Over the years, the duties and responsibilities of the Budget Committee have been established in statute, as well as House Rules. 16 House Rule X, clause 1(d) states that the Budget Committee will have jurisdiction over the concurrent resolution on the budget other matters required to be referred to it pursuant to the Budget Act establishment, extension, and enforcement of special controls over the federal budget and the budget process generally. This jurisdiction is protected under the Budget Act, which states that no bill, resolution, amendment, motion, or conference report dealing with any matter within the jurisdiction of the Budget Committee shall be considered in the House unless it is a bill or resolution that has been reported by the Budget Committee or unless it is an amendment to a bill or resolution reported by the Budget Committee. The jurisdiction of the House Budget Committee is derived from the Budget Act as well as House Rule X. 15 House Budget Committee Jurisdiction and Responsibilities For example, there have been task forces on such subjects as entitlements, tax policy, economic policy, and budget reform. 14 The committee, however, sometimes establishes ad hoc task forces to study specific issues. 13Īlthough the Budget Act does not prohibit the creation of subcommittees, the Budget Committee has never had them. In general, this means that besides the House rule restricting any Member from serving on more than two standing committees, 12 few restrictions apply to Budget Committee members regarding their other committee assignments. 11 The House Republican Conference has no comparable rule.īoth Democrats and Republicans designate the Budget Committee as a nonexclusive committee. Its rules state that no Member, other than the Member designated by leadership, shall serve more than three Congresses in any period of five successive congresses. 10 The House Democratic Caucus outlines additional term limits for its members serving on the House Budget Committee. The rotating and representational membership on the Budget Committee affords Members of the House an increased level of participation in the activities of the Budget Committee. 9 Originally, the Budget Act limited service on the Budget Committee to two in any five successive Congresses. Under House rules, members of the House Budget Committee may not serve more than four in any six successive Congresses. 7 Over time, the number of Budget Committee members has varied, and is currently 39. The Congressional Budget Act originally provided for 23 members to serve on the Budget Committee. Granting these committees guaranteed representation on the Budget Committee provides them with an avenue for continuing involvement with decisions affecting their committee’s jurisdiction. 6 The Committee on Ways and Means exercises sole jurisdiction over revenue-raising matters, and the Appropriations Committee exercises sole jurisdiction over discretionary spending. 5 In addition, House rules require that the committee include one member designated by the majority party leadership and one member designated by the minority party leadership. The rules of the House require that the Budget Committee’s membership be composed of five members from the Committee on Ways and Means, five members from the Committee on Appropriations, and one member from the Committee on Rules. 4 This report describes the structure and responsibilities of the Committee on the Budget in the House of Representatives. The Budget Act also established standing committees in both chambers of Congress with jurisdiction over, among other things, the concurrent resolution on the budget. 3 This act provides for the annual adoption of a concurrent resolution on the budget as a mechanism for setting forth aggregate levels of spending, revenue, the surplus or deficit, and public debt. The basic framework that is used today for congressional consideration of budget policy was established in the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (the Budget Act). Instead, it states that each chamber may “determine the Rules of its Proceedings.” 2 Over time, Congress has therefore developed various rules and practices to govern consideration of budgetary legislation. It does not, however, establish procedures by which Congress must consider budget-related legislation. The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse, 1 that is, the power to spend, collect revenue, and borrow.
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