Congressional Budget Actions in 2003

Publication Date: January 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Banking and finance

Type:

Abstract:

During 2003, Congress considered many different budgetary measures. Most measures pertained to fiscal year (FY) 2004 (which began on October 1, 2003) and beyond. Some also pertained to the budget for FY2003. This report describes House and Senate action on major budgetary legislation within the framework of the congressional budget process and other procedural requirements.

As the 108th Congress began, only two of the 13 regular appropriations acts for FY2003 (which began on October 1, 2002) had been enacted. On February 13, 2003, the House and Senate agreed to the conference report to the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (H.J.Res. 2), which contains the 11 remaining regular appropriations acts for FY2003. On February 20, President George W. Bush signed the measure into law (P.L. 108-7), thereby bringing action on the FY2003 regular appropriations acts to a close.

Subsequently, Congress passed and President Bush signed two FY2003 supplemental appropriations acts into law (P.L. 108-11 and P.L. 108-69) on April 16 and August 8, respectively.

Congress typically begins its annual budget process for the upcoming fiscal year once the President submits his budget for that year. President Bush submitted his FY2004 budget to Congress on February 3, 2003.

The congressional budget process is centered around the adoption of an annual concurrent resolution on the budget. The budget resolution sets forth aggregate spending and revenue levels, and spending levels by major functional area, for at least five fiscal years. Budget resolution policies are implemented through the enactment of reconciliation bills, revenue and debt-limit legislation, and appropriations and other spending measures, and enforced by points of order that may be raised when legislation is pending on the House and Senate floor.

On April 11, the House and Senate agreed to the FY2004 budget resolution (H.Con.Res. 95, H.Rept. 108-71). On May 23, pursuant to the reconciliation instructions contained in the FY2004 budget resolution (Section 201 of H.Con.Res. 95), Congress passed H.R. 2, Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. President Bush signed the legislation into law (P.L. 108-27) on May 28.

At the end of 2003, six of the 13 FY2004 regular appropriations acts, plus a FY2004 supplemental appropriations act, had been enacted. Congress incorporated the remaining seven regular appropriations acts into one measure -- the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004 (H.R. 2673, H.Rept. 108-401). The House and Senate agreed to the conference report to the act on December 8, 2003, and January 22, 2004, respectively. On January 23, President Bush signed H.R. 2673 into law (P.L. 108-199), thereby bringing action on the FY2004 regular appropriations acts to a close.

This report will not be updated.