Joint Committees of Congress
Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform
Title IV of Division C of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-123) (BBA 2018) established the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform (JCBA) on February 9, 2018 . The Committee’s goal under sec. 30442(b)(1) was broadly phrased: “The goal of the joint committee is to reform the budget and appropriations process.”
This Joint Committee on Budget and Appropriations Reform (JCBA) is composed of 16 Members of Congress, and must meet not fewer than five times before the end of November 2018. Its purpose is to produce a bill to reform budget and appropriations procedures, which then must be voted on “Not later than the last day of the 115th Congress.”
The Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate jointly appointed House Budget Committee Chair Steve Womack (R-AR) as one co-chair, and the Minority Leaders of the House and Senate appointed House Appropriations Committee Ranking Minority Member Nita Lowey (D-NY) as the other co-chair. The other members of the committee were appointed within the 14 day required time period (see below for the appointees).
The law requires the committee fulfill certain responsibilities. It must hold at least 5 public meetings, including at least 3 public hearings. The committee must produce a report and a bill, on which it must vote by November 30, 2018. The Committee must muster a majority of both Republicans and Democrats, not just a simple majority.
If successful, then the bill must be transmitted to various parties “not later than 15 calendar days after such approval,” including the Majority Leader who must introduce it. It then it must be referred to the Senate Budget Committee, which must report it without revision within 7 days, or be discharged if it fails to take action.
The bill then moves to Senate consideration where it is given expedited procedures, in particular it all points of order against it are waived and it may be considered notwithstanding the order of privilege of motions. In particular, the “motion to proceed” must be agreed to by a 3/5th majority, meaning 60 votes, but otherwise, it is designed to move more quickly than regular legislation. Still, once it is under consideration, the bill makes no further mention of debate, and the bill would be subject to amendment and the requirement for cloture to be invoked to bring it to a final vote. The law does require such a vote to occur before the end of the 115th Congress, though.
Activity
First Meeting: March 9, 2018
Organizational Meeting: April 17, 2018
Rules of the Joint Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform (BBA 2018) April 24, 2018
References
CRS – The Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform (R45111) February 21, 2018
CRS – The Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform (R45111) February 21, 2018 (BCR Annotated)
Sections Establishing Joint Select Committee
Title IV
DIVISION C—BUDGETARY AND OTHER MATTERS
Title IV—Joint Select Committees
Subtitle B—Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform
Section 30442. Establishment of Joint Select Committee.
Section 30444. Consideration of joint committee bill in the Senate.
Full Text of Title IV of Division C
Membership
House of Representatives
Speaker of the House, Rep. Paul Ryan appointed:
Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas, Chairman of the Budget Committee
Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas, Chairman of the Rules Committee
Rep. Rob Woodall of Georgia, Budget Committee
Rep. Jodey Arrington of Texas, Budget Committee
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi appointed:
Rep. Nita Lowey of New York (Democratic Co-Chair), Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee
Rep. John Yarmuth of Kentucky, Ranking Member of the Budget Committee
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard of California, Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Rep. Derek Kilmer of Washington, Vice Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee
Senate
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appointed:
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference
Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.)
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.)
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer appointed:
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
LegBranch.com
Joint Study Committee on Budget Control (1972-1973)
Previous:§025. History of Congressional Budgeting |
Next:§027. Joint Committee on Taxation |
Budget Counsel 