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Congressional Research Service
Version 48 · Conference report filed in House · Apr 27, 2009
Sets forth the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2010, including the appropriate budgetary levels for FY2009 and FY2011-FY2014.
Title I: Recommended Levels and Amounts - (Sec. 101) Lists recommended budgetary levels and amounts for FY2009-FY2014 with respect to: (1) federal revenues; (2) new budget authority; (3) budget outlays; (4) deficits (on-budget); (5) debt subject to limit; and (6) debt held by the public.
(Sec. 102) Lists the appropriate levels of new budget authority, outlays, and administrative expenses for the Social Security Administration (SSA), including the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, U.S. Postal Service discretionary administrative expenses, and specified major functional categories for FY2009-FY2014.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Title II: Reconciliation - (Sec. 201) Sets forth reconciliation instructions for the Senate Committees on Finance and on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
(Sec. 202) Sets forth reconciliation instructions for the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, on Ways and Means, and on Education and Labor.
Title III: Reserve Funds - Subtitle A: Senate Reserve Funds - (Sec. 301) Provides for certain deficit-neutral reserve funds for legislation for: (1) transforming and modernizing America's health care system; (2) investing in clean energy and preserving the environment; (3) higher education; (4) child nutrition programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); (5) investing in America's infrastructure; (6) promoting economic stabilization and growth; (7) benefits for America's veterans and wounded servicemembers; (8) revising judicial pay, judgeships, and postal retiree health coverage; (9) pension coverage for current and past employees of Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories and environmental cleanup sites; (10) defense acquisition and contracting reform; (11) investing in the nation's counties and schools; (12) the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); (13) a comprehensive investigation into the current financial crisis; (14) increased transparency at the Federal Reserve; (15) 21st Century Community Learning Centers; (16) providing critical resources to firefighters and fire departments; (17) extending permanently the deduction for state and local sales taxes; (18) extending incentives for enhanced charitable giving from individual retirement accounts (IRAs), including life-income gifts, or enhancing the employer-provided child care credit and the dependent care tax credit; (19) promoting individual savings and financial security; (20) increasing the borrowing authority of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA); (21) revising child welfare programs; and (22) a 9/11 health program.
Subtitle B: House Reserve Funds - (Sec. 321) Creates certain deficit-neutral reserve funds, subject to specified conditions, for legislation concerning: (1) health care reform; (2) college access, affordability, and completion; (3) an increase in energy independence; (4) America's veterans and wounded servicemembers; (5) certain tax relief; (6) a 9/11 health program; (7) child nutrition; (8) structural unemployment insurance reforms; (9) child support; (10) the Affordable Housing Trust Fund; (11) home visiting for certain individuals and families; (12) a low-income home energy assistance program (LIHEAP) trigger; (13) reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000 or revision of the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Act of 1976 (county payments); and (14) reauthorization of surface transportation programs.
Title IV: Budget Process - Subtitle A: Senate Provisions - Part I: Budget Enforcement - (Sec. 401) Makes it out of order to consider in the Senate any legislation that would exceed specified discretionary spending limits.
Permits waiver or suspension of such prohibition, or successful appeals from rulings of the Chair, only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths (60) of the Senate.
Sets discretionary spending limits for FY2009-FY2010.
Authorizes adjustments to discretionary spending limits, budgetary aggregates, and allocations for: (1) continuing disability reviews and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) redeterminations for the SSA, including SSI asset verification; (2) Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax enforcement; (3) health care fraud and abuse control; (4) unemployment insurance improper payment reviews; (5) the low-income home energy assistance program (LIHEAP); (6) adjustments to support ongoing overseas deployments and other activities; and (7) revised appropriations for FY2010 if the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) re-estimates the President's request for discretionary spending in FY2010 by the aggregate difference for discretionary appropriations and related outlays between the CBO re-estimate and the President's budget.
(Sec. 402) Makes it out of order to consider in the Senate any legislation that would require advanced appropriations other than for: (1) up to $28.852 billion in new budget authority in each of FY2011 and FY2012 for programs, projects, activities, or accounts identified in the joint explanatory statement of managers accompanying this resolution; (2) the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; and (3) the Department of Veterans Affairs for the Medical Services, Medical Support and Compliance, and Medical Facilities accounts of the Veterans Health Administration.
Permits waiver or suspension of such requirements, or successful appeals from rulings of the Chair, only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths (60) of the Senate.
(Sec. 403) Requires the Senate to treat as an emergency requirement the amounts of new budget authority, outlays, and receipts in all fiscal years resulting from a provision of direct spending or receipts legislation or appropriations for discretionary accounts that Congress designates as an emergency requirement according to specified criteria.
