006, Table 2, pp. 16-17; and CRS Report RL33030, The Budget Reconciliation Process: House and Senate Procedures, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]

Notes: The 1989, 1993, and 2001 revenue acts also are reconciliation acts and are included in Table 3.

Table 8. Dates of House and Senate Action on Debt-Limit Acts

Calendar Years 1977, 1981, 1989, 1993, and 2001

Measure

Calendar Year

Date of Initial House Passage

Date of Initial Senate Passage

Date House Agreed to Conference Report

Date Senate Agreed to Conference Report

President Jimmy Carter

An Act to Increase the Temporary Debt Limit (P.L. 95-120; October 4, 1977)

1977

September 28

September 30

President Ronald Reagan

A Bill to Provide for a Temporary Increase in the Public Debt Limit (P.L. 97-2; February 7, 1981)

1981

February 5

February 6

A Bill to Provide for a Temporary Increase in the Public Debt Limit (P.L. 97-48; September 30, 1981)

1981

May 21

September 29

A Joint Resolution to Provide for a Temporary Increase in the Public Debt Limit (P.L. 97-49; September 30, 1981)

1981

May 21

September 29

President George H.W. Bush

To Increase the Statutory Limit on the Public Debt (P.L. 101-72; August 7, 1989)

1989

August 1

August 4

Increasing the Statutory Limit on the Public Debt (P.L. 101-140; November 8, 1989)

1989

May 17

November 7

President Bill Clinton

 

 

 

 

 

To Provide for a Temporary Increase in the Public Debt Limit (P.L. 103-12; April 6, 1993)

1993

April 2

April 5

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-66, Sec. 13111; August 10, 1993)a

1993

May 27

June 25

August 5

August 6

President George W. Bush

 

 

 

 

 

[none]

2001

Sources: Legislative Information System and Office of Management and Budget, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2009, Historical Tables, February 4, 2008,Table 7-3, pp. 130-133.

Notes: In instances where no conference action occurred, either one chamber passed the measure from the other chamber without amendment, or the two chambers resolved their differences by means of an "exchange of amendments" procedure rather than a conference

a. The second debt-limit increase in 1993 was contained in a reconciliation act that also is included in Table 3.

Acknowledgments

Momoko Soltis, formerly an Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process with CRS, coauthored the initial version of this report.

Footnotes

1.

For more information on federal budgeting, see CRS Report 98-721, Introduction to the Federal Budget Process, by [author name scrubbed]. The requirement that the President submit an annual budget is established by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, as amended (31 U.S.C. 1105(a)).

2.

The act P.L. 93-344 (Titles I-IX). The timetable is set forth in Section 300 (2 U.S.C. 631).

3.

For more information on transition budgets, see CRS Report RS20752, Submission of the President's Budget in Transition Years, by [author name scrubbed].

4.

Additional information on this matter is provided in: CRS Report 93-672, Budget Submissions of Outgoing Presidents, by [author name scrubbed] (the report is archived and may be obtained from the author.) The 1990 change was made by Section 13112(c)(1) of the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990 (104 Stat. 1388-608 and 609), which was included in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-508).

5.

During the early years of the congressional budget process, the House and Senate were required to adopt a second budget resolution in the fall. The practice was abandoned during the 1980s. This report excludes House and Senate action on second budget resolutions in 1977 (for FY1978) and 1981 (for FY1982).

6.

For more information on this topic, see CRS Report RL31443, The "Deeming Resolution": A Budget Enforcement Tool, by [author name scrubbed] (pdf).

7.

For a detailed discussion of this matter, see CRS Report RS21519, Legislative Procedures for Adjusting the Public Debt Limit: A Brief Overview, by [author name scrubbed]