Comprehensive Congressional Budget Act of 2024

(1) Federal deficits and debt are projected to keep growing at unsustainable rates.

(2) Congress does not consider a comprehensive budget with all spending and revenue at the level of spending accounts and revenue line items.

(3) The number of Federal spending accounts has grown from 1,734 in March 2009 to 2,004 in May 2022.

(4) The annual Congressional budget cycle separates appropriations legislation from the management of direct spending and revenue policies.

(5) Annual appropriations advance each year, but they have declined from 50 percent of Federal spending in 1974 to less than 33 percent. The decline is expected to continue.

(6) Congress has not enacted all appropriations bills prior to the start of the fiscal year since 1996 for fiscal year 1997.

(7) Members have little opportunity to offer substantive amendments on budget and appropriations legislation during floor consideration.

(8) Programs outside of the annual appropriations bills account for almost all projected spending growth compared to the economy.

(9) Most committees of Congress and the Members who serve on them have little direct involvement with shaping the fiscal priorities of the Federal Government on an ongoing basis.

(10) Authorizing committees haven’t enacted updated authorizations for $461,000,000,000 of appropriations for fiscal year 2022.

(11) Major trust funds face depletion within 15 years including the Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, and the Highway Trust Fund for highway and transit programs.

(12) Direct spending and revenue policies lack a regular, comprehensive review around which Members of Congress can anticipate developing proposals and building coalitions.

(13) Reconciliation is an irregular, complicated tool to manage direct spending and revenue policies, and it tends to increase deficits and debt.

(14) By contrast, the President’s budget proposal provides a comprehensive account of Federal spending and revenue along with the legislative proposals of the President.

(15) An incomplete and divided congressional budget process may weaken Congress, its power of the purse, its oversight powers, and its other authorities against an executive branch with a unified budget.

(16) Fourteen States complete their annual or biennial budget cycle with a single bill: Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Another 16 States enact 5 or fewer budget and appropriations bills per cycle: Illinois, New Hampshire, New Mexico, South Carolina, California, Kansas, Washington, Texas, Alaska, Delaware, Ohio, Vermont, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Nevada, and New York.

(17) A comprehensive budget with all Federal spending and revenue with contributions from many committees can—

(A) enable more effective budget management;

(B) involve more Members of Congress;

(C) help set priorities and control deficits and debt;

(D) improve program coordination;

(E) add value for the people of the United States; and

(F) make Congress become a more effective legislative body.

Section 3 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 622) is amended—

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through (11) as paragraphs (7) through (12), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:

(6) The term annual budget Act means an Act itemizing all Federal budget authority and revenue through the contributions of the appropriations committees and each other committee receiving allocations under section 302(a).

(1) Section 314(g)(1)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 645(g)(1)(A)) is amended by striking an appropriation measure and inserting an annual budget Act.

(2) Section 401(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 651) is amended, in the matter following paragraph (3) by striking appropriation Acts and inserting an annual budget Act.

(3) Section 3(15)(A)(ii) of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1602(15)) is amended by striking section 3(8) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 and inserting section 3 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 622).

(4) Section 2009a(3) of title 39, United States Code, is amended by striking deficit under section 3(6) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 and inserting deficit, as defined under section 3 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 622).

The timetable with respect to the congressional budget process for any fiscal year is as follows:

On or before: Action to be completed: First Monday in February President submits to Congress the budget request of the President. February 15 Congressional Budget Office submits report to Budget Committees. Not later than 6 weeks after President submits budget Committees submit views and estimates to Budget Committees. April 1 Senate Budget Committee reports concurrent resolution on the budget. April 15 Congress completes action on concurrent resolution on the budget. May 15 Committees submit direct spending and revenue line items and any recommendations to Committees on Appropriations. June 10 House appropriations Committee reports annual budget Act. June 30 House completes action on annual budget Act. October 1 Fiscal year begins.

Section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), in the matter following paragraph (7)—

(A) by striking resolution shall not and inserting resolution shall;

(B) by striking or the related and inserting and the related;

(C) by striking subsection or and inserting subsection and; and

(D) by adding at the end the following: If a concurrent resolution on the budget is not adopted by April 15, the Chair of the Committee on the Budget of each House of Congress shall report to their House baseline levels for all amounts required under this subsection within 3 legislative days, and such baseline levels shall apply in such House as though they were included in a concurrent resolution on the budget.;

(2) in subsection (b)(3), by striking on any reconciliation bill and all that follows and inserting on the annual budget Act;;

(3) in subsection (d), in the first sentence, by striking committee. and inserting committee, including baseline spending projections by budget account of policies within the jurisdiction of such committee and a description of any changes such committee expects to recommend for the annual budget Act. The Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives shall each submit to the Committee on the Budget of its House a revenue statement, a tax expenditure budget, and a description of any changes such committee expects to recommend for the annual budget Act.; and

(4) in subsection (e)(2)—

(A) in subparagraph (E), by striking and at the end;

(B) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at the end and inserting : and; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

(G) a line-item budget that compiles baseline spending and revenue projections for the budget year.

Section 302(a)(5)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 633(a)(5)(A)) is amended by striking the discretionary spending levels and all that follows and inserting the baseline levels reported under section 301(a) for the budget year..

Section 302 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 633) is amended—

(1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (g) as subsections (e) through (h), respectively;

(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:

Each committee to which an allocation is made under this section other than the Committee on Appropriations of a House shall—

(A) compile—

(i) direct spending and revenue projections for budget accounts within its jurisdiction, which shall include the effect of any recommended changes described in clause (ii); and

(ii) legislation to effect any recommended changes to policies within its jurisdiction; and

(B) submit to the Committee on Appropriations of its House, for inclusion in the annual budget Act, direct spending and revenue line items and legislation to effect such recommended changes.

