[House Report 105-844]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Union Calendar No. 485
105th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Report 105-844
ACTIVITIES
and
SUMMARY REPORT
of the
COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
One Hundred Fifth Congress
January 2, 1999.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
--------
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
69-006 WASHINGTON : 1999
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
----------
Committee on the Budget,
Washington, DC, January 2, 1999.
Hon. Jeff Trandahl,
Acting Clerk of the House, U.S. House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Trandahl: Pursuant to Clause 1(d) of House Rule
XI, I am pleased to transmit a report on the activities of the
Committee on the Budget during the 105th Congress.
Sincerely,
John R. Kasich, Chairman.
Union Calendar No. 485
105th Congress Report
2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 105-844
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ACTIVITIES AND SUMMARY REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET DURING THE
105TH CONGRESS
_______
January 2, 1999.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Kasich of Ohio, from the Committee on the Budget, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
Summary of Committee Activities
JURISDICTION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE
The Committee on the Budget was established by the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.\1\ The committee has been
responsible for developing and reporting the annual
congressional budget resolution, for assembling and reporting
any reconciliation legislation required by that resolution, and
working on the congressional budget process. In the 105th
Congress, its jurisdiction was expanded to include budget
process, generally.
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\1\ The jurisdiction of the Committee on the Budget is governed by
Rule X, clause 1(d) of the Rules of the House of Representatives for
the 105th Congress. This provision was added to the House Rules by
section 101 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
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The main purpose of the budget resolution is to provide an
overall framework and plan for congressional action on spending
and revenue legislation. It sets ceilings on total budget
authority and outlays and a floor on total revenues. It also
allocates spending authority to the appropriations committees
and among the various authorizing committees of the House and
Senate that have jurisdiction over direct spending programs.
The limits and allocations set by the budget resolution are
enforced through points of order in the House and Senate.
The budget reconciliation process is used when changes in
entitlement or tax law are needed to implement the plan set out
in the budget resolution. The process begins with the inclusion
of ``reconciliation instructions'' in the budget resolution.
These instructions direct the appropriate authorizing
committees to report legislation revising programs under their
jurisdiction to change projected spending by specified amounts.
They may also direct the tax-writing committees to report
legislation revising tax law to change revenues by specified
amounts.
In response to reconciliation instructions, the various
committees report their legislative recommendations to the
Budget Committee. The Budget Committee then assembles the
legislation into an omnibus legislative package--without making
any substantive revisions--for consideration by the House. The
Budget Committee not only has jurisdiction over budget
resolutions and reconciliation bills, it has legislative
jurisdiction over major elements of the budget process and
various statutory controls over the Federal budget.
When the House of Representatives adopted Rules for the
104th Congress (H. Res. 6) on January 5, 1995, the Budget
Committee achieved for the first time legislative jurisdiction
over major elements of the congressional budget process and
various statutory controls over the Federal budget. The
relevant section of clause 1(d) reads as follows:
(1) * * * Other measures setting forth appropriate
levels of budget totals for the United States
Government.
(2) Measures relating to the congressional budget
process, generally.
(3) Measures relating to the establishment,
extension, and enforcement of special controls over the
Federal budget including the budgetary treatment of
off-budget Federal agencies and measures providing
exemption from reduction under any order issued under
part C of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985.
The addition to subparagraph (d)(2) gave the Budget
Committee substantive jurisdiction over any statement providing
for a balanced budget required under the proposed amendment to
the U.S. Constitution. The amendment, which had passed the
House during the 104th Congress but failed in the Senate,
envisioned a legislative vehicle other than the concurrent
budget resolution that would be sent to the President.
Subparagraph (d)(3) gave the Budget Committee primary
jurisdiction over budget terminology and the discretionary
spending limits. The Budget Committee would have shared
jurisdiction over such other elements of the congressional
budget process. Essentially, the Budget Committee would have
exclusive jurisdiction over both budgetary levels and budgetary
concepts and secondary jurisdiction over purely procedural
aspects of the congressional budget process. In fact, the
Budget Committee would have shared jurisdiction over the
establishment, extension, and enforcement of mandatory and
discretionary spending limits, PAYGO requirements, and other
special budgetary mechanisms to control spending, the deficit,
or the Federal budgets. Jurisdiction over the sequestration
process also migrated from the Government Reform and Oversight
Committee to the Budget Committee.
The Rules for the 104th Congress recognized that the
Government Reform and Oversight Committee would retain, for the
duration of the 104th Congress, jurisdiction over certain
budget process already in the legislative pipeline, most
notably the rescission process, performance budgeting,
regulatory budgets, and capital budgeting. However, in adopting
the Rules of the House of Representatives for the 105th
Congress (H. Res. 5) on January 7, 1997, the Budget Committee
extended its legislative jurisdiction even further to cover not
only the congressional budget process but all budget process in
general. The pertinent section of clause 1(d) was changed to
read as follows:
(3) Measures relating to the budget process,
generally.
To also reflect this expansion of the Budget Committee's
legislative jurisdiction over budget process measures that were
retained under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Government
Reform and Oversight, the pertinent section of clause 1(g)
outlining the Government Reform and Oversight Committee's
jurisdiction was changed from
(4) Budget and accounting measures, generally.
to read as follows:
(4) Government management and accounting measures,
generally.
In addition to its legislative duties, the Budget Committee
continues to have responsibilities for oversight and studies.
These responsibilities include oversight of the Congressional
Budget Office; study of the outlay effects of existing and
proposed legislation; study of off-budget entities; study of
tax expenditures; and study of proposals to improve and
facilitate the congressional budget process.\2\
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\2\ Rules of the House of Representatives, Rule X, clauses 3(b) and
4(b) (1995).
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Activities in the 105th Congress
FISCAL YEAR 1998 BUDGET CYCLE
Overview of the bipartisan budget agreement
The framework for the 1997 budget agreement was developed
through intensive deliberations between members of the Budget
Committee, the congressional leadership, President Clinton, and
various officials of his administration. The overall framework
of the agreement--which was intended to balance the Federal
budget by 2002 and provide for tax relief--was agreed to on May
2, 1997. The Bipartisan Budget Agreement Between the President
and the Leadership of Congress, a memorandum of understanding
outlining the terms of this negotiated budget agreement, was
finally approved and signed by the President, the Speaker of
the House of Representatives, the Senate majority leader, and
the Senate minority leader on May 15, 1997.\3\ The Congress
then quickly adopted a budget resolution establishing spending
and revenue aggregates and committee allocations consistent
with the spending levels agreed to in the memorandum of
understanding. The budget resolution also included the
necessary reconciliation instructions to the authorizing
committees to make the necessary changes in entitlement and tax
law to achieve the spending and revenue levels in the budget
resolution. In accordance with these instructions, the Congress
passed two reconciliation bills--one for entitlements and other
programs not controlled through the appropriations process and
one for taxes. Ultimately, a package of budget process
provisions intended to enforce the budget agreement and which
were within the legislative jurisdiction of the Budget
Committees were folded into the reconciliation bill for
entitlements reforms.
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\3\ See Appendix A of H. Rept. 105-100, the House report
accompanying H. Con. Res. 84, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget-
Fiscal Year 1998.
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Budget resolution
The congressional budget cycle commenced on May 18, 1997,
with the markup of the Fiscal Year 1998 Concurrent Resolution
on the Budget. Out of 13 amendments offered, only 2 were
adopted: A sense of the Congress offered by Ms. Roybal-Allard
relating to family violence; and the second amendment, which
was offered by Mr. Sherman, provided language to the budget
resolution regarding a separate allocation for land acquisition
and exchanges. The resolution was ordered reported with a vote
of 31 to 7.
The report accompanying House Concurrent Resolution 84,
House Report 105-100, was filed on May 18, 1997.
The Rules Committee reported a rule (H. Res. 152/H. Rept.
105-102) providing for the consideration of House Concurrent
Resolution 84 on May 20, 1997. The rule made in order an
amendment printed in the accompanying report, House Report 105-
102, as original text, provided for 5 hours of general debate,
and made in order the consideration of five substitutes.
House Resolution 152 was considered by the House on May 20,
1997, and passed by a vote of 278 to 142. House Concurrent
Resolution 84 was called up for consideration that same day.
Five substitutes were defeated by roll call votes. The House
passed the bill, as amended by the rule, by 333 to 99.
The House agreed to a unanimous consent request by Mr.
Kasich to disagree to the Senate amendment and agree to the
request to a conference on June 3, 1997.
The conferees met on June 3, 1997. Senator Domenici was
elected chairman of the conference committee. The conference
report was filed in the House on June 4, 1997 (H. Rept. 105-
116). In the rule providing for the consideration of the
conference report (H. Res. 160), the House agreed to the
conference report on June 4, 1997.
Reconciliation
A conference report on the budget resolution provides for
levels of spending and revenue for the Federal Government.
Because it is a document internal to the Congress, however, it
does not have the force of law. To implement these levels, a
Budget Resolution may include instructions that direct certain
Congressional committees to submit recommendations to the
budget committee to ``reconcile'' levels of current law
spending and revenue to those called for in the budget
resolution. This simply means changing the law so that the
levels of spending and revenue called for in the budget
resolution are attained. These recommendations are then
gathered together by the Budget Committee and reported to the
whole House in the form of one or more ``Reconciliation
Bills.'' These bills must be passed by the House, the Senate,
and then signed by the President in order to become law.
For fiscal year 1998, the conference report on the budget
resolution (H. Con. Res. 84/H. Rept. 105-116) provided for two
separate reconciliation bills: the first, what became the
Balanced Budget Act of 1997, reformed entitlements. The second,
what was eventually known as the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997,
provided tax relief. These reconciliation instructions directed
eight authorizing committees in the House to submit to the
Budget Committee by June 12, 1997, recommendations that were
reported by the Budget Committee on June 20, 1997, in the form
of two reconciliation packages. Pursuant to section 310(b)(2)
of the Congressional Budget Act, the submissions were not
subject to amendment by the Budget Committee.
In addition, in order to maintain those spending and
revenue levels over five years, certain budget process and
enforcement provisions in the Budget Enforcement Act of 1997
were extended and modified as part of the Balanced Budget Act
of 1997.
Reconciliation--entitlement reforms (Balanced Budget Act of
1997)
For the reconciliation bill providing entitlement reforms,
the committee agreed to a motion offered by Mr. Hobson to order
it reported to the House with a favorable recommendation by a
vote of 25 to 5, 2 voting present.
Mr. Kasich introduced the entitlement provisions reported
by the Budget Committee as H.R. 2015 and filed the accompanying
report (House Report 105-149), on June 24, 1997. H.R. 2015
contained the text of the legislative language provided to the
Budget Committee by the various authorizing committees
recommending changes in entitlement programs.
The Committee on Rules ordered reported a rule (H. Res.
174) providing for the consideration of H.R. 2015 on June 25,
1997. The rule provided for three hours of general debate. It
made in order the text of H.R. 2015 as modified by the
amendments printed in the Rules Committee's report as original
text for purposes of amendment. This rule also added the text
of the Budget Enforcement Act of 1997 on to H.R. 2015. The BEA
of 1997 extended budget procedures through 2002, such as the
discretionary spending caps and the pay-as-you-go requirements
in order to assure both revenue and spending levels were
maintained. This same rule provided for the consideration of
the second reconciliation bill, H.R. 2014, providing tax
relief.
House Resolution 174 passed the House by a vote of 228 to
200, 1 voting present, on June 25, 1997.
The House rejected by a vote of 207 to 223 a motion by Mr.
Brown of Ohio to recommit the bill to the Budget Committee with
instructions to report the bill back to the House with various
modifications. The House then passed the reconciliation bill by
270 to 162.
The House agreed under unanimous consent, to a motion
offered by Mr. Kasich to disagree to the Senate amendment and
ask for a conference on July 10, 1997. Mr. Spratt offered a
motion to instruct conferees which was agreed to by 414 to 14.
The conferees met on July 10, 1997 and they elected Senator
Domenici as the chairman of the conference committee. The
conference report was filed on July 30, 1997 (H. Rept. 105-
217). The House agreed to the conference report on July 30,
1997, by a vote of 346 to 85.
The President exercised use of the line-item veto pursuant
to P.L. 104-130 on a single provision in H.R. 2015 on August
11, 1998 (Presidential Cancellation Number 97-3).\4\
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\4\ The Line Item Veto Act was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S.
Supreme Court in Clinton v. City of New York on June 25, 1998.
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Reconciliation--tax relief (Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997)
As for the second reconciliation package providing tax
relief, the Budget Committee agreed to a motion offered by Mr.
Hobson to order the legislative text reported with a favorable
recommendation by a vote of 20 to 12 on June 20, 1997.
Mr. Kasich introduced the tax provisions reported by the
Budget Committee as H.R. 2014 and filed the accompanying report
(House Report 105-148) on June 24, 1997. This legislation would
later be renamed the ``Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997.'' H.R. 2014
contained the text of the reconciliation submission related to
tax relief reported by the Budget Committee.
