United States Senate Committee on the Budget

Last updated

Senate Budget Committee
Standing committee
Active
Seal of the United States Senate.svg
United States Senate
118th Congress
Senate Budget Committee.png
History
Formed1974
Leadership
Chair Sheldon Whitehouse (D)
Since January 3, 2023
Ranking member Chuck Grassley (R)
Since January 3, 2023
Structure
Seats21
Political partiesMajority (11)
  •   Democratic (10)
  •   Independent (1)
Minority (10)
Jurisdiction
Policy areas Budgetary policy and process, Fiscal policy, Government spending, Public debt, Tax expenditures
Oversight authority Congressional Budget Office
House counterpart House Budget Committee
Meeting place
608 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Website
www.budget.senate.gov
Rules

    The United States Senate Committee on the Budget was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. It is responsible for drafting Congress's annual budget plan and monitoring action on the budget for the Federal Government. The committee has jurisdiction over the Congressional Budget Office. The committee briefly operated as a special committee from 1919 to 1920 during the 66th Congress, before being made a standing committee in 1974. [1]

    Contents

    The current Chair is Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and the Ranking Member is Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley.

    Contrasted with other committees

    The Budget Committee should not be confused with the Finance Committee and the Appropriations Committee, both of which have different jurisdictions: The Finance Committee is analogous to the Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives; it has legislative jurisdiction in the areas of taxes, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and some other entitlements. The Appropriations Committee has legislative jurisdiction over appropriations bills, which provide funding for government programs.

    While the budget resolution prepared by the Budget Committee sets out a broad blueprint for the Congress with respect to the total levels of revenues and spending for the government as a whole, these other Committees prepare bills for specific tax and spending policies.

    118th Congress

    Majority [2] Minority [3]

    Chairs, 1975–present

    ChairsPartyStateYears
    Edmund S. Muskie Democratic Maine 1975–1980
    Ernest F. Hollings Democratic South Carolina 1980–1981
    Pete Domenici Republican New Mexico 1981–1987
    Lawton Chiles Democratic Florida 1987–1989
    James Sasser Democratic Tennessee 1989–1995
    Pete Domenici Republican New Mexico 1995–2001
    Kent Conrad Democratic North Dakota 2001 [lower-alpha 2]
    Pete Domenici Republican New Mexico 2001
    Kent Conrad Democratic North Dakota 2001–2003 [lower-alpha 3]
    Don Nickles Republican Oklahoma 2003–2005
    Judd Gregg Republican New Hampshire 2005–2007
    Kent Conrad Democratic North Dakota 2007–2013
    Patty Murray Democratic Washington 2013–2015
    Mike Enzi Republican Wyoming 2015–2021
    Bernie Sanders Independent [lower-alpha 1] Vermont 2021–2023
    Sheldon Whitehouse Democratic Rhode Island 2023–present

    Historical membership rosters

    117th Congress

    MajorityMinority

    Source: [4]

    116th Congress

    MajorityMinority

    115th Congress

    MajorityMinority

    114th Congress

    MajorityMinority

    113th Congress

    MajorityMinority

    112th Congress

    MajorityMinority

    111th Congress

    MajorityMinority

    110th Congress

    MajorityMinority

    109th Congress

    MajorityMinority

    Notes

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Senator is formally an independent but caucuses with the Democrats.
    2. At the beginning of the 107th Congress in January 2001 the Senate was evenly divided. With a Democratic president and vice president still serving until January 20, the Democratic vice president was available to break a tie, and the Democrats thus controlled the Senate for 17 days, from January 3 to January 20. On January 3 the Senate adopted S. Res. 7 designating Democratic senators as committee chairmen to serve during this period and Republican chairmen to serve effective at noon on January 20, 2001.
    3. On June 6, 2001, the Democrats took control of the Senate after Senator James Jeffords (VT) changed from the Republican Party to Independent and announced that he would caucus with the Democrats.

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">United States House Committee on Appropriations</span> Standing committee of the United States House of Representatives

    The United States House Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives that is responsible for passing appropriation bills along with its Senate counterpart. The bills passed by the Appropriations Committee regulate expenditures of money by the government of the United States. As such, it is one of the most powerful committees, and its members are seen as influential.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">United States House Committee on Ways and Means</span> Chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives

    The Committee on Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The committee has jurisdiction over all taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-raising measures, as well as a number of other programs including Social Security, unemployment benefits, Medicare, the enforcement of child support laws, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, foster care, and adoption programs. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committee unless they are granted a waiver from their party's congressional leadership. It has long been regarded as the most prestigious committee of the House of Representatives.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Senate Committee on Appropriations</span> Standing committee of the United States Senate

    The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry</span> Standing committee of the United States Senate

    The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of all matters relating to the nation's agriculture industry, farming programs, forestry and logging, and legislation relating to nutrition, home economics, and rural development.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Senate Committee on Armed Services</span> Committee of the United States Senate

    The Committee on Armed Services is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Defense, military research and development, nuclear energy, benefits for members of the military, the Selective Service System and other matters related to defense policy. The Armed Services Committee was created as a result of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 following the U.S. victory in the Second World War. The bill merged the responsibilities of the Committee on Naval Affairs and the Committee on Military Affairs.

