Proposal For a "One-Page Budget Resolution" Poses Significant Problems

Publication Date: June 2004

Publisher: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (Washington, D.C.)

Author(s): Richard Kogan

Research Area: Banking and finance; Government

Keywords: Federal budget; Fiscal future; Economic projections; Economic inequality

Type: Report

Abstract:

When the House of Representatives considers legislation to alter the budget process in late June or soon thereafter, one amendment that may be offered is a proposal to shrink the Congressional budget resolution by removing the figures for each of the 18 budget categories known as budget “functions.” The budget figures for these functional categories — such as education and social services, health, veterans programs, transportation, agriculture, environment and natural recourses, and science and space programs — would no longer be included in the
resolution. The budget resolution would only provide overall figures for a few very broad types of spending, such as non-defense discretionary spending, defense spending, and entitlement spending. Such a proposal may seem appealing at first blush, since it would make budget resolutions simpler. But it has three serious drawbacks.