The Committee on Rules ordered reported a rule (H. Res.
174) providing for the consideration of H.R. 2014 on June 25,
1997. The rule provided for 3 hours of general debate and made
in order one substitute to be offered by Mr. Rangel or his
designee. It made in order the text of H.R. 2014 as modified by
the amendment printed in the Rules Committee's report as
original text for purposes of amendment. This same rule
provided for the consideration of H.R. 2015, the entitlement
reconciliation act, as well.
House Resolution 174 passed the House by a vote of 228 to
200, 1 voting present, on June 25, 1997.
The House rejected an amendment offered by Mr. Rangel by a
vote of 197 to 235. The House rejected by a vote of 164 to 268
a motion by Mr. Peterson of Minnesota to recommit the bill to
the Budget Committee with instructions to report the bill back
to the House with various modifications. The House then passed
the reconciliation bill by 253 to 179.
The House agreed under unanimous consent, to a motion
offered by Mr. Kasich to disagree to the Senate amendment and
request a conference on July 11, 1997.
The conferees met on July 11, 1997. They elected Senator
Domenici as the chairman of the conference committee. The
conference report was filed on July 30, 1997 (H. Rept. 105-
220). The House agreed to the conference report on July 30,
1997 by a vote of 389 to 43.
The President exercised use of the line-item veto pursuant
to P.L. 104-130 on two provisions in H.R. 2014 on August 11,
1998 (Presidential Cancellation Numbers 97-1 and 97-2).
Budget enforcement provisions (Budget Enforcement Act of
1997)
The Bipartisan Budget Agreement called for legislation
extending the discretionary spending limits and PAY-AS-YOU-GO
requirements and a variety of lessor changes in the budget
process. Unlike the entitlement and tax provisions submitted to
the Budget Committee as part of the reconciliation process,
this legislation was within the original jurisdiction of the
budget process. However, these provisions could not be directly
incorporated by the Budget Committees into one of the
reconciliation bills because of a Senate rule prohibiting the
consideration of extraneous measures as part of reconciliation.
However, the Budget Committees were able to add these
provisions at a later stage in the reconciliation process.
On June 25, 1997 the House incorporated the enforcement
provisions into the entitlement bill, H.R. 2015, as part of a
self-executing rules providing for the consideration of the
bill. Although the Senate added the enforcement provisions to
the tax bill as part of a floor amendment, the provisions were
ultimately enacted as part of the entitlement bill.
Also on June 25, 1997, Representative Nick Smith of
Michigan introduced the enforcement measures as H.R. 2037, the
Budget Enforcement Act of 1997.
The House passed these enforcement measures as Title X of
the conference report on the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 when
it was considered on July 30, 1997, which was subsequently
signed into law by the President on August 11, 1997.
Summary of the balanced budget agreement
The Bipartisan Budget Agreement reached in 1997 represented
an historic achievement. It demonstrated that Congress and the
Clinton Administration could commit themselves to major reforms
of government programs so that the Federal budget could be
balanced in 2002. It also called for a substantial reduction in
the tax burden for middle-income Americans.
This legislation--the Balanced Budget Act of 1997--
demonstrated the efforts of House authorizing committees to
fulfill the first part of that agreement through systemic,
fundamental reforms of government entitlements. A second
measure, called the Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1997,
provided approximately $85 billion in net tax relief over 5
years. Together, these twin bills responded to the
reconciliation directives of the House Concurrent Resolution on
the Budget for Fiscal Year 1998, (H. Con. Res. 84), which
embraced the Bipartisan Budget Agreement.
From a budgetary standpoint, the accomplishments of the
budget agreement included the following:
--It balanced the Federal budget in 2002 and was
projected to run surpluses each year thereafter through
2002.
--It provided a total of $85 billion in net tax
relief over the following 5 years and $250 billion
through 2007--the majority of this relief going to
middle-income working families.
--It delayed Medicare bankruptcy for 10 years.
--It reduced total Federal spending to 18.9 percent
of gross domestic product [GDP] by 2002--the first time
since 1974 that Federal spending has been below 20
percent of GDP.
--It slowed the growth of total Federal spending to 3
percent a year for the following 5 years.
--It achieved roughly $182 billion in entitlement
savings over the following 5 years, and approximately
$700 billion over the following 10 years.
--It slowed the growth of non-defense discretionary
outlays to less than one-half of 1 percent a year over
the following 5 years, compared with an average of 6
percent a year for the past 10 years.
--It saved taxpayers approximately $13 billion over
the following 5 years, and $142 billion over the
following 10 years, through lower interest payments.
These achievements in this budget agreement represented the
Budget Committee's long-term commitment to keep the Congress'
fiscal house in order.
The Balanced Budget Act
Title I of the Balanced Budget Act increased Federal food
stamp spending by $1.5 billion over the 1998-2002 period and
$2.8 billion over the 1998-2007 period. The law contained two
provisions that address components of the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.
Those provisions allow states to exempt some individuals from
the 3-month time limit for participation and give additional
Federal funds to States for the Food Stamp Employment and
Training program. Other provisions required states to establish
a system to assure that prisoners are not counted as members of
food stamp households and create a new grant program for
nutrition education.
Title II permanently prohibited the Federal Housing
Administration [FHA] from deferring foreclosure on properties
whose owners have defaulted in making payments on FHA-insured
single-family mortgages. In addition, this title made two
changes affecting rent adjustments for Section 8 housing.
First, it generally prohibited rent increases for projects
assisted under the Section 8 New Construction, Substantial
Rehabilitation, or Moderate Rehabilitation programs, if their
assisted rents exceed the fair market rent [FMR] established by
the Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] for that
housing area. It also limited rent increases for units without
tenant turnover.
Title III directed the Federal Communications Commission
[FCC] to auction licenses to use portions of the
electromagnetic spectrum. CBO estimated that those provisions
would produce receipts totaling $21.4 billion over the 1998-
2002 period and $25.3 billion over the 1998-2007 period.
Title IV of the Balanced Budget Act contained provisions
relating to Medicare, Medicaid, and children's health. The
title reduced Federal spending by $102 billion over the 1998-
2002 period compared with prior law. Medicare benefit payments
were reduced by $99 billion, Medicare premiums were increased
by $13 billion, Medicaid was cut by $10 billion, and additional
spending of $20 billion was provided for a new State Children's
Health Insurance Program. In addition, the title increased
Federal revenues by $2 billion. Title IV of the Balanced Budget
Act contains provisions relating to Medicare, Medicaid, and
children's health. On balance, the title reduces federal
spending by $102 billion over the 1998-2002 period compared
with prior law. Medicare benefit payments are reduced by $99
billion, Medicare premiums are increased by $13 billion,
Medicaid is cut by $10 billion, and additional spending of $20
billion is provided for a new State Children's Health Insurance
Program. In addition, the title increases federal revenues by
$2 billion.
Many of the provisions of title IV were interrelated.
Subtitles A through G primarily concerned the Medicare program,
and subtitle H primarily concerned Medicaid, but the Medicare
provisions also affected Medicaid and vice versa. Similarly,
the State Children's Health Insurance Program established by
subtitle J had an impact on Medicaid. The Medicare provisions
in title IV established Medicare+Choice plans, expanded
preventive benefits, reduced payment rates to most health care
providers, increased premiums required of beneficiaries, and
made other changes to reduce the growth of Medicare spending
and postpone the depletion of the Hospital Insurance Trust
Fund. CBO projected that under prior law, spending for Medicare
benefits would have grown at an annual rate of 8.5 percent from
1997 to 2002. In total, the provisions of title IV slowed the
rate of growth to about 6 percent a year on average and
postpone the depletion of the trust fund from 2001 to 2007.
The act gave Medicare beneficiaries the option to remain
in the existing fee-for-service Medicare program or to enroll
in Medicare+Choice plans, which replaced Medicare's current
risk-based plans. Medicare+Choice plans included health
maintenance organizations, point-of-service plans, preferred
provider organizations, provider-sponsored organizations,
private fee-for-service plans, and insurance plans operated in
conjunction with a medical savings account. New or expanded
screening benefits were added for the detection of breast
cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer,
and osteoporosis. Blood-glucose-testing supplies and diabetes
self-management training are covered for beneficiaries with
diabetes.
Title V modified the previous year's welfare reform law by
providing money to states to help welfare recipients find work
and by softening restrictions on benefits to legal immigrants.
Savings in the unemployment insurance program offset some of
those costs.
Title VI reduced the cost of the Federal student loan
programs and repealed the Smith-Hughes Act, which provides
funds for vocational education. It saved $2 billion in the
student loan program and $64 million in vocational education
over the next 10 years. It required that the 36 guaranty
agencies currently participating in the guaranteed student loan
program return $1 billion of their cash reserve funds to the
federal government in 2002. It also eliminated the separate
per-loan federal subsidy to schools or alternate originators to
process applications for direct student loans.
Title VII made a number of changes affecting the retirement
and health insurance programs for Federal employees and
annuitants. It increased the contributions of both Federal
employees and their employing agencies for the employees'
retirement programs, modified the Federal Government's payments
for health insurance coverage of employees and annuitants, and
ended a payment the Treasury was required to make to the U.S.
Postal Service. In total, those provisions reduced on-budget
direct spending by $3.3 billion, increased off-budget outlays
by $44 million, and increased Federal revenues by $1.9 billion
over the 1998-2007 period. Most of these savings resulted from
increasing the amount of retirement costs charged to agency
appropriations.
Title VIII extended through 2002 the provisions of the
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 [OBRA-90] that affect
programs for veterans. It also made the authority of the
Department of Veterans Affairs to spend certain receipts
subject to appropriations and rounded down cost-of-living
adjustments [COLAs] for veterans' disability compensation. CBO
estimated that the act reduced direct spending by $247 million
in 1998 and $4.2 billion over the 1998-2007 period. It raised
net spending subject to appropriations by $557 million in 1998
and $4.4 billion over the 10-year period.
Title IX produced budgetary savings by selling Federal
assets, extending certain fees, increasing the excise tax on
tobacco, and implementing other policy reforms.
Title X of the Balanced Budget Act extended budget
enforcement requirements and made technical changes to
congressional and executive branch budget procedures. Most
important, it extended the limits on discretionary spending and
the pay-as-you-go procedures for direct spending and receipts
beyond 1998. Those provisions affect the consideration of
future legislation but do not directly alter Federal outlays or
revenues. (See section on the BEA.)
Under title XI, the Federal Government assumed additional
responsibility for several state-like functions currently
carried out by the District of Columbia, including operation of
its courts, prisons, and pension system. Title XI also
eliminated the current annual Federal payment to the District
of $660 million and instead authorizes a smaller contribution
of $190 million in 1998 and unspecified additional amounts in
future years. The act also authorized the District of Columbia
to borrow up to $300 million from the Treasury for a period not
to exceed 10 years if it cannot obtain reasonable financing
elsewhere. Finally, this title affected the operation of the
District government in several ways. It required the Financial
Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority (the
``Control Board'') and the District government to develop
management reform plans for nine District agencies and four
functions. It also gave the Control Board the authority to fire
the heads of the nine agencies as well as to confirm mayoral
nominations to head each agency; and requires the District to
balance its budget in 1998.
Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997
The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 made many changes to the
Internal Revenue Code. A new $500 per child credit for children
under age 17 would result in the largest reduction in revenue.
Other major reductions in revenue result from new tax credits
for students and other education incentives, changes in IRAs,
lower taxation of capital gains realizations, and modifications
to the alternative minimum tax and to the estate and gift tax.
The act's provisions also included changes that would generate
revenue. The largest revenue increase comes from extending and
modifying aviation excise taxes. The Joint Committee on
Taxation and CBO estimate that these provisions would reduce
governmental receipts by $88.9 billion over the 1997-2002
period. In addition, CBO estimates that the bill would increase
outlays from the Child Credit and Earned Income Credit by $11.5
billion in fiscal years 1997 through 2002.
budget enforcement act of 1997
Summary of the Budget Enforcement Act of 1997
In compliance with the Bipartisan Budget Agreement, the
budget enforcement provisions that were enacted as part of the
reconciliation bill for entitlement reforms extended the
discretionary spending limits and PAYGO requirements through
Fiscal Year 2002. It also made a series of technical changes in
both the Congressional budget process and in the operations of
the discretionary spending limits and PAYGO requirements.
The bill revised the limits for Fiscal Year 1998 and
extended the caps through Fiscal Year 2002. It established
separate limits on defense and non-defense discretionary
spending for Fiscal Year 1998 and 1999. The bill maintained at
revised levels the separate limits for the Violent Crime
Reduction Trust Fund. It repealed automatic cap adjustments for
changes in inflation and estimating differences between OMB and
CBO on outlays. However, it retained adjustments in budget
authority and outlays for changes in concepts and definitions,
emergencies, continuing disability reviews and added
adjustments for the International Monetary Fund, international
arrears and an Earned Income Tax Initiative.
