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Budget Resolution / Budget Reconciliation News

(See Appropriations.com for news on the funding freeze,
looming shutdown and current appropriation news):

BUDGET RESOLUTION / RECONCILIATION STATUS CHART:

For a detailed nonpartisan explanation of the budget resolution/reconciliation process read Trillions: A Primer 

Fri, Feb 21, 2025:
Statement from Chairman Graham on passage – Budget Comm/GOP
Senate Democratic statement on GOP budget plan – SenateDems/Schumer
Senate passes GOP budget plan after Democrats force long night of votes – NYT
Senate Republicans approve budget framework over Democratic objections after all-night vote – PBS
US Senate Republicans push border security bill, leaving tax cuts for later – Reuters
Senate adopts budget resolution framework for border, defense package – Roll Call

Wed, Feb 19, 2025:
Vance keeps Senate budget plan alive, as a backup – Politico
Senate still moving forward with budget, Thune says – Politico
Trump stuns GOP Senators with endorsement of House (all-in-on) budget plan – Politico
Trump backs $4.5 trillion tax cuts in House GOP budget plan – Bloomberg

Tues, Feb 18, 2025:
Statement from Ranking Member Merkley (D-OR) in opposition
Senate passed 50-47 a motion to proceed to S.Con.Res. 7, the Budget Resolution.

• The Senate budget plan requires $520 billion in spending increases in order to finish the border wall, build migrant detention facilities, increase ICE agents, strengthen defense including an air and missile defense shield, and eliminating receipts from the methane emission fee.
  • $150 billion by the Armed Services Comm;
  • $20 billion by the Commerce Comm;
  • $175 billion by the Homeland Security & Govt Affairs Comm
  • $175 billion by the Judiciary Comm;
• The Senate budget plan requires deficit reduction of only $5 billion–$1 billion by each of the following committees: Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Finance, Health.
• While the Committee claims that the objective is find offsets to the new spending, the budget plan does not require offsets. 
• The accompanying tables developed by the Budget Committee assume $9 trillion in budget cuts over 10 years, with no specific details.

Republicans consider cuts and work requirements for Medicaid, jeopardizing care for millions – AP
Senate GOP ready to advance slimmer budget blueprint – Roll Call
Senate to vote on budget resolution this week in race to enact Trump agenda – The Hill
Senate GOP edge out the House again, planning budget vote this week – Politico
House budget allows for too much debt – Comm for Responsible Federal Budget
“The House should revise the budget resolution to be deficit reducing or at the very least budget neutral.”

Mon, Feb 17, 2025:
Republicans hope to jam through defense, border funding boost ahead of shutdown fight – The Hill

Sun, Feb 16, 2025:
House GOP budget resolution in jeopardy amid concerns from moderates – The Hill
“Reps. David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) — both of whom represent districts with a significant percentage of Medicaid recipients — told The Hill that they are withholding support from the budget resolution as they seek more information on the severity of the cuts and how they could impact their constituents…. ‘There’s at least double digits of people who are severely concerned,’ Valadao said.”

Fri, Feb 14, 2025:
Senate GOP likely to vote on budget next week – Semafor

Thurs, Feb 13, 2025:
House and Senate committees move forward on dueling budget plans – CBS
GOP budget framework gets over initial hurdle in House; Critical piece of Trump legislative agenda approved in committee, but tough floor vote awaits – Roll Call
House Budget Committee passes budget plan 21-16, clearing it for House Floor – HBC
Resolution  Chairman’s Stmt  Ranking Dem Stmt
House hardliners, leadership strike deal on budget resolution ahead of key vote – The Hill

Wed, Feb 12, 2025:
Senate Budget Committee voted 11-10 to send their FY 25 budget resolution to the Floor, focusing on additional funding for immigration enforcement and border security – SBC post
Closer look at House budget reconciliation instructions-$4 Trillion in New Debt – CRFB
House GOP budget plan assumes deep cuts food stamps (SNAP) –  Politico
House Republicans unveil blueprint to extend $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and raise debt ceiling-AP
House reconciliation instructions set stage for way too much borrowing – CRFP
Quarreling Republicans float plan to cut taxes, raise debt limit – Bloomberg
Senate Budget Committee marks up budget resolution – SBC
Senate gets moving on two-track budget plan – Politico
House Budget Committee will markup its budget resolution on Thursday, 2/13 – Text
House Dems hold news conference on GOP budget plan – C-SPAN
House GOP budget blueprint ready for mark-up amid GOP “angst” – Roll Call
“(T)he Ways and Means Committee would be allotted (cut revenues) $4.5 trillion over 10 years to cover the cost of extending tax cuts that expire at the end of this year (PL 115-97). And the measure also makes room for $300 billion in increased defense, border security and immigration enforcement spending.
But conservatives on the Budget panel like Chip Roy, R-Texas, want a commitment that the framework would actually reduce deficits over the next decade in exchange for their votes.
To accomplish that, House Budget Chairman Jodey C. Arrington, R-Texas, starts by laying out minimum spending cuts targets for authorizing committees totaling $1.5 trillion over 10 years. Over half of that figure goes to the Energy and Commerce Committee, with jurisdiction over Medicaid, sure to be a major flash point in the upcoming debates….(Budget plan) assumes additional (unspecified) cuts from nondefense discretionary spending.” (Editor: note that the spending cuts do not come close to covering the reduced tax revenues and increased security spending; House GOP makes up the difference by “assuming” trillions in economic growth from the tax cuts.)

