Budget Matters Blog

Entries By Samantha Dana


Continuing Resolution Number 6: The End?

The Senate passed a sixth Continuing Resolution on March 17, 2011, which cuts an additional $6 billion from the Fiscal Year 2011 budget. The FY 2011 year ends September 30, 2011 and Republican leaders are under pressure to meet the $100 billion-cut-goal set by the House Appropriations Committee. As this ...

On the Block: Higher Education

Congress is currently struggling to pass a budget for FY 2011 (which began six months ago). The debate has been overtaken by overwhelming concern about both the annual deficit and the national debt which is approaching $14 trillion. In the two-week continuing resolution passed on March 2, higher education programs ...

The President's Budget: FAQs

Budgeting Process How does the budget go from an idea to a law? Each February, the Office of Management and Budget, which is part of the White House, releases the President's budget requests for the next fiscal year, which starts October 1. The House of Representatives and the Senate subcommittees ...

The Slow Road to September – Congress, Continuing Resolutions and The FY 2011 Budget

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }a:link { } On February 19, 2011 the House of Representatives passed the Republican majority's version of the Fiscal Year 2011 spending bill, which contains funding for the entire federal government through the end of September. 162 amendments were offered during consideration of the bill and ...

DC Speak: Who Does What, Senate Edition

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }a:link { } Now we move from the large, tumultuous body of the House of Representatives to the smaller and more deliberative Senate. In the Constitutional compromise, the Senate is meant to prevent hasty action by the House, serve as a check on the ambition of ...

DC Speak: U.S. Congress – Who Does What, House Edition

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }a:link { } [Editor's Note: As part of its version of a new Continuing Resolution to provide government funding for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011, the House Republican leadership is considering some functional changes that might impact current House procedures. Look for an upcoming issue ...

On the Block: Out in the Cold

As one third of the country prepares for winter weather this week, state and local governments are struggling to find a way to pay for the aftermath. Snow and ice removal is taking a toll on budgets across the country, and winter is not yet over. Today we'll take a ...

The President Speaks

Tuesday night, the President delivered his annual State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress. Article II, Section 3 of the US Constitution requires the President to “from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration ...

DC Speak: The Biggest Credit Card Bill Ever

The United States has been borrowing its way out of mounting obligations and lowered revenues for some time. We rely on the federal government to provide a variety of services across the country, including healthcare for veterans, special education programs, and energy grants for those with lower incomes. When tax ...

Pell Grants: Not out of the woods yet!

By Samantha DanaIn the Continuing Resolution passed by Congress on December 21, 2010 one line specifies that the maximum Pell Grant award amount shall not exceed $4,860. These grants, which do not have to be repaid, are an essential part of making college affordable. However, not many are aware of ...