Recommended changes described in paragraph (1)(A)(ii) should produce a change in outlays or revenues, including changes in outlays and revenues brought about by changes in the terms and conditions under which outlays are made or revenue are required to be collected.

If any submission under this subsection is inconsistent with the requirements of the concurrent resolution on the budget, as determined by the applicable Committee on the Budget, the Committee on Appropriations shall return the submission to the originating committee.

(2) ; and

(3) in subsection (h), as so redesignated—

(A) in paragraph (1)(A), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking (f)(1) and inserting (g)(1); and

(B) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking (f)(1) and inserting (g)(1).

Section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 621 note) is amended—

(1) in subsection (c)(2), by striking 302(f) and inserting 302(g); and

(2) in subsection (d)(3), by striking 302(f) and inserting 302(g).

(1) in subsection (b)(2), by striking any general appropriation bill or amendment thereto and inserting the annual budget Act or amendment thereto; and

(2) in subsection (c)(1), by striking any appropriation bill or joint resolution, amendment or motion thereto, or conference report thereon and inserting the annual budget Act, any amendment or motion thereto, or any conference report thereon.

Section 307 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 638) is amended to read as follows:

(a) On or before June 10 of each year, the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives shall report the annual budget Act—

(1) providing new budget authority under the jurisdiction of all of its subcommittees for the fiscal year which begins on October 1 of that year; and

(2) which shall include, without substantive revision, all line items and any recommended changes submitted by each committee of the House with jurisdiction over direct spending or revenue policies.

(b) If 1 or more committees of a House of Congress fails to submit line items as described in subsection (a)(2), the Committee on Appropriations of the House shall include baseline line items provided by the Committee on the Budget with respect to matters within the jurisdiction of each committee that failed to submit line items

The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (Public Law 93–344; 88 Stat. 297) is amended by striking the item relating to section 307 and inserting the following:

Section 309 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 640) is amended to read as follows:

(a) It shall not be in order in the House of Representatives to consider any resolution providing for an adjournment period of more than three calendar days during the month of July until the House of Representatives has approved the annual budget Act—

(1) providing new budget authority under the jurisdiction of all the subcommittees of the Committee on Appropriations for the fiscal year beginning on October 1 of such year; and

(2) which shall include—

(A) all line-item levels;

(B) any recommended changes submitted by each committee of the House of Representatives with jurisdiction over direct spending or revenue policies; and

(C) any further changes agreed to during consideration on the floor of the House of Representatives.

(b) For purposes of this section, the chair of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives shall periodically advise the Speaker as to changes in jurisdiction among its various subcommittees.

The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (Public Law 93–344; 88 Stat. 297) is amended by striking the item relating to section 309 and inserting the following:

Title III of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended by striking sections 310 and 313 (2 U.S.C. 641, 644).

(1) Section 301(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632(b)), as amended by section 5, is amended—

(A) by striking paragraph (2); and

(B) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (9) as paragraphs (2) through (8), respectively.

(2) Section 305(c)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 636(c)(1)) is amended by striking (or a reconciliation bill or resolution).

(3) Section 314(e)(4) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 645(e)(4)) is amended to read as follows:

Notwithstanding any other law or rule of the Senate, it shall be in order for a Senator to raise a single point of order against several provisions of a bill, resolution, amendment, motion, amendment between the Houses, or conference report making emergency designations. The Presiding Officer may sustain the point of order as to some or all of the provisions against which the Senator raised the point of order. If the Presiding Officer so sustains the point of order as to some of the provisions (including provisions of an amendment, motion, or conference report) against which the Senator raised the point of order, then only those provisions (including provisions of an amendment, motion, or conference report) against which the Presiding Officer sustains the point of order shall be stricken pursuant to this section. Before the Presiding Officer rules on such a point of order, any Senator may move to waive such a point of order as it applies to some or all of the provisions against which the point of order was raised. Such a motion to waive is amendable in accordance with the rules and precedents of the Senate. After the Presiding Officer rules on such a point of order, any Senator may appeal the ruling of the Presiding Officer on such a point of order as it applies to some or all of the provisions on which the Presiding Officer ruled.

(4) Section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 621 note) is amended—

(A) in subsection (c)—

(i) in paragraph (1), by striking 310(d)(2), 313,; and

(ii) in paragraph (2), by striking 310(g); and

(B) in subsection (d)—

(i) in paragraph (1), by striking reconciliation bill,;

(ii) in paragraph (2), by striking 310(d)(2), 313,; and

(iii) in paragraph (3), by striking 310(g).

(5) The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amended by striking the items relating to sections 310 and 313.

(6) The Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900 et seq.) is amended—

(A) in section 258(b)(2) (2 U.S.C. 907a(b)(2)), by striking, 310(d), and inserting and; and

(B) in section 258C (2 U.S.C. 907d)—

(i) in subsection (a)(2), in the third sentence, by striking of the type referred to in section 310(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974; and

(ii) in subsection (b)—

(I) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:

Except as provided in paragraph (2), in the Senate regular procedures for consideration of legislation shall apply to the consideration of resolutions, and reconciliation bills and reconciliation resolutions reported under subsection (a) and conference reports thereon.

(I) ; and

(II) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:

No amendment to a reconciliation bill or reconciliation resolution reported under subsection (a) shall increase net deficits or reduce net surpluses in the 5-year period or the 10-year period following the current year or any of the 10-year periods following the 10-year period immediately following the current year.

(7) Section 4(g)(3)(D) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)(3)(D)) is amended by striking section 313 (e) and inserting section 314(e)(4).