Declares that such new budget authority, outlays, and receipts resulting from any emergency requirement shall not count for CBA purposes, pay-as-you-go, long-term deficits, and the discretionary spending limit and short-term deficits requirements of this resolution.
Subjects any emergency requirement designation in the Senate to a point-of-order .
Permits waiver or suspension of such requirements, or successful appeals from rulings of the Chair, only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths (60) of the Senate.
(Sec. 404) Makes it out of order to consider in the Senate any legislation (except measures within the Committee on Appropriations' jurisdiction) that would cause a net increase in the deficit in excess of $10 billion in any fiscal year provided for in the most recently adopted budget resolution unless it is fully offset over all such fiscal years.
Permits waiver or suspension of such requirements, or successful appeals from rulings of the Chair, only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths (60) of the Senate.
(Sec. 405) Makes it out of order to consider in the Senate any legislation extending the authority for or reauthorizing surface transportation programs that appropriates budget authority from sources other than the Highway Trust Fund, including its Mass Transit Account.
Permits waiver or suspension of such requirements, or successful appeals from rulings of the Chair, only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths (60) of the Senate.
Part II: Other Provisions - (Sec. 411) Requires all Senate committees to: (1) review programs within their jurisdictions to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in program spending, giving particular scrutiny to issues raised by Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports; and (2) make recommendations for improved governmental performance, based on such oversight efforts and committee performance reviews, in their annual views and estimates reports to the Committee on the Budget.
(Sec. 412) Requires the joint explanatory statement accompanying the conference report on any budget resolution in the Senate to include in its committee allocations to the Committee on Appropriations amounts for the discretionary administrative expenses of the SSA and of the Postal Service.
Subtitle B: House Enforcement Provisions - (Sec. 421) Authorizes the chairman of the House Committee on the Budget, when evaluating the budgetary effects of any legislative measure, to exclude any such effects that would have been reflected in a baseline adjusted for current policy. Applies this authority, subject to certain conditions, only with respect to direct spending and revenues for current policy on: (1) Medicare improvements; (2) middle-class tax relief; (3) Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) reform; and (4) the Estate and Gift Tax.
Requires the chairman to exclude the budgetary effects of any provision that affects the full funding of the deposit insurance guarantee commitment in effect as of the enactment of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA).
(Sec. 422) Authorizes or prescribes adjustments to discretionary spending limits, budgetary aggregates, and allocations for: (1) continuing disability reviews, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) redeterminations, and SSI asset verification by the Social Security Administration (SSA); (2) Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax compliance; (3) the health care fraud and abuse control program; (4) unemployment insurance improper payment reviews; (5) the low-income home energy assistance program (LIHEAP); and (6) revised appropriations for FY2010 if the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) re-estimates the President's request for discretionary spending in FY2010 by the aggregate difference for discretionary appropriations and related outlays between the CBO re-estimate and the President's budget.
(Sec. 423) Authorizes adjustments for adoption in the House of legislation making appropriations for FY2009-FY2010 for overseas deployments and other activities.
States that new budget authority, outlays, and receipts resulting from such legislation above the specified amount of budget authority and new outlays in this resolution, or legislation making appropriations for discretionary spending to meet emergency needs, shall not count for certain CBA purposes.
(Sec. 424) Prohibits House legislation that would require advance appropriations, except: (1) certain FY2011 or FY2012 programs, projects, activities, or accounts; and (2) the Department of Veterans Affairs for the Medical Services, Medical Support and Compliance, and Medical Facilities accounts of the Veterans Health Administration.
(Sec. 425) Requires all House committees to: (1) conduct rigorous oversight hearings to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in all aspects of federal spending and operations, giving particular scrutiny to issues raised by the Office of Inspector General or Comptroller General; and (2) make recommendations, based on these oversight efforts, to reduce wasteful federal spending to promote deficit reduction and long-term fiscal responsibility.
(Sec. 426) Requires in the House the joint explanatory statement accompanying the conference report on any budget resolution to include in its allocation to the House Committee on Appropriations amounts for the discretionary administrative expenses of the SSA and of the Postal Service.
Title V: Policy - Declares the policy of this resolution on: (1) middle-class tax relief and revenues; and (2) defense priorities.
Title VI: Sense of Congress - (Sec. 601) Expresses the sense of Congress on: (1) veterans' and servicemembers' health care; (2) homeland security; (3) American innovation and economic competitiveness; (4) pay parity; (5) college affordability and student loan reform; (6) Great Lakes restoration; and (7) the importance of child support enforcement.
People & committees
Sen. Conrad, Kent [D-ND] · D–ND
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Senate agreed to conference report by Yea-Nay Vote. 53 - 43. Record Vote Number: 173.
Senate roll call 173 · Individual votesConference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Yea-Nay Vote. 53 - 43. Record Vote Number: 173.
