Information on the Budget Process

[MineralMan]

A lot of people seem confused about how the Federal budget is created. A lot of people seem to believe that President Obama has more input into it that he actually has. Here are some facts, based on the Constitution of the United States.

1. All budget and spending bills are initiated by the House of Representatives.
2. The President cannot introduce any actual budget measures, although he can suggest a budget to the House.
3. The President cannot add anything to a House budget or spending bill, but only in its entirety.
4. The Republicans have a controlling majority in the House of Representatives.
5. Any budget bill introduced in the House will be written by Republicans.
6. The President does have the ability to veto any bill.
7. The Senate still has a Democratic Majority, and can prevent any House bill from becoming law.
8. The President and the Senate can put pressure on the House, due to the Presidential veto and the Senate's ability to block a budget or spending bill.
9. The House of Representatives still has control over what is in any budget or spending bill.
10. Therefore, the only thing the President can do is to try to get measures removed from budget or spending bills. There is no way for him to force inclusion of anything in such a bill. The only real impact the President realistically has is to veto a bill and hope the Senate will stick by him and uphold the veto.

11. Without authorization by Congress, the Federal Government cannot spend a dime. And we all rely on Federal spending, even if we don't understand why. It is simply a fact.

Understanding how things actually work seems useful to me. Perhaps it doesn't to everyone.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. #6

33% of the power.

With the Senate, 66% of the power.


That's how things work.

[MineralMan]

2. But no power to introduce spending or budget measures.

That is reserved to the House of Representatives. That's where the problem begins. A Republican-controlled House WILL produce a Republican budget. All the other 2/3 can do is block it. That's a very important thing, and is the point of my post.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. So BLOCK it!

:shrug:

[MineralMan]

4. Yes, and that's what happened with part of it.

See #11 in the OP.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. And then the Senate (presumably us) gets to add/remove more things.

They just removed things. Sure, they saved existing programs but how about a little give and take?

We got screwn by any measure.

[MineralMan]

6. Yes, but the House has to concur.

Conference committee doesn't get stuff added very often. It often gets things removed. Same deal as I described.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. Of course it does.

Look at it this way: They have to jump 2 hurdles. We have to jump 1.


Who should be the faster/better hurdler? :think:

[doc03]

8. With all the uproar about budget cuts just what

was cut, I have never heard?

[MineralMan]

9. Yah, neither have I, exactly. The bill isn't written yet, I think.

Maybe we'll find out on Wednesday. That's what they're saying.

[doc03]

10. From what I heard today Obama is going to call for cuts

in SS in his budget proposal Wednesday. So there goes the Democrat's argument that SS hasn't contributed on cent to the debt.

[MineralMan]

11. Is that what you heard? From whom?

I didn't hear that. Maybe we're reading different things. Ya think?

[doc03]

12. Well lets wait and see what he says Wednesday. I haven't

seen anything yet he will draw a line in the sand over.

[MineralMan]

13. So you can't say where you "heard" that, then?

OK, then never mind.

[doc03]

14. I am not sure who it was but a Democrat suggested that

on Morning Joe. Let's wait and see, I hope they are wrong but Obama has never displayed any sign of a backbone so far.

[doc03]

15. Here it is according to the White House reported by Mika on

Morning Joe. Starts at about 3:30 in video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMXTVNX_h5M
It said make changes in SS. That could mean just raise the cap possibly, we'll see.