The bill also extended PAYGO, which had been scheduled to
expire after Fiscal year 2008 requirements through Fiscal Year
2002. Pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Agreement, the
permitted OMB and CBO to count the proceeds from certain asset
sales under PAYGO. It specifically specified that both the
costs are proceeds of assets sales were to be counted under
PAYGO if the sale was estimated to result in a long-term cost
to the Federal Government. In order to make this determination
both OMB and CBO are required to calculate the net present
value of the asset sale.
TECHNICAL CHANGES IN THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET PROCESS
The bill also made a series of technical changes in the
congressional budget process focused largely on 302(a)
allocations, points of order, and the budgetary treatment of
credit programs. Most of these changes were made to the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974. These changes:
Provided for a single spending allocation of
mandatory spending authority to the authorizing
committees. Previously the House provided separate
allocations of new entitlement authority and other
mandatory, but nonentitlement, budget authority.
Neither form of spending is controlled through annual
appropriations. In the case of new entitlement
authority, the claimant has a legal right to the
specified benefits and may seek redress in court if the
benefit is denied. Members have not found the
distinction particularly useful and it occasionally has
led to inequitable outcomes between committees simply
because one committee has an allocation of one form of
spending authority and another an allocation of both.
Changed the default allocation to the Appropriations
Committee if the budget resolution is not agreed to by
April 15th from levels based on the President's budget
submission to the levels assumed in the second year of
the most recently agreed to budget resolution.
Made the requirement that the budget resolution
establish limits on loans optional. The inclusion of
these levels has essentially been obsolete since 1990
when loans and loan guarantees were first treated as a
form of new budget authority as part of the Credit
Reform Act.
Modified Congressional procedure to permit additional
tax cuts in the House if they are offset with spending
cuts. It also broadened the so-called ``Rosty
exception'' in the House for deficit-neutral
legislation. It specified that taxes can be reduced
beyond the levels assumed in the budget resolution if
they are offset with reductions in direct spending. The
reductions must be in excess of any required under
reconciliation.
Repealed a mini-reconciliation process to pay for tax
cuts. In the event a bill was reported that reduced
revenue, OBRA 1990 permitted the Budget Committee to
issue a reconciliation bill to pay for it. Since no
such procedures were adopted in the Senate, any bill
that passed the House pursuant to these procedures was
ineligible for the expedited procedures afforded a
reconciliation bill in the Senate. The mini-
reconciliation process has not been utilized since its
enactment.
Eliminated the need to waive the Congressional Budget
Act if the rule ``cures'' the bill. Since most points
of order applied to the bill as reported, bill sponsors
had to secure Budget Act waivers even if the source of
the violation was corrected in the base text (through a
rule or manager's amendment).
Increased committee flexibility in meeting
reconciliation targets. The BBA changed the rule that
permits the Ways and Means Committee to substitute 20
percent of its entitlement changes with 20 percent of
its tax changes as long as the committee meets the net
change in the deficit or surplus set forth in its
reconciliation instructions. It was argued that the
Ways and Means Committee could not invoke the original
rule because it applied to the sum of tax and
entitlement changes which hypothetically could be zero.
The BBA simply provided that the 20 percent rule
applies to the sum of the absolute value of the desired
revenue and tax change.
TECHNICAL CHANGES IN THE PAYGO REQUIREMENTS/DISCRETIONARY SPENDING
LIMITS
The BBA of 1997 made numerous technical changes in the
statutory controls over the budget that are codified as part of
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985
as amended most recently by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
These changes primarily dealt with PAYGO requirements,
particularly sequestration procedures. The Balanced Budget Act
of 1997:
Corrected the ``look-back'' requirement for
calculating a PAYGO sequester. As originally drafted in
1990, the language was intended to ensure that
legislation enacted after an end-of-year sequester
would be picked up in the following year's sequester.
OMB maintained that the provision required it to sum
the deficit effects for the budget year and the prior
year in its sequester calculations. Consequently a
credit in one year could be used to offset a deficit
increase in the next. The BBA clarified that only the
budget effects of legislation enacted after the prior
year's sequester are included in the deficit
calculation for the following year.
Permanently extended the budget resolution's 5-year
window. Prior to 1990, the budget resolution covered
the budget year and two planning years. The Omnibus
Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 temporarily extended
the window to 5 years as part of what was then a 5-year
budget agreement. The BBA of 1997 permanently extended
the 5-year window, but provided that the budget
resolution can specify a different period to enforce
through points of order.
Clarified assumptions in the baseline for farm
subsidies. It specified that in the event of an
expiration of farm subsidies, the baseline for scoring
legislation would assume the prior year's levels. In
the 104th Congress, OMB scored the farm bill as
``saving'' $1.9 billion in fiscal year 1996 relative to
a 1949-era law in order to avoid triggering a sequester
for that year.
Revised the formula for calculating sequestration of
student loans under PAYGO so that it is equally applied
to direct student loans and guaranteed student loans.
Provided for a ``rolling'' 5-year scorecard under
PAYGO. Under the BBA the sum of all legislation must be
deficit-neutral for 5 years from the date of enactment.
Previously PAYGO applied for the full 5 years only in
the year following its enactment or extension. Each
year, the window was reduced by a year. The contracting
window emboldened Congress and the administration to
support legislation that increased the deficit just
beyond the PAYGO horizon.
Repealed the separate 302(a) allocation in the House
for the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund [VCRTF].
This change was intended to put VCRTF spending on a
comparable basis with defense and non-defense
discretionary spending, which are not subject to points
of order under 302(f) even though they fall under
separate caps.
Increased the caps by the amount of emergency-
designated appropriations. While the BBA continues to
hold appropriations harmless for emergency-designated
appropriations, it adjusts the caps upward by the
amount of the emergency instead of ignoring the fact
that such amounts were appropriated.
Eliminated adjustments in the baseline for nonindexed
programs. Prior to the BBA, OMB and CBO inflated
certain nonindexed programs in their baseline
calculations. The BBA directed CBO and OMB to assume no
adjustment for inflation unless such an adjustment is
required in the underlying law. Under this change,
legislation affecting these programs will be estimated
relative to a base that assumes a constant level of
expenditures. The BBA also provides OMB and the Budget
Committees with the authority to determine whether the
baseline should assume funding for legislation in which
the program sunsets at a certain date.
Updated the list of programs and activities that are
subject to or exempt from PAYGO requirements and the
discretionary spending limits.
Amended the Credit Reform Act to redefine the
discount rate used to determine each year's cash flows
to more closely follow standard discounting procedures.
It also required agencies to base their subsidy cost
estimates on the economic and technical assumptions in
the President's budget for the year in which the funds
are obligated. It requires that the interest rate paid
on financing account debt to Treasury, and earned on
financing account balances, be identical to the
discount rate used to calculate subsidy costs. Finally,
it requires that all unobligated balances in
liquidating accounts be transferred to the general fund
of the Treasury.
Extended the period for OMB estimates from 10 days
after enactment to 15 days. Additionally, the BBA
stipulated that OMB must consult in writing with the
Budget Committees on scoring issues.
FISCAL YEAR 1999 BUDGET CYCLE
Budget resolution and related events
The committee marked up the concurrent resolution on the
budget for fiscal year 1999 on May 27, 1998. The committee
passed a sense-of-Congress amendment relating to Individual
Development Accounts offered by Mr. Thompson; an amendment
offered by Mr. Spratt and Ms. Rivers relating to funding levels
for special education as amended by a substitute amendment
offered by Mr. Bass to reflect a sense of Congress on special
education funding levels; an amendment offered by Mr. Weygand
relating to funding levels for Medicare Home Health Care
Services, as modified; an amendment offered by Mr. Bentsen
relating to Medicare Beneficiaries' Clinical Cancer Trials
Demonstration, as modified; report language offered by Mr.
Bentsen regarding funding for the Army Corps of Engineers; and
report language offered by Mr. Minge related to the Social
Security Trust Fund. An amendment offered by Mr. Minge related
to Medicare+Choice was withdrawn and the committee agreed by
unanimous consent to include similar language in the report.
Therefore, out of 28 amendments, the committee defeated 20
amendments and 1 was withdrawn. The committee agreed to the
budget resolution, as amended, by a rollcall vote of 22 to 16.
The Committee on Rules ordered reported (H. Res. 455/H.
Rept. 105-565) a rule providing for the consideration of House
Concurrent Resolution 284. The rule made in order an amendment
printed in the accompanying report as original text and
suspended House rule XLIX which provides for an automatic
engrossment of legislation raising the debt ceiling upon the
adoption the budget resolution conference report. On June 4,
1998 the House passed the rule which self-executed changes
modified the text of the bill that made in order two
substitutes to be offered by Representatives Neumann and
Spratt.
The House passed House Resolution 455 on June 4, 1998.
House Concurrent Resolution 284 (H. Rept. 105-555) was called
up in the House for consideration on June 4, 1998. The House
rejected substitutes offered by Mr. Neumann by a vote of 158 to
262 and Mr. Spratt by 164 to 257. The budget resolution passed
the House by a vote of 216 to 204 on June 5, 1998.
Reconciliation and related events
Section 4 of House Concurrent Resolution 284 set forth
reconciliation instructions for considering a single omnibus
reconciliation bill. The deadline for committee submissions to
meet the reconciliation instructions was June 26, 1998.
Interim allocation
The Rule providing for the consideration of H.R. 4059, the
fiscal year 1999 Military Construction Appropriations Act
specified that until a conference report on the budget
resolution for fiscal year 1999 was passed, the appropriations
committees allocation would be based on the levels as passed in
the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
TASK FORCE ON BUDGET PROCESS REFORM
During the 105th Congress, many House Members indicated
strong interest in major budget process reform. The basic
structure of the congressional budget process had not been
fundamentally revised since the Congressional Budget Act was
enacted in 1974. Members have repeatedly expressed frustration
over the complexity of the process, the inability to enforce
budgetary decisions, and what they perceive as an inherent bias
toward higher spending. In recent time, additional concerns had
been raised about the advisability of maintaining separate
controls over discretionary and mandatory components of the
budget during a period in which the budget is projected to be
in balance.
On February 5, 1998, the Budget Committee authorized the
creation of a Task Force on Budget Process Reform. The Task
Force was authorized pursuant to a colloquy between the
Chairman of the Budget Committee and Representative David
Hobson. Representative Jim Nussle was appointed as chairman and
Representative Cardin the ranking minority member. Mr. Nussle
indicated that the Task Force would hold hearings in the
following areas: the nature of the budget resolution, baselines
and budgetary projections, contingent liabilities, emergencies,
and budget enforcement.
The first hearing was held on March 31, 1998, on the topic
of converting the budget resolution into a law. At this
hearing, Dr. Roy Meyers, an assistant professor at the
University of Maryland, and David Mason of the Heritage
Foundation testified in favor of converting the concurrent
budget resolution into a joint resolution. Dr. Allen Schick of
the Brookings Institution cautioned that adoption of a joint
resolution would reduce the ability of Congress and the
President to set forth their own budget priorities.
On April 1, 1998, a hearing was held on baselines and
budgetary projections. The witnesses included Tim Penny, a
former Member of Congress and current cochairman of the
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget; Paul Van de Water,
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis, Congressional Budget
Office; and Timothy J. Muris, Foundation Professor, George
Mason University School of Law. Former Representative Tim
Penny, who along with Chairman Kasich and Representative
Charles W. Stenholm offered a bill in the 103rd Congress to
reform the concept of baseline budgeting, testified in favor of
eliminating some elements of the baseline and modifying others.
Timothy Muris testified in favor of eliminating the baseline
altogether, arguing that it does not provide a true measure of
the services being provided. In his testimony, Paul Van de
Water defined the concept and evolution of baselines and
explained how CBO currently measures its baseline.
A third hearing was held on April 23, 1998, on the
budgetary treatment of insurance programs. At that hearing the
witnesses included Susan J. Irving, Associate Director for
Federal Budget Issues, Government Accounting Office; Marvin
Phaup, Deputy Assistant Director, Special Studies Division,
Congressional Budget Office and former CBO director Rudy
Penner. All three witnesses testified in favor of reforming the
budgetary treatment of Federal insurance programs so that they
more accurately reflect the true cost of the programs, but
continued that the model for estimating risk are not
sufficiently developed to immediately integrate accrual
measures into the budget.
On June 18, 1998, Chairman Nussle invited Members to
testify on their own ideas for reforming the budget process.
Mr. Cox, Mr. Barton, Mr. Sabo, Mr. Stenholm, and Mr. Castle
testified before the Task Force. Although they did not testify,
Mr. Radanovich, Mr. Goss, Mr. Sam Johnson, and Mr. Livingston
submitted prepared statements for the record.
A fourth and final hearing was held on June 23, 1998, on
the topic of emergencies. The hearing featured James L. Witt,
the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Director Witt was followed by a panel of experts (James Blum,
CBO; Keith Bea, CRS; and Theresa Gullo, CBO) on the budgetary
treatment of emergencies.