    A congressional subcommittee in the United States Congress is a subdivision of a United States congressional committee that considers specified matters and reports back to the full committee.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation</span> Standing committee of the United States Senate

    The United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is a standing committee of the United States Senate. Besides having broad jurisdiction over all matters concerning interstate commerce, science and technology policy, and transportation, the Senate Commerce Committee is one of the largest of the Senate's standing committees, with 28 members in the 117th Congress. The Commerce Committee has six subcommittees. It is chaired by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) as Ranking Member. The majority office is housed in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, and the minority office is located in the Hart Senate Office Building.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs</span> Standing committee of the United States Senate

    The United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, also known as the Senate Banking Committee, has jurisdiction over matters related to banks and banking, price controls, deposit insurance, export promotion and controls, federal monetary policy, financial aid to commerce and industry, issuance of redemption of notes, currency and coinage, public and private housing, urban development, mass transit and government contracts.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Brock</span> American politician and United States Navy sailor (1930–2021)

    William Emerson Brock III was an American Republican politician who served in both chambers of the United States Congress from 1963 to 1977 and later in the United States Cabinet from 1981 to 1987. He was the grandson of William Emerson Brock Sr., a Democratic U.S. senator who represented Tennessee from 1929 to 1931.

    Budget reconciliation is a special parliamentary procedure of the United States Congress set up to expedite the passage of certain federal budget legislation in the Senate. The procedure overrides the Senate's filibuster rules, which may otherwise require a 60-vote supermajority for passage. Bills described as reconciliation bills can pass the Senate by a simple majority of 51 votes or 50 votes plus the vice president's as the tie-breaker. The reconciliation procedure also applies to the House of Representatives, but it has minor significance there, as the rules of the House of Representatives do not have a de facto supermajority requirement. Because of greater polarization, gridlock, and filibustering in the Senate in recent years, budget reconciliation has come to play an important role in how the United States Congress legislates.

    The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Appropriations. The United States House Committee on Appropriations has joint jurisdiction with the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations over all appropriations bills in the United States Congress. Each committee has 12 matching subcommittees, each of which is tasked with working on one of the twelve annual regular appropriations bills. This subcommittee has jurisdiction over the budget for the United States Department of Defense and United States Intelligence Community

    The House Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies is a standing subcommittee within the House Appropriations Committee. The United States House Committee on Appropriations has joint jurisdiction with the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations over all appropriations bills in the United States Congress. Each committee has 12 matching subcommittees, each of which is tasked with working on one of the twelve annual regular appropriations bills. This subcommittee has jurisdiction over the budget for the United States Department of Energy and Water Development.

    The House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs is a standing subcommittee within the House Appropriations Committee. Prior to 2008, it was known as the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs. The United States House Committee on Appropriations has joint jurisdiction with the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations over all appropriations bills in the United States Congress. Each committee has 12 matching subcommittees, each of which is tasked with working on one of the twelve annual regular appropriations bills. This subcommittee has jurisdiction over the budget for the United States Department of State and any Foreign Operations.

    The House Subcommittee on Homeland Security is a standing subcommittee within the House Appropriations Committee. The United States House Committee on Appropriations has joint jurisdiction with the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations over all appropriations bills in the United States Congress. Each committee has 12 matching subcommittees, each of which is tasked with working on one of the twelve annual regular appropriations bills. This subcommittee has jurisdiction over the budget for the United States Department of Homeland Security.

    The Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies is a subcommittee within the House Appropriations Committee. The United States House Committee on Appropriations has joint jurisdiction with the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations over all appropriations bills in the United States Congress. Each committee has 12 matching subcommittees, each of which is tasked with working on one of the twelve annual regular appropriations bills. This subcommittee has jurisdiction over the budget for the United States Department of Labor, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and the United States Department of Education.

    The United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies is a standing committee of the U.S. House subcommittees and is within the United States House Committee on Appropriations. The United States House Committee on Appropriations has joint jurisdiction with the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations over all appropriations bills in the United States Congress. Each committee has 12 matching subcommittees, each of which is tasked with working on one of the twelve annual regular appropriations bills. This subcommittee has jurisdiction over the budget for Military Construction and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies</span>

    The United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies is a standing committee of the U.S. House subcommittees and is within the United States House Committee on Appropriations. The United States House Committee on Appropriations has joint jurisdiction with the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations over all appropriations bills in the United States Congress. Each committee has 12 matching subcommittees, each of which is tasked with working on one of the twelve annual regular appropriations bills. This subcommittee has jurisdiction over the budgets for the United States Department of Commerce, the United States Department of Justice, and Science policy of the United States.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch</span> US House of Representatives standing subcommittee

    The United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch is a standing subcommittee within the House Appropriations Committee. The United States House Committee on Appropriations has joint jurisdiction with the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations over all appropriations bills in the United States Congress. Each committee has 12 matching subcommittees, each of which is tasked with working on one of the twelve annual regular appropriations bills. This subcommittee has jurisdiction over the budget for the United States Congress.

    The 2014 United States federal budget is the budget to fund government operations for the fiscal year (FY) 2014, which began on October 1, 2013 and ended on September 30, 2014.

    References

    1. Walter Stubbs (1985), Congressional Committees, 1789–1982: A Checklist, Greenwood Press, pp. 16–17
    2. S.Res. 30 (118th Congress)
    3. S.Res. 31 (118th Congress)
    4. "Committee Members | U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget".