ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the budget and appropriations cycle throughout a congressional session, from January through December. In the process, It explains how to read the federal budget, and introduces the reader to some important budget concepts; including devices that help Congress get a handle on the budget. There are several budget-related items that occur not only in January but at regular intervals throughout the year: Monthly Budget Review (MBR), economic releases and treasury financial statements. Two major reports from Congressional Budget Office (CBO) add to budget news during January: Unauthorized appropriations and expiring authorizations and budget and economic outlook. The budget resolution is one of the reforms of the 1974 Budget Act. Its major purpose is to provide a specific framework of revenues and spending for Congress to meet during the session. Finally, the chapter explores how partisanship and gridlock have changed the budget and appropriations cycle and the roles of key decision makers in that process.