At the conclusion of these hearings, Representatives Nussle
and Cardin worked on comprehensive legislation to reform the
budget process. Together with other members of the Budget and
Rules Committee, Representatives Nussle and Cardin introduced
H.R. 4837, the Comprehensive Budget Process Reform Act of 1998
on October 14, 1998.
SUMMARY OF THE COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET PROCESS REFORM OF 1998
The majority of the provisions of H.R. 4837, the
Comprehensive Budget Process Reform Act of 1998, are first
effective starting in fiscal year 2000. However, the insurance
title in Title V is gradually phased in over a 5-year period. A
summary of the contents in each of the titles of this bill is
explained below.
Title I--Budget with the force of law
This bill changes the current nonbinding concurrent budget
resolution to a joint budget resolution, which--when signed by
the President--has the force of law. However, Congress retains
the power to adopt a concurrent budget resolution under
expedited procedures if the President vetoes the joint budget
resolution and the Congress fails to override.
H.R. 4837 prohibits the Congress from considering spending
and tax bills until a budget resolution--either a joint
resolution or a concurrent resolution--is in place, unless a 3/
5ths majority approves consideration of such spending or tax
bills. This bill also simplifies the budget resolution by
collapsing the 20 nonenforceable budget functions to the total
(aggregate) spending and revenue levels, with categories for
discretionary, mandatory, and emergency spending.
This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget
[OMB], the House and Senate Budget Committees, and the
Congressional Budget Office [CBO] to exclude Social Security
revenues and outlays in their budget projections and analyses.
It also reaffirms the special off-budget status of Social
Security, including its exemption from Pay-As-You-Go [PAYGO]
requirements and sequestration and its exclusion from the
President's budget submission as well as any joint or
concurrent budget resolution passed by the Congress. The bill
stipulated that budgetary displays of budget aggregates exclude
Social Security and other off-budget entitlements.
Title II--Reserve fund for emergencies
Reserve Fund
H.R. 4837 requires both the President and Congress to
budget up front for emergencies by establishing an emergency
reserve fund. Both the President and Congress are required to
include a reserve fund in their budgets, which must contain an
amount at least equal to the 5-year historical average of
amounts provided for emergencies.
Definition of Emergency
This bill establishes a clear procedure for determining
whether an emergency exists. Emergency funds may not be
released from the reserve fund unless the Budget Committee
certifies that: a situation arises that requires funding for
``the prevention or mitigation of, or response to, loss of life
or property, or a threat to national security and the situation
is ``unanticipated''--with ``unanticipated'' defined as sudden,
urgent, unforeseen, and temporary.
H.R. 4837 eliminates automatic increases in spending limits
for ``emergency'' amounts designated in appropriations bills
and exemptions from PAYGO requirements for ``emergency''
amounts designated in authorization bills. In addition, the
bill subjects all emergency spending to both the levels in the
budget resolution and any applicable spending caps.
Dire Emergency Procedure
H.R. 4837 includes an additional fallback provision for
exceptional and dire emergencies that require immediate
spending in excess of those provided for in the budget
resolution. Any bill providing funds in excess of the amount in
the reserve would be referred to the Committee on the Budget,
which could amend the bill to exempt some or all of the
additional emergency funding.
Title III--Enforcement of budgetary decisions
Budget Compliance Statements
This bill requires committees to justify Budget Act waivers
for bills that breach the levels in the budget resolution. It
also extends Budget Act requirements to nonreported bills.
Finally, it requires CBO to provide cost estimates for
conference reports.
Title IV--Accountability for Federal spending
Sunsetting
To increase accountability for Federal spending, this bill
requires committees to submit a schedule for reauthorizing,
within 10 years, all laws, programs, or agencies in their
jurisdictions, including entitlements.
Subjecting Entitlements to Annual Appropriations
H.R. 4837 prohibits the consideration, in the House or in
the Senate, of any bill, amendment, motion, or conference
report that authorizes a new entitlement program, project or
activity unless the program is limited to a period of 10 or
fewer years. The bill mandates that the Budget Committee
justify any amount allocated in the budget resolution to an
authorizing committee to create or expand an entitlement.
Increasing the Debt Limit
This bill enhances accountability by requiring Congress to
vote each time it increases the limit on the public debt.
Specifically, it would eliminate House Rule 49, which enabled
the House to pass legislation increasing the debt without
having to vote on it.
Ten-Year Cost Estimates
H.R. 4837 deters committees from moving budget-busting
legislation whose costs explode beyond the 5-year window of the
budget resolution, by requiring CBO to report on the 10-year
cost of the bill.
Title V--Budgeting for unfunded liabilities and other long-term
obligations
Long-Term Liabilities
H.R. 4837 begins the process of budgeting for the long-term
liabilities of certain Federal insurance programs by requiring
both the President and Congress to switch from cash to accrual
budgeting for Federal insurance programs.
Long-Term Budget Projections
In addition to shifting to accrual budgeting for insurance
programs, H.R. 4837 requires CBO and OMB to report periodically
on long-term budgetary trends, as well as the impact of long-
term Federal spending and taxation on the economy, including
such factors as inflation, foreign investment, interest rates,
and economic growth.
Title VI--Baselines, Byrd rule, and fail-safe mechanisms
``Baseline Budgeting''
H.R. 4837 requires that the Presidents' budget submissions,
budget resolutions/reports, CBO semiannual reports, and CBO
cost estimates be compared with prior year spending levels.
Also, CBO and OMB are required to report periodically on the
reasons behind the growth of Federal entitlement spending.
Byrd Rule Reform
This bill curtails the ability of the Senate to strip out
of budget reconciliation bills certain provisions designated
under the Senate's so-called Byrd Rule. Under the Byrd Rule, 40
Members of the Senate can unilaterally strip out House
provisions from a budget reconciliation conference report if
the Senate judges the provisions to be ``incidental'' spending
reductions or ``extraneous'' to the purposes of budget
reconciliation. This provision precludes use of the Byrd Rule
for budget reconciliation conference reports.
Preventing Government Shutdowns
H.R. 4837 provides for an automatic stop-gap appropriation
for any appropriations bills that are not enacted by the
beginning of the fiscal year, thereby ensuring that vital
government functions continue without interruption.
Lock-Box
H.R. 4837 includes a ``lock-box'' to ensure that savings
from Floor amendments to appropriations bills are used to
reduce Federal Government spending. The spending levels in the
budget resolution and any caps on discretionary spending are
automatically reduced by the amount by which a floor amendment
reduces the amount appropriated for any program project or
activity.
Title VII--Budgeting in an era of surpluses
Relaxing PAYGO requirements
This bill amends the Pay-As-You-Go requirements, which
require offsets for entitlement increases and tax cuts, to
permit using any portion of the on-budget surplus to pay for
certain legislative initiatives.
Legislative History of Measures on Which Action Was Taken by the House
Committee on the Budget
H. CON. RES. 84
Sponsor--Kasich
Date Introduced--May 18, 1997
House Committee--Budget
Official Title--A concurrent resolution establishing the
congressional budget for the United States Government
for fiscal year 1998 and setting forth appropriate
budgetary levels for fiscal years 1999, 2000, 2001, and
2002.
May 18, 1997--House Committee on the Budget Reported an
Original Measure. Report No. 105-100.
May 18, 1997--Placed on Union Calendar No. 61.
May 19, 1997--Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 152
Reported to House.
May 20, 1997--Rule Passed House.
May 20, 1997--Called up by House by Rule.
May 20, 1997--Committee on Rules granted a modified closed
rule providing 5 hours of general debate; waiving all points of
order against the resolution and against its consideration;
making in order only the amendments in nature of a substitute
designated in section 2 of the rule.
May 21, 1997--Resolution agreed to in House by yea-nay
vote: 333-99 (Record Vote No. 148).
May 21, 1997--Received in the Senate.
May 21, 1997--Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under
General Orders. Calendar No. 56.
May 23, 1997--Measure laid before Senate.
May 23, 1997--Senate struck all after the enacting clause
and substituted the language of S. Con. Res. 27 as amended.
May 23, 1997--Passed Senate in lieu of S. Con. Res. 27,
amended, by yea-nay vote: 78-22 (Record Vote No. 92).
May 23, 1997--Senate insisted upon its amendment.
May 23, 1997--Senate requested a conference.
June 3, 1997--The Senate appointed conferees: Domenici,
Grassley, and Lautenberg.
June 3, 1997--House disagreed to the Senate amendment by
voice vote.
June 3, 1997--House agreed to a conference.
June 3, 1997--House conferees instructed agreed to by voice
vote.
June 3, 1997--The Speaker appointed conferees: Kasich,
Hobson, and Spratt.
June 3, 1997--Conference held.
June 4, 1997--Conferees agreed to file conference report.
June 4, 1997--Conference report H. Rept. 104-116 filed.
June 4, 1997--Rules Committee resolution H. Res. 160
reported to House.
June 5, 1997--Rule passed House.
June 5, 1997--House agreed to conference report by yea-nay
vote: 327-97 (Record Vote No. 166).
June 5, 1997--Senate agreed to the conference report by
yea-nay vote: 76-22 (Record Vote No. 96).
H.R. 2015
Brief Title--Balanced Budget Act of 1997; Veterans
Reconciliation Act of 1997; Budget Enforcement Act of
1997; National Capital Revitalization and Self-
Government Improvement Act of 1997; District of
Columbia Retirement Protection Act of 1997; District of
Columbia Management Reform Act of 1997; District of
Columbia Bond Financing Improvements Act of 1997.
Sponsor--Kasich
Date Introduced--June 24, 1997
House Committee--Budget
Official Title--A bill to provide for reconciliation pursuant
to subsections (b)(1) and (c) of section 105 of the
concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year
1998.
June 24, 1997--House Committee on the Budget reported an
original measure. Report No. 105-149.
June 24, 1997--Placed on Union Calendar No. 89.
June 25, 1997--Committee on Rules granted by a vote of 9 to
4, a rule providing for the consideration of H.R. 2015;
providing three hours of general debate; an amendment in the
nature of a substitute consisting of the text of H.R. 2015
modified by the amendments printed in the Rules Committee
report shall be considered as adopted in the House; the bill,
as amended, shall be considered as the original bill for the
purpose of further amendment waiving all points of order
against provisions of the bill as amended; no amendment shall
be in order to the bill as amended except an amendment in the
nature of a substitute consisting of the text of H.R. 2015;
waiving all points of order against the amendment in the nature
of a substitute; providing that the yeas and nays are ordered
on final passage and that the provisions of clause 5(c) of Rule
XXI shall not apply to the votes on the bill, amendments
thereto or conference reports thereon.
June 25, 1997--Rules Committee resolution H. Res. 174
reported to House.
June 25, 1997--Rule passed House.
June 25, 1997--Called up by House by rule.
June 25, 1997--Motion to recommit the bill to the Committee
on the Budget with instructions to report the same back to the
House with an amendment failed in House by yea-nay vote: 207-
223 (Record Vote No. 240).
June 25, 1997--Passed House (amended) by yea-nay vote: 270-
162 (Record Vote No. 241).
June 25, 1997--Received in the Senate, read twice.
June 25, 1997--Senate struck all after the enacting clause
and substituted the language of S. 947 as amended.
June 25, 1997--Passed Senate with an amendment by unanimous
consent.
June 26, 1997--Senate ordered measure printed as passed.
June 27, 1997--Senate insisted on its amendment.
June 27, 1997--Senate requested a conference.
June 27, 1997--Senate appointed conferees: Domenici,
Grassley, Nickles, Gramm, Lautenberg, Conrad and Boxer.
June 27, 1997--The Senate appointed conferees--from the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Lugar,
Helms, and Harkin.
June 27, 1997--The Senate appointed conferees--from the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: D'Amato,
Shelby, and Sarbanes.
June 27, 1997--The Senate appointed conferees--from the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: McCain,
Stevens, and Hollings.
June 27, 1997--The Senate appointed conferees--from the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Murkowski, Craig,
and Bumpers.
June 27, 1997--The Senate appointed conferees--from the
Committee on Finance: Roth, Lott, and Moynihan.
June 27, 1997--The Senate appointed conferees--from the
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Thompson, Collins, and
Glenn.
June 27, 1997--The Senate appointed conferees--from the
Committee on Labor and Human Resources: Jeffords, Coats, and
Kennedy.
June 27, 1997--The Senate appointed conferees--from the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Specter, Thurmond, and
Rockefeller.
July 10, 1997--House disagreed to the Senate amendment by
unanimous consent.
July 10, 1997--House requested a conference.
July 10, 1997--House conferees instructed agreed to by
recorded vote: 414-14 (Record Vote No. 257).