Tues, Feb 11, 2025:
House GOP skeptical it can advance Trump agenda by week’s end – The Hill
House Freedom Caucus plans to throw another tax plan into the mix – Politico  Plan
Ways & Means and House Budget Comm. split on size of tax cuts – Politico
GOP leaders downplay Medicaid cuts as they seek $3 trillion in cuts – The Hill

Mon, Feb 10, 2025:
GOP fight over scope of Medicaid cuts stalls Trump budget bill in House – CNN
Super Bowl budget brawl – Politico

Sun, Feb 9, 2025:
Speaker Mike Johnson said he would stick with “one big bill” strategy to pass President Trump’s tax-cut agenda and fund border and military priorities. Johnson told Fox News Sunday that it will take some time to secure a Republican consensus because of the party’s thin House majority. – Reuters

Fri, Feb 7, 2025:
Senate Budget Chair Graham unveils draft budget resolution to launch 1st reconciliation bill focused on DOD, border security, energy production; Text; Tables – Senate Budget Committee
Senate aims to blow past Mike Johnson on Trump’s reconciliation bill – Axios

Thurs, Feb 6, 2025:
House GOP close in on budget deal after Trump meeting; GOP senators have set plans to move forward with their own narrower budget bill next week, focused on funding border security and national defense. They would postpone fights over deep spending cuts and extending expiring tax cuts until later in the year, closer to the Dec. 31 deadline – WSJ
Senate GOP prepares to move on 2-bill budget package as House stuck on spending cuts – RollCall

Wed, Feb 5, 2025:
Republicans eye shorter 5-yr tax-cut extension to mask the cost – WSJ
Senate Budget Committee set to advance 2-bill plan next week – Politico
House GOP mulls a short-term tax plan as deficit hawks hold out on cost – Politico

Tues, Feb 4, 2025:
Mike Johnson’s budget plan is at risk of collapse – Politico
Senate GOP seeks Trump’s blessing on budget strategy – Politico
GOP’s reconciliation strategy to enact Trump agenda may face big vulnerability – CNN
House GOP is asserting there is no cost to the Trump tax cuts, while setting “modest targets for spending reductions….But it’s unclear whether that approach will satisfy the House conservatives demanding substantial deficit reduction.”

Mon, Feb 3, 2025:
Lindsey Graham and the Freedom Caucus join forces on reconciliation strategy; Graham is ready and waiting if Johnson’s plan for the Trump agenda blows up – Politico

Mon, Feb 3, 2025: Politico reports that “Mike Johnson’s plan to get budget resolutions through committee this week isn’t going as planned. House Republicans leaders are pushing panels for deeper spending cuts to address the requests of key conservatives on the Budget Committee. Meanwhile, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham has been working with House Freedom Caucus members behind the scenes on a two-bill approach to the party-line legislation  — which runs contrary to Johnson’s plans.” – Politico

Fri, Jan 31, 2025:
Extending the 2017 tax cuts would be fiscally reckless – Bloomberg Editorial Bd.
Politico reports that House Republicans are struggling to come up with a consensus budget resolution which is a procedural prerequisite to unlock the filibuster-proof “reconciliation process” needed to advance Trump’s tax cuts/spending cuts/immigration agenda. The budget resolution for FY 2026 will also include spending levels for discretionary apppropriations. Politico
Trump vows to “love and cherish” Medicaid–while Republicans plot cuts for savings – Politico
House GOP nears plan for Trump tax and spending bill, but may lack votes– WP

Wed, Jan 29, 2025:
Judge open to halting Trump freeze on federal grant funds; lawsuit from nearly two dozen states challenges now-rescinded memo – Roll Call
White House rescinds freeze on federal grants – WashPost
“In a memo dated Wednesday and distributed to federal agencies, Matthew J. Vaeth, acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, states that OMB memorandum M-25-13 “is rescinded.’ That order, issued Monday, instructed federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.”
More background from Roll Call
Why Senate GOP needs “Reconciliation” to fund Trump’s agenda–Bloomberg
OMB rescinded the spending pause  JD Supra
OMB Rescinds Memo Pausing Federal Financial Assistance, But White House Asserts Funding Freeze in Executive Orders Remain Effective – National Law Review

Fri, Jan 24, 2025:
Deficit hawk Chip Roy and Trump are on a collision course – Politico
Spending cuts under consideration by House Budget Committee – Punchbowl

Fri, Jan 17, 2025:
House Budget Committee floats menu of spending cut options – Punchbowl
Cong. Budget Office releases annual budget and economic outlook – Director’s Statement

• Deficit: “The federal budget deficit in fiscal year 2025 is $1.9 trillion. Adjusted to exclude the effects of shifts in the timing of certain payments, the deficit grows to $2.7 trillion by 2035. It amounts to 6.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025…  In 2035, the adjusted deficit equals 6.1 percent of GDP—significantly more than the 3.8 percent that deficits have averaged over the past 50 years.”
• Debt: “From 2025 to 2035, debt swells as increases in mandatory spending and interest costs outpace growth in revenues. Federal debt held by the public rises from 100 percent of GDP this year to 118 percent in 2035, surpassing its previous high of 106 percent of GDP in 1946.”
• Outlays: “In CBO’s projections, rising spending for Social Security and Medicare boosts mandatory outlays, and discretionary spending shrinks as a share of GDP. Net outlays for interest increase as debt mounts. Interest costs exceed outlays for defense from 2025 to 2035 and exceed outlays for nondefense discretionary programs from 2027 to 2035. From 2027 on, interest costs are greater in relation to GDP than at any point since at least 1940 (the first year for which the Office of Management and Budget reports such data).” (emphasis added)
• Revenues: “Revenues total $5.2 trillion, or 17.1 percent of GDP, in 2025. They rise to 18.2 percent of GDP by 2027, in part because of the scheduled expiration of provisions of the 2017 tax act. Revenues decline as a share of GDP over the next two years, falling to 17.9 percent in 2029, but then generally increase, reaching 18.3 percent in 2035.” (Note from the Editor: the 2017 tax cuts are expected to be extended for 10 years, so these revenue projections are high.)
• Economic Growth and Inflation: “Economic growth cools from an estimated 2.3 percent in calendar year 2024 to 1.9 percent in 2025 and 1.8 percent in 2026 amid higher unemployment and lower inflation….  The overall growth of prices slows slightly in 2025. Inflation as measured by the price index for personal consumption expenditures (PCE) falls from an estimated 2.5 percent in 2024 to a rate roughly in line with the Federal Reserve’s long-run goal of 2 percent in 2027 and stabilizes thereafter.” (Note from the Editor: these estimates do not reflect the likely shrinking of the workforce due to anticipated Trump expulsions of undocumented workers, which may reduce economic growth and fuel inflation.)

Wed, Jan. 15, 2025:
CBO releases preliminary report on “Expired and Expiring Authorizations of Appropriations.” – CBO
Trump’s budget chief previews constitutional clash over spending – FiscalTimes

Mon, Jan. 13, 2025: CBO releases “The Demographic Outlook: 2025 – 2055”

Fri, Jan 10, 2025: 
Spending cuts under consideration by House Budget Committee (as reported by Politico) include cuts to:

• Medicare (the national health insurance program for seniors);
• Medicaid (the federal-state health program for low-income Americans);
• the Affordable Care Act (which provides subsidies to lower income Americans to purchase private insurance);
• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families which helps States transition people from unemployment to work;
• Nutrition assistance (food stamps);
• Renewable energy grants and tax incentives;
• Student loan relief;
• Federal civilian retirement benefits; and
• Caps on federal emergency assistance.

Thurs, Jan 9, 2025: Musk says DOGE’s goal to cut $2 trillion in spending is “best-case outcome” – says there’s a good shot of cutting at least $1 trillion from federal expenditures. WSJ

Wed, Jan 8, 2025:
Trump, GOP senators wrestle over strategy for president-elect’s agenda – The Hill
The GOP’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” Dilemma – TPC/Gleckman
Senate GOP embraces strategy on reconciliation bill: Whatever can pass the House – Politico

Mon, Jan 6, 2025:
Trump, Republicans prep ambitious, fraught plan for tax cuts, more – WashPost
Congress can’t use certain infrastructure cuts to pay for tax cuts – Politico

Sat, Jan 4, 2025: GOP leans toward one bill for Trump agenda; some favor splitting tax and border plans into two bills – WSJ

Happy New Year!!

[Additional background on the CR is available at Appropriations.com]

Thurs, Dec 12, 2024:
Options for Reducing the Deficit: 2025 to 2034 – CBO
“CBO periodically issues a compendium of policy options and their estimated effects on the federal budget. This report presents 76 options for altering spending or revenues to reduce federal budget deficits over the next decade.”

Fri, Dec. 6, 2024:
GOP leadership convenes to talk reconciliation–one bill or two– Politico

Thurs, Dec 5, 2024: An Evaluation of CBO’s Projections of Deficits and Debt ’84-’23 – CBO; Musk, Ramaswamy have few answers for tough budget questions from GOP – The Hill

Wed, Dec 4, 2024:
Princples-based illustrative reforms of federal tax and spending programs – PennWharton

Sat, Nov. 16, 2024: 
–Musk wants to slash $2 trillion in federal spending. Is that possible? – NYTimes
–For background on the federal budget, see Trillions

Tues, Nov 12, 2024: Trump win sets up GOP battle between deficit hawks, tax cutters – Hill

Fri, Nov 8, 2024:
Budget Summary for FY 2024 – CBO
US Fiscal Health Risks Increase After Trump Election – Moody’s

Go to Chronological Archives for previous budget news.