04.12.16

Establishing an FY17 Senate Budget Framework

WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Budget Committee today released its April 12, 2016, Budget Bulletin focused on establishing a fiscal year 2017 Senate Budget framework. The Budget Bulletin provides regular expert articles by Senate Budget Committee analysts on the issues before Congress relating to the budget, deficits, debt, and the economy.

Read the full Senate Budget Bulletin here.

Excerpts follow:

Producing a Senate Budget Framework

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA-15, P.L. 114-74) requires the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee to set, or “name,” the budgetary levels necessary for the Senate to have a fully functioning budget process for 2017. Complying with this directive in section 102 of the law will allow the Senate to advance appropriations measures.

Fiscal Impact of No Budget

There would be three immediate impacts in the Senate if no action were taken to set levels:

  1. 1.    No Spending Allocation to the Appropriations Committee
  2. 2.    Reduced Budget Window for Authorizing Committees, Revenue Legislation, and Senate PAYGO
  3. 3.    No Limit on Overall Spending for 2017

BBA-15 Requirements

The Requirement to Provide a Mechanism for 2017 Budget Enforcement specifically directs the Senate Budget Committee chairman to file committee spending allocations, aggregate spending levels, aggregate revenue levels, and Social Security spending and revenue levels so that senators may raise points of order against legislation on the Senate floor. These include points of order established in the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and in prior concurrent resolutions on the budget.

# # #

Related Files