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed conferees for
consideration of the House bill and the Senate amendment, and
modifications committed to conference: Kasich, Hobson, Armey,
DeLay, Hastert, Spratt, Bonior, and Fazio.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Agriculture for consideration of title I
of the House bill, and title I of the Senate amendment, and
modifications committed to conference: Smith (OR), Goodlatte,
and Stenholm.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Banking and Financial Services for
consideration of title II of the House bill, and title II of
the Senate amendment, and modifications committed to
conference: Leach, Lazio, and Gonzalez.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Commerce for consideration of subtitles
A-C of title III of the House bill, and title IV of the Senate
amendment, and modifications committed to conference: Bliley,
Schaefer, and Dingell.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Commerce for consideration of subtitle D
of title III of the House bill, and subtitle A of title III of
the Senate amendment, and modifications committed to
conference: Bliley, Tauzin, and Dingell.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Commerce for consideration of subtitles E
and F of title III, title IV and X of the House bill, and
divisions 1 and 2 of title V of the Senate amendment, and
modifications committed to conference: Bliley, Bilirakis, and
Dingell.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Education and the Workforce for
consideration of subtitle A of title V and subtitle A of title
IX of the House bill, and chapter 2 of division 3 of title V of
the Senate amendment, and modifications committed to
conference: Goodling, Talent, and Clay.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Education and the Workforce for
consideration of subtitles B and C of title V of the House
bill, and title VII of the Senate amendment, and modifications
committed to conference: Goodling, McKeon, and Kildee.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Education and the Workforce for
consideration of subtitle D of title V of the House bill, and
chapter 7 of division 4 of title V of the Senate amendment, and
modifications committed to conference: Goodling, Fawell, and
Payne.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight for
consideration of title VI of the House bill, and subtitle A of
title VI of the Senate amendment, and modifications committed
to conference: Burton, Mica, and Waxman.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on the Transportation and Infrastructure for
consideration of title VII of the House bill, and subtitle B of
title III and subtitle B of title VI of the Senate amendment,
and modifications committed to conference: Shuster, Gilchrest,
and Oberstar.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs for consideration of
title VIII of the House bill, and title VIII of the Senate
amendment, and modifications committed to conference: Stump,
Smith (NJ), and Evans.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Ways and Means for consideration of
subtitle A of title V and title IX of the House bill, and
divisions 3 and 4 of title V of the Senate amendment, and
modifications committed to conference: Archer, Shaw, Camp,
Rangel, and Levin.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Ways and Means for consideration of
titles IX and X of the House bill, and division 1 of title V of
the Senate amendment, and modifications committed to
conference: Archer, Thomas, and Stark.
July 10, 1997--Conference held.
July 29, 1997--Conferees agreed to file conference report.
July 30, 1997--Conference report H. Rept. 105-217 filed.
July 30, 1997--Committee on Rules granted a rule providing
two hours of general debate; vacating the proceedings by which
the conference report was filed and authorizes the managers to
immediately refile the report in the form actually signed and
ordered reported, with the corrected part printed in section 3
of the rule; providing that existing signatures of the
conferees shall remain valid as authorizing the presentation of
the conference report to the House in its corrected form;
providing one motion to recommit which may not contain
instructions; providing that following the disposition of the
conference report no further action on the bill is in order
except by subsequent order of the House.
July 30, 1997--Rules Committee resolution H. Res. 202
reported to House.
July 30, 1997--Rule passed House.
July 30, 1997--House agreed to conference report by yea-nay
vote: 346-85 (Record Vote No. 345).
July 31, 1997--Senate agreed to conference report by yea-
nay vote: 85-15 (Record Vote No. 209).
July 31, 1997--Cleared for White House.
Aug. 1, 1997--Presented to President.
Aug. 5, 1997--Signed by President and became Public Law No.
105-33.
Aug. 11, 1997--Line item veto by President under the Line
Item Veto Act (P.L. 104-130) (Presidential Cancellation Number
97-3).
Aug. 11, 1997--Veto message and bill referred to Senate
Committees on the Budget; and Finance.
Sept. 3, 1997--Veto message and bill referred to House
Committees on the Budget; and Commerce.
Sept. 3, 1997--Disapproval bill introduced in Senate (S.
144).
Sept. 9, 1997--Disapproval bill introduced in House (H.R.
2436).
H.R. 2014
Brief Title--Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997; Revenue
Reconciliation Act of 1997; United States-Caribbean
Basin Trade Partnership Act.
Sponsor--Kasich
Date Introduced--June 24, 1997
House Committee--Budget
Official Title--A bill to provide for reconciliation pursuant
to subsections (b)(2) and (d) of section 105 of the
concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year
1998.
June 24, 1997--House Committee on the Budget reported an
original measure. Report No. 105-148.
June 24, 1997--Placed on Union Calendar No. 88.
June 25, 1997--Committee on Rules granted, by a vote of 9
to 4, a rule providing for the consideration of H.R. 2014;
providing three hours of general debate; an amendment in the
nature of a substitute consisting of the text of H.R. 2014
modified by the amendments printed in the Rules Committee
report shall be considered as adopted in the House; the bill as
amended shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose
of further amendment waiving all points of order against
provisions of the bill as amended; no amendment shall be in
order to the bill as amended except an amendment in the nature
of a substitute consisting of the text of H.R. 2014; waiving
all points of order against the amendment in the nature of a
substitute; providing that the yeas and nays are ordered on
final passage and that the provisions of clause 5(c) of Rule
XXI shall not apply to the votes on the bill, amendments
thereto or conference reports thereon.
June 25, 1997--Rules Committee resolution H. Res. 174
reported to House.
June 25, 1997--Rule passed House.
June 26, 1997--Called up by House by rule.
June 26, 1997--Motion to recommit the bill to the Committee
on the Budget with instructions to report the same back to the
House with various amendments failed in House by yea-nay vote:
164-268 (Record Vote No. 244).
June 26, 1997--Passed House (amended) by yea-nay vote: 253-
179 (Record Vote No. 244).
June 26, 1997--Received in the Senate.
June 27, 1997--Senate struck all after the enacting clause
and substituted the language of S. 949 as amended.
June 27, 1997--Passed Senate with an amendment by yea-nay
vote: 80-18 (Record Vote No. 160).
June 27, 1997--Senate insisted on its amendment.
June 27, 1997--Senate requested a conference.
June 27, 1997--Senate appointed conferees: Roth, Lott, and
Moynihan.
June 27, 1997--The Senate appointed conferees--from the
Committee on the Budget: Domenici, Grassley, Nickles,
Lautenberg, and Conrad.
July 08, 1997--Message on Senate action sent to the House.
July 10, 1997--House disagreed to the Senate amendment by
unanimous consent.
July 10, 1997--House requested a conference.
July 10, 1997--House conferees instructed failed by
recorded vote: 199-233 (Record Vote No. 258).
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed conferees for
consideration of the House bill and the Senate amendment, and
modifications committed to conference: Kasich, Archer, Crane,
Thomas, Armey, DeLay, McDermott, Rangel, Stark, and Matsui.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for
consideration of sections 702 and 704 of the Senate amendment,
and modifications committed to conference: Shuster, Molinari,
and Oberstar.
July 10, 1997--The Speaker appointed additional conferees--
from the Committee on Education and the Workforce for
consideration of sections 713-14, 717, 879, 1302, 1304-5, and
1311 of the Senate amendment, and modifications committed to
conference: Goodling, Fawell, and Payne.
July 11, 1997--Conference held.
July 28, 1997--Conferees agreed to file conference report.
July 30, 1997--Conference report H. Rept. 105-220 filed.
July 30, 1997--Committee on Rules granted a rule providing
two hours of general debate; vacating the proceedings by which
the conference report was filed and authorizes the managers to
immediately refile the report in the form actually signed and
ordered reported, with the corrected part printed in section 3
of the rule; providing that existing signatures of the
conferees shall remain valid as authorizing the presentation of
the conference report to the House in its corrected form;
providing one motion to recommit which may not contain
instructions; providing that following the disposition of the
conference report no further action on the bill is in order
except by subsequent order of the House.
July 30, 1997--Rules Committee resolution H. Res. 202
reported to House.
July 30, 1997--Rule passed House.
July 31, 1997--House agreed to conference report by yea-nay
vote: 389-43 (Record Vote No. 350).
July 31, 1997--Point of order against the conference report
raised in Senate.
July 31, 1997--Motion to waive the Budget Act against the
conference report made in Senate.
July 31, 1997--Motion to waive the Budget Act against the
conference report agreed to in Senate by yea-nay vote: 78-22
(Record Vote No. 210).
July 31, 1997--Senate agreed to conference report by yea-
nay vote: 92-8 (Record Vote No. 211).
July 31, 1997--Cleared for White House.
Aug. 1, 1997--Presented to President.
Aug. 5, 1997--Signed by President and became Public Law No.
105-34.
Aug. 11, 1997--Line item veto by President under the Line
Item Veto Act (P.L. 104-130)(Presidential Cancellation Numbers
97-1 and 97-2).
Aug. 11, 1997--Veto message and bill referred to Senate
Committees on the Budget; and Finance.
Sept. 3, 1997--Veto message and bill referred to House
Committees on Ways and Means; and the Budget.
Sept. 9, 1997--Disapproval bill introduced in Senate (S.
1157).
Sept. 9, 1997--Disapproval bill introduced in House (H.R.
2444).
h. con. res. 284
Sponsor--Kasich
Date Introduced--May 27, 1998
House Committee--Budget
Official Title--A concurrent resolution revising the
congressional budget for the United States Government
for fiscal year 1998, establishing the congressional
budget for the United States Government for fiscal year
1999 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for
fiscal years 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003.
May 27, 1998--House Committee on the Budget reported an
original measure. Report No. 105-555.
May 27, 1998--Placed on Union Calendar No. 310.
June 3, 1998--Rules Committee resolution H. Res. 455
reported to House.
June 4, 1998--Rule passed House.
June 4, 1998--Committee on Rules granted, by voice vote, a
modified closed rule providing three hours of general debate;
making in order three amendments in the nature of a substitute;
waiving all points of order against the amendments designated
in part 2; providing that the adoption of an amendment in the
nature of a substitute shall constitute the conclusion of
consideration of the concurrent resolution for amendment;
providing that rule XLIX (establishment of statutory limit on
the public debt) shall not apply with respect to the adoption
by the Congress of a concurrent resolution on the budget for
fiscal year 1999.
June 5, 1998--Considered by House as unfinished business.
June 5, 1998--Resolution agreed to in House (Amended) by
yea-nay vote: 216-204, 1 Present (Record Vote No. 210).
June 5, 1998--Received in the Senate.
June 15, 1998--Senate struck all after the enacting clause
and substituted the language of S. Con. Res. 86 as amended.
June 15, 1998--Passed Senate, amended, in lieu of S. Con.
Res. 86 by unanimous consent.
June 15, 1998--Senate insisted upon its amendment.
June 15, 1998--Senate requested a conference.
June 15, 1998--The Senate appointed conferees: Domenici,
Grassley, Nickles, Gramm, Bond, Gorton, Gregg, Snowe, Abraham,
Frist, Grams, Smith of OR, Lautenberg, Hollings, Conrad,
Sarbanes, Boxer, Murray, Wyden, Feingold, Johnson, and Durbin.
June 16, 1998--Message on Senate action sent to the House.
H.R. 3989
[Note: Not formally acted upon by Committee.]
Sponsor--Solomon
Date Introduced--June 3, 1998
House Committee--Ways and Means; Commerce; Agriculture;
Resources; Judiciary; Transportation and
Infrastructure; Banking and Financial Services; and
International Relations.
Official Title--A bill to provide for the enactment of user
fees proposed by the President in his budget Submission
under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code,
for fiscal year 1999.
Cosponsors--None
June 5, 1998--Called up by House under unanimous consent.
June 5, 1998--Motion to recommit the bill to the Committee
on Ways and Means to report back to the House with an amendment
rejected in House by yea-nay vote: 0-416, 1 Present (Record
Vote No. 206).
June 5, 1998--Failed of passage in House by yea-nay vote:
0-421, 1 Present (Record Vote No. 207).
H.R. 4837
[Note: Not formally acted upon by Committee.]
Sponsor--Nussle
Date Introduced--October 14, 1998
House Committee--Budget and Rules.
Official Title--A bill to amend the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 to provide for joint resolutions on the Budget,
reserve funds for emergency spending, strengthened
enforcement of budgetary decisions, increased
accountability for Federal spending, accrual budgeting
for Federal insurance programs, mitigation of the bias
in the budget process toward higher spending,
modifications in paygo requirements when there is an
on-budget surplus, and for other purposes.
Cosponsors--Kasich; Cardin; Solomon; Goss; Dreier; Minge;
Sununu; Radanovich; Granger; Stenholm; Barton; Castle;
Ehrlich; Gutknecht; Hastings; Hoekstra; Inglis; Miller,
D.; Parker; Pitts; Royce; Shadegg; Shays; and Smith, N.
Other Actions Taken
February 4, 1997--The Committee organized and adopted the
rules of the Committee for the 105th Congress and ordered them
printed; and (2) adopted the Committee's Oversight Plan for the
105th Congress.
Bills Referred to the Budget Committee
Referrals under rule X, clause 1(d)(2)
H. Con. Res. 58, A concurrent resolution establishing the
congressional budget for the United States Government for
fiscal year 1998 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels
for fiscal years 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002.
H. Con. Res. 82, A concurrent resolution establishing the
congressional budget for the United States Government for
fiscal year 1998 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels
for fiscal years 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002.
H. Con. Res. 84, A concurrent resolution establishing the
congressional budget for the United States Government for
fiscal year 1998 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels
for fiscal years 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002.
H. Con. Res. 86, A concurrent resolution setting forth the
congressional budget for the United States Government for
fiscal years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002.
H. Con. Res. 90, A concurrent resolution establishing the
congressional budget for the United States Government for
fiscal year 1998 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels
for fiscal years 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002.
H. Con. Res. 284, A concurrent resolution revising the
congressional budget for the United States Government for
fiscal year 1998, establishing the congressional budget for the
United States Government for fiscal year 1999, and setting
forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2000, 2001,
2002, and 2003.
Referrals under rule X, clause 1(d) (3) and (4)
H. Con. Res. 228, A bill expressing the sense of the
Congress regarding the primary objectives of the process for
preparing the Federal budget for fiscal year 1999.
H. J. Res. 109, A bill relating to the expenditure of funds
by the Federal Government under National or State tobacco
industry settlements.
H. J. Res. 112, A bill establishing the Joint Committee on
Social Security Reform.
H. Res. 89, A bill requesting the President to submit a
budget for fiscal year 1998 that would balance the Federal
budget by fiscal year 2002 without relying on budgetary
contingencies.
H. Res. 340, A bill expressing the sense of the House of
Representatives that any budgetary surplus achieved by the end
of fiscal year 2002 be saved for investment in the Social
Security Program.
H.R. 4, the ``Truth in Budgeting Act''
H.R. 107, A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to
provide that the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund
be excluded from the budget of the United States Government.
H.R. 113, the ``Balanced Budget Requirement Act of 1996''
H.R. 126, the ``Deficit Reduction Lock-box Act of 1997''
H.R. 142, the ``Crown Jewel National Parks Act''
H.R. 205, the ``Infrastructure Protection Act of 1997''
H.R. 397, A bill to require that the President transmit to
Congress, that the Budget Committees report, and that the
Congress consider a balanced budget for each fiscal year.
H.R. 441, A bill to repeal the Impoundment Control Act of
1974.
H.R. 457, A bill to amend the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 to provide for budgeting for emergencies through the
establishment of a budget reserve account, and for other
purposes.
H.R. 593, A bill to amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985 to provide for a sequestration of
all budgetary accounts for fiscal year 1998.
H.R. 706, A bill to provide off-budget treatment for one-
half of the receipts and disbursements of the land and water
conservation fund.
H.R. 716, the ``Freedom From Government Competition Act of
1997''
H.R. 753, the ``Intelligence Budget Accountability Act of
1997''
H.R. 933, A bill to expand the definition of limited tax
benefit for the purposes of the Line Item Veto Act.
H.R. 867, the ``Adoption Promotion Act of 1997''
H.R. 898, the ``Balanced Budget Enforcement Act of 1997''
H.R. 1321, the ``Expedited Rescissions Act of 1997''
H.R. 1372, the ``Budget Process Reform Act''
H.R. 1487, A bill to provide off-budget treatment for one-
half of the receipts and disbursements of the land and water
conservation fund, and to provide that the amount appropriated
from the fund for . . .
H.R. 1588, the ``United Nations Accountability Act of
1997''
H.R. 1732, A bill to amend the Land and Water Conservation
Fund Act of 1965 to provide for off-budget treatment of the
receipts and disbursements of the land and water conservation
fund and the special . . .
H.R. 1914, the ``Debt Buy-Down Act''
H.R. 2003, the ``Budget Enforcement Act of 1997''
H.R. 2037, the ``Budget Enforcement Act of 1997''
H.R. 2107, the ``Androscoggin River Valley Heritage Area
Act''
H.R. 2191, the ``National Debt Repayment Act of 1997''
H.R. 2230, the ``Tax Relief Guarantee Act''
H.R. 2382, the ``Highways and National Defense Investment
Act of 1997''
H.R. 2400, the ``Building Efficient Surface Transportation
and Equity Act of 1998''
H.R. 2424, A bill to amend the Line Item Veto Act of 1996
to eliminate the requirement that a Federal budget deficit must
exist in order for the President to use the line-item veto
authority.
H.R. 2496, the ``Taxpayer Dividend Act of 1997''
H.R. 2513, A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 to restore and modify the provision of the Taxpayer Relief
Act of 1997 relating to exempting active financing income from
foreign personal . . .
H.R. 2586, the ``Surplus Protection Act of 1997''
H.R. 2649, the ``Expedited Rescissions Act of 1997''
H.R. 2650, A bill to repeal the Line Item Veto Act of 1996.
H.R. 2768, the ``Personal Retirement Accounts Act of 1997''
H.R. 2780, A bill to provide for an annual statement of
accrued liability of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance
Program.
H.R. 2825, the ``Economic Growth and Social Security
Transition Act''
H.R. 2860, the ``Budget Surplus Dividend Act of 1997''
H.R. 2906, A bill to authorize the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget to reduce non-defense discretionary
spending limits by two percentage points for each of fiscal
years 1999 . . .
H.R. 2933, the ``Working Americans Gainful Employment
(WAGE) Act''
H.R. 2956, the ``Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations
Act''
H.R. 3008, the ``Notch Fairness Act of 1997''
H.R. 3091, A bill to amend the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 to require a two-thirds vote on the passage of legislation
that repeals, increases, or waives the discretionary spending
limit or repeals . . .
H.R. 3228, A bill to amend the Line Item Veto Act of 1996
to add the requirement that if Federal budget is in surplus
then the vetoed item shall be used to reduce the public debt.
H.R. 3474, the ``Healthy Kids Act''
H.R. 3564, A bill to exclude the receipts and disbursement
of the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund from the budget of the
United States Government, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3707, A bill to amend the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to allow reductions in
the discretionary spending limits to be used to offset tax
cuts.
H.R. 4012, the ``Honest Balanced Budget Act of 1998''
H.R. 4070, A bill to restore veterans tobacco-related
benefits as in effect before the enactment of the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.
H.R. 4174, A bill to amend the Congressional Budget and
Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to provide for the expedited
consideration of certain proposed rescissions of budget
authority.
H.R. 4215, A bill to require the Secretary of Energy to
submit to Congress a plan to ensure that all amounts accrued on
the books of the United States Enrichment Corporation for the
disposition of depleted . . .
H.R. 4220, the ``Veterans Benefits Restoration Act of
1998''
H.R. 4234, A bill to require the Secretary of Energy to
submit to Congress a plan to ensure that all amounts accrued on
the books of the United States Enrichment Corporation for the
disposition of depleted . . .
H.R. 4306, A bill to eliminate the spending cap adjustments
for International Monetary Fund funding increases.
H.R. 4343, A bill to amend the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 regarding the application of points of order to unreported
measures in the House of Representatives.
H.R. 4379, the ``Budget Surplus Dividend Act of 1998''
H.R. 4414, the ``Repeal the Social Security Tax Increase
Act''
H.R. 4452, A bill requiring the Congressional Budget Office
and the Joint Committee on Taxation to use dynamic economic
modeling in addition to static economic modeling in the
preparation of budgetary . . .
H.R. 4503, the ``Social Security Budget Transparency Act of
1998''
H.R. 4747, the ``Emergency Agricultural Response Act of
1998''
H.R. 4837, the ``Comprehensive Budget Process Reform Act of
1998''
Summary of Oversight Plan for the 105th Congress
The following is a summary of the Oversight Plan submitted
by the Committee on the Budget for the 105th Congress:
To fulfill its obligation to the American people, the
House Committee on the Budget, which has been given the
responsibility by the House of Representatives to
oversee the Federal budget and the process by which the
budget is adopted, has an aggressive oversight plan for
the 105th Congress. To fulfill its responsibility to
develop an annual concurrent budget resolution, the
committee will hold hearings and receive testimony from
Members of Congress, cabinet-level officials, state and
local officials, and expert witnesses to review the
Federal budget in general, as well as the budgets and
spending histories of specific Departments.
The committee will review the activities of the
Congressional Budget Office. During 1999 the committee
also will recommend to the Speaker who to appoint as
the new Director of the Congressional Budget Office.
The committee will study proposals designed to
improve the congressional budget process.
The committee will coordinate its oversight
activities with other committees, including, but not
limited to, considering other committee's Views and
Estimates when developing the annual concurrent budget
resolution.
The committee will study provisions of law which
exempt Federal agencies or any of their activities or
outlays from inclusion in the Budget of the United
States Government, and make recommendations for
terminating or modifying such provisions.
The committee will study the effect of existing and
proposed legislation, as well as government regulation,
on government spending.
The committee will request and evaluate continuing
studies of tax expenditures, and ways to improve
coordination between tax incentives and direct
spending.
The committee will study monetary policy and its
effect on the Federal budget.
Summary of Oversight Actions Taken During the 105th Congress
The following is a summary of the major oversight actions
taken by the House Budget Committee during the 105th Congress:
During the course of developing the annual concurrent
budget resolutions for fiscal years 1998 and 1999, the
Committee held numerous hearings at which testimony was
received from members of the President's cabinet and
other administration officials regarding the budgets
and spending histories of the Federal Government and
specific departments and agencies. (A complete list of
Committee hearings held during the 105th Congress is
included in this report.)
The Committee engaged in its statutory obligation to
oversee the Congressional Budget Office [CBO] by: (1) receiving
testimony from the Director and other staff of CBO during
Committee hearings; and (2) its daily interaction with CBO to
insure that CBO fulfill its mandate to provide Congress with
budget information, data, estimates, statistics, etc.
Under the direction of a Budget Process Reform Task Force
chaired by Representative Jim Nussle, the Committee studied
proposals designed to improve the congressional budget process.
As part of its review, the task force of the Committee held a
series of hearings devoted to the congressional budget process,
at which testimony was received from experts from CBO and the
General Accounting Office [GAO], outside experts, as well as
interested Members of Congress.
The Committee coordinated its oversight activities with
other House committees in formulating the annual concurrent
budget resolutions, including soliciting and considering the
other committees' Views and Estimates.
The Committee studied the effect of existing and proposed
legislation, as well as government regulation on government
spending. Significant staff resources were devoted to this
activity, in addition to substantial utilization of GAO
resources and services. (A complete list of GAO reports issued
at the request of the Budget Committee is included in this
report.)
The Committee studied monetary policy and its effect on the
Federal budget. As part of its review, the Committee held two
hearings at which it received testimony from Alan Greenspan,
Chairman of the Federal Reserve.
House Budget Committee
1997 HEARINGS--FIRST SESSION
Date Title Witnesses
2/05/97........... ``Why the Balanced Glen Norfleet, Retired
Budget Amendment is Senior Vice -----
Good for Americans.'' - President, Aerospace
. Engineering/Management;
Cathi Herrod, Stay-At-Home
Mom (Lawyer); Elliott
Bennett-Guerrero, M.D.,
Research Physician, Mount
Sinai Medical Center; Kyra
Fischbeck, Director,
Business Affairs, and
Lawyer, Prime Time 24;
Sadie Coleman, Retired
Teacher; Jennifer
Jennings, Student; James
C. Miller III, Former OMB
Director; Richard K.
Vedder, Ph.D., Professor
of Economics, Ohio
University; Allen Schick,
Professor of Public
Policy, University of
Maryland; Charles
Schultze, Senior Fellow,
Brookings Institute,
Former Chair, Council of
Economic Advisors;
Annelise Anderson, Ph.D.,
Senior Fellow, Hoover
Institute.-- -
2/11/97........... President Clinton's Hon. Franklin D. Raines,
Fiscal Year 1998 Director, Office of
Budget. Management and Budget.
2/13/97........... CBO Budget Outlook and Hon. June E. O'Neill,
Analysis of President Ph.D., Director,
Clinton's Budget Congressional Budget
Proposal. Office.
3/04/97........... Consumer Price Index... Hon. Alan Greenspan,
Chairman, Federal Reserve
Board.
3/06/97........... CBO's Preliminary Hon. June E. O'Neill,
Analysis of the Ph.D., Director, - -
President's Fiscal Congressional Budget
Year 1998 Budget. Office.
3/11/97........... U.S. Treasury Hon. Robert E. Rubin,
Department's Fiscal Secretary of the United
Year 1998 Budget States Treasury; Hon. Jack
Request. Lew, Deputy Director,
Office of Management and
Budget. -------
3/12/97........... Revisions in the CPI Michael Boskin, T. M.
Calculation-. Friedman Professor of
Economics and Senior
Fellow, Hoover
Institution, Stanford
University; Katharine G.
Abraham, Commissioner of
Labor Statistics.
