Book Description

Difficulties in the timely enactment of budgetary legislation have long fueled interest in ways to structure the congressional budget process to ease time constraints. One long-discussed reform proposal would attempt to remedy this by changing the budget cycle from one to two years. Biennial budgeting is a concept that may involve several variations, including two-year budget resolutions, two-year appropriations, as well as other changes in the timing of legislation related to revenue or spending. Typically, biennial budgeting proposals include at least the first two aspects. Biennial budgeting proposals may focus on enacting budgetary legislation for two-year periods or for two one-year periods. The overall time frame for a biennial budget cycle has previously taken either a "stretch" approach, where the current budget process timetable is extended to two full years, or a split sessions approach, where all budgetary activity is expected to occur in a single year or session of Congress (typically the first), while consideration of non-budgetary matters is expected to occur primarily in the other year or session. Proponents of biennial budgeting have generally advanced three arguments--that a two-year budget cycle would (1) reduce congressional workload by eliminating the need for annual review of routine matters; (2) reserve ...