§10. Budget Resolutions
Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2017
S. Con. Res. 3 (115th Congress)
As Adopted by COngress
Legislative History
The Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2017 was finally adopted on January 13, 2017 by the House of Representatives, after having been introduced and passed by the Senate on January 12, 2017. This came after Congress was unable to adopt any fiscal year 2017 budget resolution in the 114th Congress. Furthermore, it was the second time in history the House was unable to pass any budget resolution on the floor, and the first time it was unable to “deem” a budget in place after having failed to get a final agreement in place. Hence, the fiscal year 2016 budget resolution, S. Con. Res. 11 adopted in the 1st Session of the 114th Congress, had to serve as the budget, though it was badly out of date.
When the 115th Congress convened on January 3, 2017, the Leadership of both Chambers decided to adopt a fiscal year 2017 budget resolution, not for the purpose of providing a budget but rather in order to generate a reconciliation measure. Such a measure does not need sixty votes in the Senate to bring debate to a close and hence it may not be filibustered in that Chamber. S.Con. Res. 3, therefore, only includes the bare minimum elements to allow it to qualify as a budget resolution along with the all important reconciliation instructions to the Committees of Jurisdiction (Senate Finance and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and House Ways and Means and House Energy and Commerce.
The instructions for these Committees were place holder amounts of $1 billion in deficit reduction over ten years for each. Under budget rules, all long as the amount is met, the bill may have broad latitude in budgetary changes.
The Senate had operated under a Senate Deeming Resolution included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. The House had no such deeming resolution and instead worked on H. Con. Res. 125 which led at the end of the 114th Congress (since it was never adopted in any fashion, and in particular not as a “concurrent resolution”.
Legislative Activity
| Date | Actions Overview |
|---|---|
| 01/03/2017 | Introduced in Senate |
| 01/03/2017 | Senate Committee on the Budget discharged pursuant to Section 300 of the Congressional Budget Act. |
| 01/12/2017 | Passed/agreed to in Senate: Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 – 48. Record Vote Number: 26.(text as passed Senate: 01/11/17 CR S268-272) |
| 01/13/2017 | Passed/agreed to in House: On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 227 – 198 (Roll no. 58).(text: CR H510) |
Major Documents
Final Budget Resolution; S. Con. Res. 3 (115th Congress): Congress Adopted
Senate
S. Con. Res 3 (115th Congress), Senate Passed: Resolution Text
Amendments Offered in the Senate to S. Con. Res. 3 (115th Congress): The resolution was considered on January 5, 2017, but no Amendments were adopted.
House
S. Con. Res. 3 (115th Congress): The House only passed the Senate-passed resolution and no amendments were allowed to be offered.
The House Budget Committee did not take any action on S. Con. Res. 3. The budget resolution it reported, H. Con. Res. 125, was never acted on by the House of Representatives and died at the end of the 114th Congress.
These documents provided for the consideration of S. Con. Res. 3:
Rule for S. Con. Res. 3 – H. Res. 48 (115th Congress)
Rule Report – H. Rept. 115-4 (115th Congress)
H. Con. Res. 125 Failed House Budget Resolution (Never Considered by House)
H. Con. Res. 125 (114th Congress): Committee-Passed Resolution Text – (No Floor Action)
H. Con. Res. 125 ; House Report 114-470
Budget Process Article : Contemplating the Congressional Budget Process (February 2, 2016)
Previous:FY2016 – S. Con. Res. 11 (114th Congress) |
Next:FY2018 – H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress) |
Budget Counsel 