9/24/97........... Protecting the Future Jose Pinera, President,
of Social Security-. International Center for
Pension Reform, and Co-
Chairman, Cato Project on
Social Security
Privatization.-
10/08/97.......... Addressing Our Long- Hon. Alan Greenspan,
Term Budget Challenges. Chairman, Federal Reserve
Board.
10/23/97.......... Securing America's Hon. Newt Gingrich (R-GA);
Future: Preparing the Hon. Bud Shuster (R-PA);
Nation for the 21st Hon. John Boehner (R-OH);
Century. Hon. Pete Stark (R-CA);
Hon. Martin Olav Sabo (D-
MN); Hon. Jim Kolbe (R-
AZ); Hon. George E. Brown,
Jr. (D-CA); Hon. Bill
Archer (R-TX); Hon. Mark
Neumann (R-WI); Hon. David
Minge (D-MN); Grover
Norquist, President,
Americans For Tax Reform;
William Niskanen,
Chairman, Cato Institute;
Robert Greenstein,
Executive Director, Center
on Budget and Policy
Priorities.
1998 HEARINGS--SECOND SESSION
Date Title Witnesses
2/03/98........... The Administration's Hon. Franklin Raines,
Fiscal Year 1999 Director, Office --of
Budget Submission. Management and Budget.
2/05/98........... CBO Budget Outlook and Hon. June E. O'Neill,
Analysis of President Ph.D., Director,
Clinton's Budget Congressional Budget
Proposal. Office.
3/04/98........... State of the Economy.. Hon. Alan Greenspan,
Chairman, Federal Reserve
Board.
3/26/98........... Joint Hearing on the Michael Dombeck, Chief,
Management of the United States -Forest
United States Forest Service; Barry Hill,
Service. Associate Director,
Energy, Resources and
Science Issues, Resources,
Community and Economic
Development Division,
General Accounting Office;
Charlie Cotton and McCoy
Williams, General
Accounting Office; Robert
T. Lewis, Jr., Acting
Associate Chief,
Department of Agriculture;
Roger C. Viadero,
Inspector General,
Department of Agriculture;
Hon. Helen Chenoweth (R-
ID); Hon. Jerry F.
Costello (D-IL); Hon.
Norman D. Dicks (D-WA);
Hon. Wally Herger (CA);
Hon. Maurice D. Hinchey (D-
NY); Hon. George Miller (D-
CA); Hon. Ralph Regula (R-
OH); Hon. Bob Schaffer (R-
CO); Hon. Don Young (R-
AK).
BUDGET PROCESS REFORM TASK FORCE
Date Title Witnesses
3/31/98........... Converting the Roy Meyers, Associate
Concurrent Budget Professor, Department of
Resolution Into a Political Science,
Joint Resolution: University of Maryland,
Should the Budget Be a Baltimore County; Allen
Law?. Schick, Visiting Fellow,
Brookings Institution;
David Mason, Senior
Fellow, Heritage
Foundation.
4/01/98........... Budget Projections and Paul N. Van De Water,
Baselines. Assistant Director for
Budget Analysis,
Congressional Budget
Office; Tim Penny, Co-
Chairman, Committee for a
Responsible Federal
Budget; Timothy J. Muris,
Foundation Professor of
Law, George Mason
University School of Law.
4/23/98........... Budgeting of Government Susan J. Irving, Associate
Insurance Programs and Director, Budget Issues,
Contingent Liabilities. Accounting and Information
Management Division,
General Accounting Office;
Rudolph G. Penner, Senior
Fellow, The Urban
Institute; Marvin Phaup,
Deputy Assistant Director,
Special Studies Division,
Congressional Budget
Office.
6/18/98........... Members' Views on Hon. Chris Cox (R-CA); Hon.
Budget Process Reform. Joe Barton (R-TX); Hon.
Charles A. Stenholm (D-
TX); Hon. Martin Olav Sabo
(D-MN); Hon. Michael N.
Castle (R-DE); Hon. Porter
Goss (R-FL). ----
6/23/98........... Budgetary Treatment of James Lee Witt, Director,
Emergencies. Federal Emergency
Management Agency; Gary
Johnson, Chief Financial
Officer, Federal Emergency
Management Agency; James
Blum, Deputy Director,
Congressional Budget
Office; Keith Bea,
Specialist, American
National Government,
Government Division,
Congressional Research
Office; Theresa Gullo,
Chief, State and Local
Government Cost Estimates
Unit, Budget Analysis
Division, Congressional
Budget Office.
GAO Reports Requested by the Chairman
The following is a list of General Accounting Office [GAO]
reports issued at the request of the chairman of the Budget
Committee during the 105th Congress. This list does not include
the further utilization of GAO resources and services in
studying government spending, such as requests for reports that
are still pending or requests for information on an informal
basis.
1. Budget Issues: Budget Enforcement Compliance Report
(AIMD-98-57).
2. Budget Issues: Budgeting for Federal Insurance Programs
(AIMD-97-16).
3. Defense Budget: Analysis of Operation and Maintenance
Accounts for 1985-2001 (NSIAD-97-73).
4. Budget Issues: Analysis of Long-Term Fiscal Outlook
(AIMD/OCE-98-19).
5. Budget Issues: Budgeting for Federal Insurance Programs
(T-AIMD-98-147).
6. Managing For Results: Agencies' Annual Performance Plans
Can Help Address Strategic Planning Challenges (GGD-98-44).
7. The Government Performance and Results Act: 1997
Government wide Implementation Will be Uneven (GGD-97-109).
8. Best Practices: Elements Critical to Successfully
Reducing Unneeded RDT&E Infrastructure (NSIAD/RCED-98-23).
9. Fraud, Waste, and Abuse: The Cost of Mismanagement
(AIMD-98-265R).
10. Federal Civilian Personnel: Cost of Lump-Sum Annual
Leave Payments to Employees Separating From Government (GGD-97-
100).
11. Community Policing: Issues Related to the Design,
Operation, and Management of the Grant Program (GGD-97-167).
12. The Results Act: Observations on DOD's Draft Strategic
Plan (NSIAD-97-219R).
13. Forest Service: Barriers to Generating Revenue or
Reducing Costs (RCED-98-58).
14. The Results Act: Observations on the Postal Service's
June 1997 Draft Strategic Plan (GGD-97-163R).
15. Federal Property Disposal: Information on DOD's
Personal Property Disposal Process (NSIAD-97-155BR).
16. WIC: States Had a Variety of Reasons for Not Spending
Program Funds (RCED-97-166).
17. Financial Management: Federal Aviation Administration
Lacked Accountability for Major Assets (AIMD-98-62).
18. Forest Service: Status of Progress Toward Financial
Accountability (AIMD-98-84).
19. The Results Act: Observations on the National Science
Foundation's Draft Strategic Plan (RCED-97-203R).
20. The Results Act: Observations on the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission's Draft Strategic Plan (RCED-97-206R).
21. Army National Guard: Planned Conversions Are a Positive
Step, but Unvalidated Combat Forces Remain (NSIAD-97-55BR).
22. The Results Act: Observations on the Department of
Energy's Draft Strategic Plan (RCED-97-199R).
23. Food Assistance: Working Women's Access to WIC Benefits
(RCED-98-19).
24. The Results Act: Observations on USDA's Draft Strategic
Plan (RCED-97-196R).
25. The Results Act: Observations on the Department of
Justice's February 1997 Draft Strategic Plan (GGD-97-153R).
26. The Results Act: Observations on the Federal Emergency
Management Agency's Draft Strategic Plan (RCED-97-204R).
27. The Results Act: Observations on the Department of
State's May 1997 Draft Strategic Plan (NSIAD-97-198R).
28. The Results Act: Observations on the Small Business
Administration's Draft Strategic Plan (RCED-97-205R).
29. The Results Act: Observations on the Department of
Housing and Urban Development's Draft Strategic Plan (RCED-97-
224R).
30. Student Loans: Selected Characteristics of Schools in
Two Major Federal Loan Programs (HEHS-97-45).
31. The Results Act: Observations on USTR's September 1996
Draft Strategic Plan (NSIAD-97-199R).
32. Welfare Reform: Transportation's Role in Moving From
Welfare to Work (RCED-98-161).
33. The Results Act: Observations on the Department of the
Treasury's July 1997 Draft Strategic Plan (GGD-97-162R).
34. Medicaid: Sustainability of Low 1996 Spending Growth is
Uncertain (HEHS-97-128).
35. The Results Act: Observations on Commerce's June 1997
Draft Strategic Plan (GGD-97-152R).
36. Budget Issues: Analysis of Long-Term Fiscal Outlook
(AIMD/OCE-98-19).
37. Food Assistance: Information on WIC Sole-Source Rebates
and Infant Formula Prices (RCED-98-146).
38. The Results Act: Observations on the Social Security
Administration's June 1997 Draft Strategic Plan (HEHS-97-179R).
39. The Results Act: Observations on the Department of
Health and Human Services' April 1997 Draft Strategic Plan
(HEHS-97-173R).
40. The Results Act: Observations on Department of Labor's
June 1997 Draft Strategic Plan (HEHS-97-172R).
41. The Results Act: Observations on USAID's November 1996
Draft Strategic Plan (NSIAD-97-197R).
42. Park Service: Managing for Results Could Strengthen
Accountability (RCED-97-125).
43. The Results Act: Observations on the Department of
Education's June 1997 Draft Strategic Plan (HEHS-97-176R).
44. Food Assistance: A Variety of Practices May Lower the
Costs of WIC (RCED-97-225).
45. The Results Act: Observations on GSA's April 1997 Draft
Strategic Plan (GGD-97-147R).
46. The Results Act: Observations on the Department of
Transportation's Draft Strategic Plan (RCED-97-208R).
47. The Results Act: Observations on the Office of
Management and Budget's July 1997 Draft Strategic Plan (AIMD/
GGD-97-169R).
48. Food Safety: Opportunities to Redirect Federal
Resources and Funds Can Enhance Effectiveness (RCED-98-224).
49. The Results Act: Observations on VA's June 1997 Draft
Strategic Plan (HEHS-97-174R).
50. The Results Act: Observations on NASA's May 1997 Draft
Strategic Plan (NSIAD-97-205R).
51. Future Years Defense Program: DOD's 1998 Plan Has
Substantial Risk in Execution (NSIAD-98-26).
52. The Results Act: Observations on OPM's May 1997 Draft
Strategic Plan (GGD-97-150R).
53. CFO Act Financial Audits: Programmatic and Budgetary
Implications of Navy Financial Data Deficiencies (AIMD-98-56).
54. Power Marketing Administrations: Repayment of Power
Costs Needs Closer Monitoring (AIMD-98-164).
55. The Results Act: Observations on EPA's Draft Strategic
Plan (RCED-97-209R).
56. Department of Energy: Fossil Energy Programs (RCED-98-
63).
57. The Results Act: Assessment of the Government wide
Performance Plan for Fiscal Year 1999 (AIMD/GGD-98-159).
58. Managing for Results: Critical Issues for Improving
Federal Agencies' Strategic Plans (GGD-97-180).
59. The Results Act: Observations on the Draft Strategic
Plans of Selected Department of Labor Components (HEHS-97-
188R).
60. Budget Function Classifications: Origins, Trends, and
Implications for Current Uses (AIM-98-67).
61. Managing for Results: An Agenda To Improve the
Usefulness of Agencies' Annual Performance Plans (GAO/GGD/AIMD-
98-228).
62. Budget Issues: Budget Enforcement Compliance Report
(AIMD-97-28).
63. Quadrennial Defense Review: Some Personnel Cuts and
Associated Savings May Not Be Achieved (NSIAD-98-100).
64. Head Start: Research Provides Little Information on
Impact of Current Program (HEHS-97-59).
65. National Park Service: Efforts to Link Resources to
Results Suggest Insights for Other Agencies (AIMD-98-113).
66. Future Years Defense Program: Substantial Risks Remain
in DOD's 1999-2003 Plan (NSIAD-98-204).
67. Managing for Results: Using the Results Act to Address
Mission Fragmentation and Program Overlap (AIMD-97-146).
68. Federal User Fees: Budgetary Treatment, Status, and
Emerging Management Issues (AIMD-98-11).
69. Rural Development: Financial Condition of the Rural
Utilities Service's Loan Portfolio (RCED-97-82).
70. Defense Infrastructure: Central Training Funding
Projected to Remain Stable During 1997-2003 (NSIAD-98-168).
71. Debt Collection: Improved Reporting Needed on Billions
of Dollars in Delinquent Debt and Agency Collection Performance
(AIMD-97-48).
72. Defense Budget: Analysis of Operation and Maintenance
Accounts for 1985-2001 (NSIAD-97-73).
73. Information Technology: Department of Energy Does Not
Effectively Manage Its Supercomputers (RCED-98-208).
74. U.S. Agricultural Exports: Strong Growth Likely But
U.S. Export Assistance Programs' Contribution Uncertain (NSIAD-
97-260).
75. Commodity Programs: Impact of Support Provisions on
Selected Commodity Prices (RCED-97-45).