Senate roll call 173 · Individual votesConference report considered in Senate. (consideration: CR S4840-4881)
Conference papers: Senate report and manager's statement and message on House action held at the desk in Senate.
Motions to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On agreeing to the conference report Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 233 - 193 (Roll no. 216).
House roll call 216 · Individual votesConference report agreed to in House: On agreeing to the conference report Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 233 - 193 (Roll no. 216).
House roll call 216 · Individual votesThe previous question was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H4927)
DEBATE - The House resumed with the remaining 20 minutes of debate on the conference report to accompany S.Con.Res. 13.
The House proceeded to consider the conference report H.Rept. 111-89 as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H4920-4928)
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - Pursuant to section 2 of H. Res. 371, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the conference report to accompany S. Con. Res. 13 would be postponed until a time to be announced.
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 371, the House proceeded with up to one hour of debate on the conference report to accompany S.Con.Res. 13.
Mr. Spratt brought up conference report H. Rept. 111-89 for consideration under the provisions of H. Res. 371. (consideration: CR H4891-4897)
Rule H. Res. 371 passed House.
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 371 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of the conference report to S. Con. Res. 13 with 1 hour of general debate. All points of order against the conference report and against its consideration are waived.
Conference report H. Rept. 111-89 filed. (text of conference report: CR H4474-4836)
Conference report filed: Conference report H. Rept. 111-89 filed.(text of conference report: CR H4474-4836)
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Senate appointed conferees. Conrad; Murray; Gregg.
Motion by Senator Vitter to instruct Senate conferees to insist that if the final conference report includes any reserve funds involving energy and the environment, that such sections shall include the requirements included in section 202 (a) of the Senate-passed resolution to require that such legislation would not increase the cost of producing energy from domestic sources, including oil and gas from the Outer Continental Shelf or other areas; would not increase the cost of energy for American families; would not increase the cost of energy for domestic manufacturers, farmers, fishermen, or other domestic industries; and would not enhance foreign competitiveness against U.S. businesses agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 63 - 30. Record Vote Number: 169.
Senate roll call 169 · Individual votesMotion by Senator DeMint to instruct Senate conferees to insist that the conference report on the concurrent resolution shall include a point of order against legislation that eliminates the ability of Americans to keep their health plan and eliminates the ability of Americans to choose their doctor, as contained in section 316 of the concurrent resolution, as passed by the Senate, and insist further that an additional condition be added providing such legislation shall not decrease the number of Americans enrolled in private health insurance, while increasing the number of Americans enrolled in government-managed, rationed health care agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 79 - 14. Record Vote Number: 168.
Senate roll call 168 · Individual votesMotion by Senator Coburn to instruct Senate conferees to insist that the conference report include a reserve fund that promotes legislation that achieves savings by going through the Federal Budget line by line agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
Motion by Senator Alexander to instruct Senate conferees to insist that the final conference report include the Senate position maintaining a competitive student loan program that provides students and institutions of higher education with a comprehensive choice of loan products and services, as contained in section 203 of S. Con. Res. 13, as passed by the Senate agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
Motion by Senator Cornyn to instruct Senate conferees to insist on the inclusion in the final conference report of the point of order against legislation that raises Federal income tax rates on small businesses as contained in section 307 of the concurrent resolution, as passed by the Senate agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 84 - 9. Record Vote Number: 167.
Senate roll call 167 · Individual votesMotion by Senator Ensign to instruct Senate conferees to insist that the conference report on the concurrent resolution include the point of order against legislation that raises taxes directly or indirectly on middle-income taxpayers (single individuals with $200,000 or less in adjusted gross income or married couples filing jointly with $250,000 or less in adjusted gross income) as contained in section 306 of the concurrent resolution as passed by the Senate agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
Motion by Senator Sessions to instruct Senate conferees rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 38 - 56. Record Vote Number: 166.
Senate roll call 166 · Individual votesMotion by Senator Gregg to instruct Senate conferees rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 40 - 54. Record Vote Number: 165.
Senate roll call 165 · Individual votesMotion by Senator Johanns to instruct Senate conferees to insist that if the conference report includes a Deficit Neutral Reserve Fund to Invest in Clean Energy and Preserve the Environment and Climate Change Legislation similar to section 202 of S. Con. Res. 13, as passed by the Senate, then that Deficit Neutral Reserve Fund shall also include the language contained in section 202(c) of S. Con. Res. 13, as passed by the Senate, which provides that the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee may not revise allocations for legislation if that legislation is reported from any committee pursuant to section 310 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 66 - 28. Record Vote Number: 164.
Senate roll call 164 · Individual votesMotion by Senator Stabenow to instruct Senate conferees to insist that the final conference report include a Deficit-Neutral Reserve Fund to Invest in Clean Energy and Preserve the Environment agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 57 - 37. Record Vote Number: 163.