76. Food-Related Services: Opportunities Exist to Recover
Costs by Charging Beneficiaries (RCED-97-57).
77. Federal Electricity Activities: The Federal
Government's Net Cost and Potential for Future Losses (AIMD-97-
110).
Printed Committee Publications
reports
House Report 105-100--Concurrent Resolution on the Budget--
Fiscal Year 1998.
House Report 105-116--Conference Report on the Concurrent
Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 1998.
House Report 105-149--Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
House Report 105-217--Conference Report on the Balanced Budget
Act of 1997.
House Report 105-555--Concurrent Resolution on the Budget--
Fiscal Year 1999.
printed hearings
105-1--Why the Balanced Budget Amendment is Good for Americans,
February 5, 1997.
105-2--President Clinton's Fiscal Year 1998 Budget, February
11, 1997.
105-3--CBO Budget Outlook and Analysis of President Clinton's
Budget Proposal, February 13, 1997.
105-4--Consumer Price Index, March 4, 1997.
105-5--CBO's Preliminary Analysis of the President's Fiscal
Year 1998 Budget, March 6, 1997.
105-6--U.S. Treasury Department's Fiscal Year 1998 Budget
Request, March 11, 1997.
105-7--Revisions in the CPI Calculation, March 12, 1997.
105-8--Protecting the Future of Social Security, September 24,
1997.
105-9--Addressing Our Long-Term Budget Challenges, October 8,
1997.
105-10--Securing America's Future: Preparing the Nation for the
21st Century, October 23, 1997.
105-11--The Administration's Fiscal Year 1999 Budget
Submission, February 3, 1998.
105-12--CBO Budget Outlook and Analysis of President Clinton's
Budget Proposal, February 5, 1998.
105-13--State of the Economy, March 4, 1998.
105-82--Joint Hearing on the Management of the United States
Forest Service, March 26, 1998.
task force
budget process reform hearings
13-1--Converting the Concurrent Budget Resolution Into a Joint
Resolution: Should the Budget Be a Law?, March 31,
1998.
13-2--Budget Projections and Baselines, April 1, 1998.
13-3--Budgeting of Government Insurance Programs and Contingent
Liabilities, April 23, 1998.
13-4--Members' Views on Budget Process Reform, June 18, 1998.
13-5--Budgetary Treatment of Emergencies, June 23, 1998.
committee prints
CP-1--Views and Estimates of Committees of the House on the
Congressional Budget for Fiscal Year 1998, May 1997.
CP-2--Views and Estimates of Committees of the House on the
Congressional Budget for Fiscal Year 1999, April 1998.
BUDGET COMMITTEE MAJORITY PUBLICATIONS LIST
These publications were made available to the public by the
Republican caucus of the Budget Committee but were not
officially adopted by the committee and therefore may not
reflect the views of all its members.
1. Background on the Budget--A Briefing Paper on the Budget
Process for the 105th Congress. January 8, 1997.
2. Why We Must Pass the Balanced Budget Amendment--[Pocket
folder]. January 21, 1997.
3. Helping the President Meet the Budget Credibility Test--
Criteria for the Administration's Budget Submission for
Fiscal Year 1998--[White paper]. February 4, 1997.
4. Helping the President Meet the Budget Credibility Test--
Criteria for the Administration's Budget Submission for
Fiscal Year 1998--[Pocket folder]. February 4, 1997.
5. Balancing the budget--Helping American Families Today and
Tomorrow. [An Update on the Budget Environment for the
105th Congress] February 5, 1997.
6. The Clinton Budget for Fiscal Year 1998--An Analysis by the
House Budget Committee February 5, 1997 [revised
February 10, 1997].
7. For America's Families--The Republican Budget Strategy for
the 105th Congress. [Slide Show]. February 8, 1997.
8. Cracks in the Clinton Plan--Why the President Should Submit
Another Budget. [White Paper]. March 5 1997.
9. Cracks in the Clinton Plan--Why the President Should Submit
Another Budget. [Pocket folder]. March 5, 1997.
10. What's at Stake for America's Families--The Budget Debate
for Fiscal Year 1998. [A Presentation for Republican
House Members by the House Committee on the Budget
Majority]. March 19, 1997.
11. Claims Versus the Facts--About the Balanced Budget Plan.
[White Paper]. May 7, 1997.
12. The Balanced Budget Plan of 1997--Summary of Major
Components of the Agreement Between Congress and the
President. May 9, 1997.
13. The Balanced Budget Agreement of 1997--Summary of Major
Assumptions. [White Paper]. May 19, 1997.
14. Talking Points on the Balanced Budget Agreement of 1997--
May 20, 1997.
15. Reconciliation Summary--Fiscal Year 1998--Summary of
Provisions as Reported to the House Committee on the
Budget. June 18, 1997.
16. Summary of Revenue Reconciliation--Fiscal Year 1998--
Summary of Provisions as Reported to the House
Committee on the Budget. June 18, 1997.
17. Reconciliation Highlights--Summary of Major Provisions
Reported to the House Committee on the Budget. June 20,
1997.
18. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (H.R. 2015)--Highlights of
Provisions as Revised: Incorporating the manager's
amendment revisions self-executed in the rule at the
request of John R. Kasich, Chairman, House Committee on
the Budget. June 25, 1997.
19. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (H.R. 2015)--Summary of
Provisions as Revised: Incorporating the manager's
amendment revisions self-executed in the rule at the
request of John R. Kasich, Chairman, House Committee on
the Budget. June 26, 1997.
20. Protecting the Future of Social Security--Background
information for Republican Budget Committee members for
the hearing on the Chilean Social Security system.
September 24, 1997.
21. After Balance, What Next?--Background information for the
Budget Committee hearing concerning how to address
projected budget surpluses. October 23, 1997.
22. Facing the Challenge of the 21st Century--A series of notes
and charts for House Majority Members concerning long-
term budget challenges. November 3, 1997.
23. Reinventing the Era of Big Government?--Analysis of the
President's budget submission for fiscal year 1999.
February 3, 1998.
24. The State of the Economy and Related Issues--Background for
the committee hearing with Alan Greenspan, Chairman,
Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System. March 4,
1998.
25. Concurrent Resolution on the Budget--Fiscal Year 1999--
Report 105-555. May 27, 1998.
26. Shrinking Government So We Can Relieve Families of the
Marriage Penalty--[Summary of the House budget
resolution for fiscal year 1999]. June 4, 1998.
27. Talking Points on the Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year
1999--Republican Members' Packet. June 4, 1998.
28. Whose Budget Policies Have Worked?--[Handout comparing
Clinton and Republican budget strategies]. September
30, 1998.
29. Our Record Versus the Clinton Rhetoric--[Pocket folder
comparing Republican and Clinton records]. October 9,
1998.
30. Giving Something Back to America's Families--[Pocket
folder]. October 9, 1998.
31. Deficit Time Line--[Pocket folder outlining congressional
action toward balancing the budget]. October 9, 1998.
32. Bill Clinton's Balanced Budget Two-Step--[Pocket folder].
October 9, 1998.
BUDGET COMMITTEE MINORITY PUBLICATIONS LIST
These publications were made available to the public by the
Democratic caucus of the Budget Committee but were not
officially adopted by the committee and therefore may not
reflect the views of all its members.
1. Summary of President Clinton's FY 1998 Budget--[Short
Summary]. February 6, 1997.
2. A Summary of President Clinton's FY 1998 Budget--[Long
Summary]. February 10, 1997.
3. Preliminary Summary of the 1998 Budget Agreement--May 4,
1997.
4. Summary of the Fiscal Year 1998 House Budget Resolution--May
19, 1997.
5. Summary of Chairman Archer's Tax Package--[Briefing Paper].
June 11, 1997.
6. Summary and Analysis of Fiscal Year 1998 Spending
Reconciliation Bill--June 23, 1997.
7. Preliminary Summary of the conference Agreement on H.R. 2014
Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1997--July 31, 1997.
8. Summary of the Conference Agreement on H.R. 2014, Revenue
Reconciliation Act of 1997--[Updated Summary]. August
8, 1997.
9. Brief Summary of the Conference Agreement on H.R. 2015 FY
1998 Budget Reconciliation Act--[Preliminary Summary].
July 29, 1997.
10. Summary of the Conference Agreement on H.R. 2015, FY 1998
Budget Reconciliation Act--September 4, 1997.
11. The Disappearing Deficit: A Democratic Victory--[Background
Information]. October 27, 1997.
12. Briefing Paper on Social Security--[Briefing Paper].
November 7, 1997.
13. Summaries of the Budget Process Reform Act (H.R. 1372) and
the National Debt Repayment Act (H.R. 2191)--[Materials
prepared for Democratic staff briefing on budget
process reform]. November 20, 1997.
14. The Budget is Balanced Now!--A Democratic Party Success--
[Background Information]. January 27, 1998.
15. The Application of Federal Employment Laws to TANF Workfare
Activities--[Briefing Paper]. January 28, 1998.
16. Strengths and Weaknesses of Capital Budget Accounting--
[Testimony by Representative John M. Spratt, Jr. and
Richard Kogan before the President's Commission to
Study Capital Budgeting]. January 30, 1998.
17. A Preliminary Summary of President Clinton's Fiscal Year
1999 Budget--[Short Summary]. February 2, 1998.
18. A Summary of President Clinton's Fiscal Year 1999 Budget--
[Long Summary]. February 6 1998.
19. The Balanced Budget: A Democratic Victory--[Background
Information]. March 5, 1998.
20. Background Information on Taxes--March 20, 1998.
21. Surface Transportation Reauthorization: Budget and Policy
Issues--[Briefing Paper]. March 23, 1998.
22. The Budget Situation for Fiscal Year 1999--[Background
Information]. March 25, 1998.
23. The Marriage Penalty and Related Proposals--[Briefing
Paper]. April 23, 1998.
24. Child Care for American Families--[Briefing Paper]. April
29, 1998.
25. Highlights of May 12 Draft Republican Budget Resolution--
[Briefing Paper]. May 13, 1998.
26. Republican Cuts: Much Deeper Than 1%--[Background Materials
on the House Republican Budget Resolution]. May 20,
1998.
27. Deep Republican Cuts in Non-Defense Discretionary
Spending--[Graphs]. May 20, 1998.
28. Description of Non-Defense Discretionary Cuts--[Background
Materials on the House Republican Budget Resolution].
May 20, 1998.
29. The Marriage Penalty and the Republican Budget--[Background
Materials on the House Republican Budget Resolution].
May 20, 1998.
30. Summary and Analysis of the House Republican Budget
Resolution for Fiscal Year 1999--June 1, 1998.
31. Summary and Analysis of the Republican II Plan for Fiscal
Year 1999--[Long Summary]. June 4, 1998.
32. The Democratic Budget Plan: Summary--[Fact Sheet]. June 4,
1998.
33. The Democratic Plan vs. the Republican II Plan: Major
Differences--[Fact Sheet]. June 4, 1998.
34. The Republican Budget--Housing Aid is a Broken Promise--
[Fact Sheet]. June 4, 1998.
35. Highlights of Republican II Entitlement Spending Cuts--
[Fact Sheet]. June 4, 1998.
36. Republicans Cut and Weaken Education--[Fact Sheet]. June 4,
1998.
37. Republican Budget Cuts Veterans' Programs--[Fact Sheet].
June 4, 1998.
38. Who Puts Families First? Republican Cuts Hurt Low-Income
Working Families--[Fact Sheet]. June 4, 1998.
39. The Republican Transportation Budget: Paved with Good
Intentions?--[Fact Sheet]. June 4, 1998.
40. The Democratic Budget--Protecting the Health of All
Americans--[Fact Sheet]. June 4, 1998.
41. The Democratic Budget Protects Justice Programs--[Fact
Sheet]. June 4, 1998.
42. A $25 Billion Black Hole in the Republican Budget--[Fact
Sheet]. June 4, 1998.
43. It's Not Where You Start, It's Where You Finish: Republican
Budget Cuts Are Much Deeper Than the Advertised 1
Percent--[Fact Sheet]. June 4, 1998.
44. The Democratic Budget Protects the Environment--[Fact
Sheet]. June 4, 1998.
45. The Republican Assault on The Environment--[Fact Sheet].
June 4, 1998.
46. Frequently Asked Questions About the Federal Budget, Part
I--[Background Information]. June 25, 1998.
47. Republican Delays in Passing a Budget Resolution--
[Background Information]. July 14, 1998.
48. Overview of the Fiscal Year 1999 Budget Picture--
[Background Information]. July 15, 1998.
49. Frequently Asked Questions About the Federal Budget, Part
II--[Background Information]. July 29, 1998.
50. Student Loan Issues in the Higher Education Act
Reauthorization--[Background Information]. August 3,
1998.
51. The Budget Surplus: a Democratic Victory--[Background
Information]. September 30, 1998.
52. Description of New and Expanded Medicare Benefits--
[Background Information]. October 8, 1998.