Senate roll call 163 · Individual votesMotion by Senator Stabenow to instruct Senate conferees made in Senate. (consideration: CR S4652-4654; text: CR S4653)
Motion by Senator Ensign to instruct Senate conferees made in Senate. (consideration: CR S4652; text: CR S4652)
Motion by Senator Johanns to instruct Senate conferees made in Senate. (consideration: CR S4652, S4654; text: CR S4652)
Motion by Senator Cornyn to instruct Senate conferees made in Senate. (consideration: CR S4651, S4655-4656; text: CR S4651)
Motion by Senator Gregg to instruct Senate conferees made in Senate. (consideration: CR S4650-4651, S4654; text: CR S4650)
Motion by Senator DeMint to instruct Senate conferees made in Senate. (consideration: CR S4648-4650, S4656; text: CR S4648)
Motion by Senator Coburn to instruct Senate conferees made in Senate. (consideration: CR S4648; text: CR S4648)
Motion by Senator Vitter to instruct Senate conferees made in Senate. (consideration: CR S4647-4648, S4657; text: CR S4647)
Motion by Senator Alexander to instruct Senate conferees made in Senate. (consideration: CR S4646-4647; text: CR S4647)
Motion by Senator Sessions to instruct Senate conferees made in Senate. (consideration: CR S4643, S4655-4646; text: CR S4643)
Senate disagreed to House amendment, agreed to request for conference. (consideration: CR S4641-4657)
Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill and House requests a conference.
The Speaker appointed conferees: Spratt, Boyd, DeLauro, Ryan (WI), and Hensarling.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion that the House instruct conferees Failed by recorded vote: 196 - 227 (Roll no. 198). (consideration: CR H4655-4656)
House roll call 198 · Individual votesPOSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Ryan (WI) motion to instruct conferees on S. Con. Res. 13, the Chair put the question on adoption of the motion and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Ryan (WI) demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the motion until later in the legislative day.
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on the Ryan (WI) motion to instruct conferees on S. Con. Res. 13. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the managers on the part of the House to recede to the Senate position on reconciliation instructions with respect to health care reform, education reform and relevant points of order thereto.
Mr. Ryan (WI) moved that the House instruct conferees. (consideration: CR H4645-4653; text: CR H4645)
On motion that the House insist upon its amendment, and request a conference Agreed to by voice vote.
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on the Spratt motion that the House insist on its amendment to S. Con. Res. 13 and request a conference with the Senate thereon.
Mr. Spratt moved that the House insist upon its amendment, and request a conference.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to without objection. (text: CR H4631-4637)
Passed/agreed to in House: On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to without objection.(text: CR H4631-4637)
The House struck all after the enacting clause and inserted in lieu thereof the provisions of a similar measure H. Con. Res. 85. Agreed to without objection.
The resolution provides for further consideration of H.Con.Res. 85 in the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union. The resolution makes in order four amendments which shall be debateable for forty minutes each, equally divided and controlled. The resolution makes in order a motion to take from the Speaker's table S.Con.Res. 13 and strike all after the resolving clause of S.Con.Res. 13 and insert in lieu thereof the provisions of H.Con.Res. 85 as passed by the House, and to insist on its amendment, and request a conference with the Senate thereon.
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 316. (consideration: CR H4618-4653, H4655-4656; text of measure as received in House: CR H4618-4631)
Held at the desk.
Received in the House.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Resolution agreed to in Senate with amendments by Yea-Nay Vote. 55 - 43. Record Vote Number: 154. (text: CR 4/20/2009 S4451-4464)
Senate roll call 154 · Individual votesPassed/agreed to in Senate: Resolution agreed to in Senate with amendments by Yea-Nay Vote. 55 - 43. Record Vote Number: 154.(text: CR 4/20/2009 S4451-4464)
Senate roll call 154 · Individual votesMotion by Senator Johanns to recommit to Senate Committee on the Budget rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 43 - 55. Record Vote Number: 132. (consideration: CR S4253; text: CR S4253)
Senate roll call 132 · Individual votesConsidered by Senate. (consideration: CR S4233-4293)
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S4112-4164)
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S4009-4055)
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S3942-3977)
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 39. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3997-4004)
Committee on the Budget. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Conrad under authority of the order of the Senate of 03/26/2009. Without written report.
Committee on the Budget. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Conrad under authority of the order of the Senate of 03/26/2009. Without written report.
Introduced in Senate
Committee on the Budget ordered to be reported an original measure.
Primary sources
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AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze S.Con.Res.13 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine S.Con.Res.13 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine S.Con.Res.13 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine S.Con.Res.13 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.